diff --git a/core/css/multiselect.css b/core/css/multiselect.css
index 23aec23437f2a568858f8dbaf722d0eda6bf6ea0..afdf27681a1408ffd4c573354ed297ee955a2fdb 100644
--- a/core/css/multiselect.css
+++ b/core/css/multiselect.css
@@ -89,9 +89,17 @@ div.multiselect>span:last-child {
 }
 
 ul.multiselectoptions input.new {
-	border-top-left-radius: 0;
-	border-top-right-radius: 0;
 	padding-bottom: .2em;
 	padding-top: .2em;
 	margin: 0;
 }
+
+ul.multiselectoptions > li.creator {
+	padding: 10px;
+	font-weight: bold;
+}
+ul.multiselectoptions > li.creator > input {
+	width: 95% !important; /* do not constrain size of text input */
+	padding: 5px;
+	margin: -5px;
+}
diff --git a/core/js/multiselect.js b/core/js/multiselect.js
index 463c397d8cd835bd0112aa5e9cec7fe9147987a7..48d521e18568ba2708db411e0c927eac44ab17c1 100644
--- a/core/js/multiselect.js
+++ b/core/js/multiselect.js
@@ -176,10 +176,10 @@
 			});
 			button.parent().data('preventHide',false);
 			if(settings.createText){
-				var li=$('<li class="creator">+ <em>'+settings.createText+'<em></li>');
+				var li=$('<li class="creator">+ '+settings.createText+'</li>');
 				li.click(function(event){
 					li.empty();
-					var input=$('<input class="new">');
+					var input=$('<input type="text" class="new">');
 					li.append(input);
 					input.focus();
 					input.css('width',button.innerWidth());