diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 2c7200823..65a12e991 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@gsa-sam/sam-ui-elements",
-  "version": "1.0.17",
+  "version": "1.0.18",
   "description": "SAM UI library",
   "repository": {
     "type": "git",
diff --git a/src/ui-kit/form-controls/sam-sds-autocomplete/autocomplete/autocomplete.component.ts b/src/ui-kit/form-controls/sam-sds-autocomplete/autocomplete/autocomplete.component.ts
index 06c2d7ada..5cea57122 100755
--- a/src/ui-kit/form-controls/sam-sds-autocomplete/autocomplete/autocomplete.component.ts
+++ b/src/ui-kit/form-controls/sam-sds-autocomplete/autocomplete/autocomplete.component.ts
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ export class SAMSDSAutocompleteComponent implements ControlValueAccessor {
   @Input()
   public service: SAMSDSAutocompleteServiceInterface;
 
-  @ViewChild("autocompleteSearch", { static: false })
+  @ViewChild("autocomplete", { static: false })
   autocompleteSearch: SAMSDSAutocompleteSearchComponent;
   constructor(private cd: ChangeDetectorRef) {}
 
@@ -103,10 +103,8 @@ export class SAMSDSAutocompleteComponent implements ControlValueAccessor {
       this.model.items = value;
       this.cd.markForCheck();
     } else {
-      if (!this.model || !(this.model instanceof SAMSDSSelectedItemModel)) {
-        this.model = new SAMSDSSelectedItemModel();
-      }
-      this.model.items = value && value.items ? value.items : [];
+      const items = value && value.items ? value.items : [];
+      this.model = new SAMSDSSelectedItemModel(items);
       this.cd.markForCheck();
     }
   }