diff --git a/app/api_topologies.go b/app/api_topologies.go
index bb16836fe..29e6b64ca 100644
--- a/app/api_topologies.go
+++ b/app/api_topologies.go
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ var (
 
 // namespaceFilters generates a namespace selector option group based on the given namespaces
 func namespaceFilters(namespaces []string, noneLabel string) APITopologyOptionGroup {
-	options := APITopologyOptionGroup{ID: "namespace", Default: "none", SelectType: "union", NoneLabel: noneLabel}
+	options := APITopologyOptionGroup{ID: "namespace", Default: "", SelectType: "union", NoneLabel: noneLabel}
 	for _, namespace := range namespaces {
 		options.Options = append(options.Options, APITopologyOption{
 			Value: namespace, Label: namespace, filter: render.IsNamespace(namespace), filterPseudo: false,
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ func (a byName) Less(i, j int) bool { return a[i].Name < a[j].Name }
 type APITopologyOptionGroup struct {
 	ID string `json:"id"`
 	// Default value for the UI to adopt. NOT used as the default if the value is omitted, allowing "" as a distinct value.
-	Default string              `json:"defaultValue,omitempty"`
+	Default string              `json:"defaultValue"`
 	Options []APITopologyOption `json:"options,omitempty"`
 	// SelectType describes how options can be picked. Currently defined values:
 	//   "one": Default if empty. Exactly one option may be picked from the list.
diff --git a/client/app/scripts/components/topology-options.js b/client/app/scripts/components/topology-options.js
index 448b355ec..a184fa88a 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/components/topology-options.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/components/topology-options.js
@@ -49,12 +49,15 @@ class TopologyOptions extends React.Component {
         // Add it to the array if it's not selected
         nextOptions = selectedActiveOptions.concat(value);
       }
-      // Since the user is clicking an option, remove the highlighting from the 'none' option,
-      // unless they are removing the last option. In that case, default to the 'none' label.
+      // Since the user is clicking an option, remove the highlighting from the none option,
+      // unless they are removing the last option. In that case, default to the none label.
+      // Note that since the other ids are potentially user-controlled (eg. k8s namespaces),
+      // the only string we can use for the none option is the empty string '',
+      // since that can't collide.
       if (nextOptions.length === 0) {
-        nextOptions = ['none'];
+        nextOptions = [''];
       } else {
-        nextOptions = nextOptions.filter(o => o !== 'none');
+        nextOptions = nextOptions.filter(o => o !== '');
       }
     }
     this.trackOptionClick(optionId, nextOptions);
@@ -62,7 +65,7 @@ class TopologyOptions extends React.Component {
   }
 
   handleNoneClick(optionId, value, topologyId) {
-    const nextOptions = ['none'];
+    const nextOptions = [''];
     this.trackOptionClick(optionId, nextOptions);
     this.props.changeTopologyOption(optionId, nextOptions, topologyId);
   }
@@ -74,7 +77,7 @@ class TopologyOptions extends React.Component {
       ? activeOptions.get(optionId)
       : option.get('defaultValue');
     const noneItem = makeMap({
-      value: 'none',
+      value: '',
       label: option.get('noneLabel')
     });
     return (