diff --git a/awx/ui_next/src/screens/Template/Survey/SurveyQuestionAdd.jsx b/awx/ui_next/src/screens/Template/Survey/SurveyQuestionAdd.jsx
index 72ed7644e9..b4960edf37 100644
--- a/awx/ui_next/src/screens/Template/Survey/SurveyQuestionAdd.jsx
+++ b/awx/ui_next/src/screens/Template/Survey/SurveyQuestionAdd.jsx
@@ -18,6 +18,13 @@ export default function SurveyQuestionAdd({ survey, updateSurvey }) {
         );
         return;
       }
+      if (question.type === 'multiselect') {
+        question.default = question.default
+          .split('\n')
+          .filter(v => v !== '' || '\n')
+          .map(v => v.trim())
+          .join('\n');
+      }
       const newSpec = survey.spec ? survey.spec.concat(question) : [question];
       await updateSurvey(newSpec);
       history.push(match.url.replace('/add', ''));
diff --git a/awx/ui_next/src/screens/Template/Survey/SurveyQuestionEdit.jsx b/awx/ui_next/src/screens/Template/Survey/SurveyQuestionEdit.jsx
index 18006a9c5b..439f445572 100644
--- a/awx/ui_next/src/screens/Template/Survey/SurveyQuestionEdit.jsx
+++ b/awx/ui_next/src/screens/Template/Survey/SurveyQuestionEdit.jsx
@@ -39,6 +39,13 @@ export default function SurveyQuestionEdit({ survey, updateSurvey }) {
       if (questionIndex === -1) {
         throw new Error('Question not found in spec');
       }
+      if (formData.type === 'multiselect') {
+        formData.default = formData.default
+          .split('\n')
+          .filter(v => v !== '' || '\n')
+          .map(v => v.trim())
+          .join('\n');
+      }
       await updateSurvey([
         ...survey.spec.slice(0, questionIndex),
         formData,
diff --git a/awx/ui_next/src/screens/Template/Survey/SurveyQuestionForm.jsx b/awx/ui_next/src/screens/Template/Survey/SurveyQuestionForm.jsx
index 8b682ee86f..a55e21a4f6 100644
--- a/awx/ui_next/src/screens/Template/Survey/SurveyQuestionForm.jsx
+++ b/awx/ui_next/src/screens/Template/Survey/SurveyQuestionForm.jsx
@@ -73,12 +73,15 @@ function SurveyQuestionForm({
 }) {
   const defaultIsNotAvailable = choices => {
     return defaultValue => {
-      if (!choices.includes(defaultValue)) {
-        return i18n._(
+      let errorMessage;
+      const found = [...defaultValue].every(dA => choices.indexOf(dA) > -1);
+
+      if (!found) {
+        errorMessage = i18n._(
           t`Default choice must be answered from the choices listed.`
         );
       }
-      return undefined;
+      return errorMessage;
     };
   };
 
diff --git a/awx/ui_next/src/screens/Template/Survey/SurveyQuestionForm.test.jsx b/awx/ui_next/src/screens/Template/Survey/SurveyQuestionForm.test.jsx
index 5811135aeb..d514628b66 100644
--- a/awx/ui_next/src/screens/Template/Survey/SurveyQuestionForm.test.jsx
+++ b/awx/ui_next/src/screens/Template/Survey/SurveyQuestionForm.test.jsx
@@ -225,4 +225,67 @@ describe('<SurveyQuestionForm />', () => {
       wrapper.find('FormField#question-default input').prop('type')
     ).toEqual('number');
   });
+  test('should not throw validation error', async () => {
+    let wrapper;
+
+    act(() => {
+      wrapper = mountWithContexts(
+        <SurveyQuestionForm
+          question={question}
+          handleSubmit={noop}
+          handleCancel={noop}
+        />
+      );
+    });
+    await selectType(wrapper, 'multiselect');
+    await act(async () =>
+      wrapper.find('TextArea#question-options').prop('onChange')('a \n b', {
+        target: { value: 'a \n b', name: 'choices' },
+      })
+    );
+    await act(async () =>
+      wrapper.find('TextArea#question-default').prop('onChange')('b \n a', {
+        target: { value: 'b \n a', name: 'default' },
+      })
+    );
+    wrapper.find('FormField#question-default').prop('validate')('b \n a', {});
+    wrapper.update();
+    expect(
+      wrapper
+        .find('FormGroup[fieldId="question-default"]')
+        .prop('helperTextInvalid')
+    ).toBe(undefined);
+  });
+
+  test('should throw validation error', async () => {
+    let wrapper;
+
+    act(() => {
+      wrapper = mountWithContexts(
+        <SurveyQuestionForm
+          question={question}
+          handleSubmit={noop}
+          handleCancel={noop}
+        />
+      );
+    });
+    await selectType(wrapper, 'multiselect');
+    await act(async () =>
+      wrapper.find('TextArea#question-options').prop('onChange')('a \n b', {
+        target: { value: 'a \n b', name: 'choices' },
+      })
+    );
+    await act(async () =>
+      wrapper.find('TextArea#question-default').prop('onChange')('c', {
+        target: { value: 'c', name: 'default' },
+      })
+    );
+    wrapper.find('FormField#question-default').prop('validate')('c', {});
+    wrapper.update();
+    expect(
+      wrapper
+        .find('FormGroup[fieldId="question-default"]')
+        .prop('helperTextInvalid')
+    ).toBe('Default choice must be answered from the choices listed.');
+  });
 });