diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/conversion/plumber.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/conversion/plumber.py
index 948f38e8b1..70b6ca657e 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/conversion/plumber.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/conversion/plumber.py
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ OptionRecommendation(name='format_scene_breaks',
            'horizontal rules.')),
 
 OptionRecommendation(name='replace_scene_breaks',
-    recommended_value=None, level=OptionRecommendation.LOW,
+    recommended_value='', level=OptionRecommendation.LOW,
     help=_('Replace scene breaks with the specified text. By default, the '
         'text from the input document is used.')),
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/txt/txtml.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/txt/txtml.py
index bf33e5540a..660fd9d38a 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/txt/txtml.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/txt/txtml.py
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ class TXTMLizer(object):
 
         if tag in SPACE_TAGS:
             text.append(u' ')
-            
+
         # Scene breaks.
         if tag == 'hr':
             text.append('\n\n* * *\n\n')
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/convert/heuristics.py b/src/calibre/gui2/convert/heuristics.py
index 8ca4cab455..77fadf059c 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/convert/heuristics.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/convert/heuristics.py
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ class HeuristicsWidget(Widget, Ui_Form):
                  'dehyphenate', 'renumber_headings']
                 )
         self.db, self.book_id = db, book_id
-        self.rssb_defaults = ['', '<hr />', '* * *']
+        self.rssb_defaults = [u'', u'<hr />', u'* * *', u'• • •', u'✦ ✦ ✦',
+                u'✮ ✮ ✮', u'☆ ☆ ☆', u'❂ ❂ ❂', u'✣ ✣ ✣', u'❖ ❖ ❖', u'☼ ☼ ☼', u'✠ ✠ ✠']
         self.initialize_options(get_option, get_help, db, book_id)
 
         self.load_histories()
@@ -39,16 +40,18 @@ class HeuristicsWidget(Widget, Ui_Form):
 
     def restore_defaults(self, get_option):
         Widget.restore_defaults(self, get_option)
-        
+
+        self.save_histories()
         rssb_hist = gprefs['replace_scene_breaks_history']
         for x in self.rssb_defaults:
             if x in rssb_hist:
                 del rssb_hist[rssb_hist.index(x)]
         gprefs['replace_scene_breaks_history'] = self.rssb_defaults + gprefs['replace_scene_breaks_history']
+        self.load_histories()
 
     def commit_options(self, save_defaults=False):
         self.save_histories()
-        
+
         return Widget.commit_options(self, save_defaults)
 
     def break_cycles(self):
@@ -69,6 +72,9 @@ class HeuristicsWidget(Widget, Ui_Form):
             return True
 
     def load_histories(self):
+        self.opt_replace_scene_breaks.clear()
+        self.opt_replace_scene_breaks.lineEdit().setText('')
+
         val = unicode(self.opt_replace_scene_breaks.currentText())
         rssb_hist = gprefs.get('replace_scene_breaks_history', self.rssb_defaults)
         if val in rssb_hist: