diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 79895090557..6bd92990b9d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 ## [`master`](https://github.com/elastic/eui/tree/master)
 
+- Passed `getSelectedOptionForSearchValue` to `EuiComboBoxOptionsList` as prop ([#3501](https://github.com/elastic/eui/pull/3501))
 - Added `appendIconComponentCache` function to allow manual pre-emptive loading of source elements into the `EuiIcon` cache ([#3481](https://github.com/elastic/eui/pull/3481))
 - Added `initialSelected` to `EuiTableSelectionType` properties to set initial selected checkboxes for `EuiBasicTable` ([#3418](https://github.com/elastic/eui/pull/3418))
 - Added exports for `EuiSteps` and related components types ([#3471](https://github.com/elastic/eui/pull/3471))
diff --git a/src/components/combo_box/__snapshots__/combo_box.test.tsx.snap b/src/components/combo_box/__snapshots__/combo_box.test.tsx.snap
index 6d6cedcf6f5..b40969f0790 100644
--- a/src/components/combo_box/__snapshots__/combo_box.test.tsx.snap
+++ b/src/components/combo_box/__snapshots__/combo_box.test.tsx.snap
@@ -451,6 +451,7 @@ exports[`props singleSelection prepend and append is rendered 1`] = `
       areAllOptionsSelected={false}
       data-test-subj=""
       fullWidth={false}
+      getSelectedOptionForSearchValue={[Function]}
       listRef={[Function]}
       matchingOptions={
         Array [
@@ -584,6 +585,7 @@ exports[`props singleSelection selects existing option when opened 1`] = `
       areAllOptionsSelected={false}
       data-test-subj=""
       fullWidth={false}
+      getSelectedOptionForSearchValue={[Function]}
       listRef={[Function]}
       matchingOptions={
         Array [
diff --git a/src/components/combo_box/combo_box.tsx b/src/components/combo_box/combo_box.tsx
index e58c2536e2e..96966b8698a 100644
--- a/src/components/combo_box/combo_box.tsx
+++ b/src/components/combo_box/combo_box.tsx
@@ -993,6 +993,7 @@ export class EuiComboBox<T> extends Component<
             updatePosition={this.updatePosition}
             width={width}
             delimiter={delimiter}
+            getSelectedOptionForSearchValue={getSelectedOptionForSearchValue}
           />
         </EuiPortal>
       );
diff --git a/src/components/combo_box/combo_box_options_list/combo_box_options_list.tsx b/src/components/combo_box/combo_box_options_list/combo_box_options_list.tsx
index 62c9df1a3eb..1c30e3aa1a4 100644
--- a/src/components/combo_box/combo_box_options_list/combo_box_options_list.tsx
+++ b/src/components/combo_box/combo_box_options_list/combo_box_options_list.tsx
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ export type EuiComboBoxOptionsListProps<T> = CommonProps &
     getSelectedOptionForSearchValue?: (
       searchValue: string,
       selectedOptions: any[]
-    ) => EuiComboBoxOptionOption<T>;
+    ) => EuiComboBoxOptionOption<T> | undefined;
     isLoading?: boolean;
     listRef: RefCallback<HTMLDivElement>;
     matchingOptions: Array<EuiComboBoxOptionOption<T>>;