diff --git a/src/utility/selectOptions.ts b/src/utility/selectOptions.ts
index 29d4f3ca..dd93780d 100644
--- a/src/utility/selectOptions.ts
+++ b/src/utility/selectOptions.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import {getConfig} from '@testing-library/dom'
 import {hasPointerEvents, isDisabled, isElementType, wait} from '../utils'
 import {type Instance} from '../setup'
 import {focusElement} from '../event'
+import {getVisibleText} from '../utils/misc/getVisibleText'
 
 export async function selectOptions(
   this: Instance,
@@ -43,7 +44,7 @@ async function selectOptionsBase(
         const matchingOption = allOptions.find(
           o =>
             (o as HTMLInputElement | HTMLTextAreaElement).value === val ||
-            o.innerHTML === val,
+            getVisibleText(o as HTMLElement) === val,
         )
         if (matchingOption) {
           return matchingOption
diff --git a/src/utils/index.ts b/src/utils/index.ts
index 8ab15cc8..b4d751e6 100644
--- a/src/utils/index.ts
+++ b/src/utils/index.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ export * from './misc/findClosest'
 export * from './misc/getDocumentFromNode'
 export * from './misc/getTreeDiff'
 export * from './misc/getWindow'
+export * from './misc/getVisibleText'
 export * from './misc/isDescendantOrSelf'
 export * from './misc/isElementType'
 export * from './misc/isVisible'
diff --git a/src/utils/misc/getVisibleText.ts b/src/utils/misc/getVisibleText.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..89cdfde5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/misc/getVisibleText.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import {getWindow} from './getWindow'
+
+const removeNotVisibleChildren = (element: Element) => {
+  const window = getWindow(element)
+  for (const child of Array.from(element.children)) {
+    const {display, visibility} = window.getComputedStyle(child)
+    if (
+      child.getAttribute('aria-hidden') ||
+      display === 'none' ||
+      visibility === 'hidden'
+    ) {
+      child.remove()
+    } else {
+      removeNotVisibleChildren(child)
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+export const getVisibleText = (element: Element | null) => {
+  if (!element) return
+
+  const clone = element.cloneNode(true) as Element
+  removeNotVisibleChildren(clone)
+  return clone.textContent?.trim().replace(/\s+/gm, ' ')
+}
diff --git a/tests/_helpers/listeners.ts b/tests/_helpers/listeners.ts
index e66e7022..d4cd2b9e 100644
--- a/tests/_helpers/listeners.ts
+++ b/tests/_helpers/listeners.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import {eventMap} from '#src/event/eventMap'
-import {isElementType} from '#src/utils'
+import {isElementType, getVisibleText} from '#src/utils'
 import {MouseButton, MouseButtonFlip} from '#src/system/pointer/buttons'
 
 let eventListeners: Array<{
@@ -215,10 +215,12 @@ function getElementValue(element: Element) {
     return JSON.stringify(Array.from(element.selectedOptions).map(o => o.value))
   } else if (element.getAttribute('role') === 'listbox') {
     return JSON.stringify(
-      element.querySelector('[aria-selected="true"]')?.innerHTML,
+      getVisibleText(
+        element.querySelector('[aria-selected="true"]') as Element,
+      ),
     )
   } else if (element.getAttribute('role') === 'option') {
-    return JSON.stringify(element.innerHTML)
+    return JSON.stringify(getVisibleText(element))
   } else if ('value' in element) {
     return JSON.stringify((element as HTMLInputElement).value)
   }
diff --git a/tests/utility/selectOptions/_setup.ts b/tests/utility/selectOptions/_setup.ts
index 5c72a9d2..432fbc1a 100644
--- a/tests/utility/selectOptions/_setup.ts
+++ b/tests/utility/selectOptions/_setup.ts
@@ -78,3 +78,56 @@ export function setupListbox() {
     user: userEvent.setup(),
   }
 }
+
+export function setupListboxWithComplexOptions() {
+  const wrapper = document.createElement('div')
+  wrapper.innerHTML = `
+    <button id="button" aria-haspopup="listbox">
+      Some label
+    </button>
+    <ul
+      role="listbox"
+      name="listbox"
+      aria-labelledby="button"
+    >
+      <li id="1" role="option" aria-selected="false">
+        <span>1</span>
+      </li>
+      <li id="2" role="option" aria-selected="false">
+        <span>2</span>
+        <span>is the best option</span>
+        <span aria-hidden="true">Not visible 1</span>
+        <span style="display:none">Not visible 2</span>
+        <span style="visibility:hidden">Not visible 3</span>
+      </li>
+      <li id="3" role="option" aria-selected="false">
+        <span>3</span>
+      </li>
+    </ul>
+  `
+  document.body.append(wrapper)
+  const listbox = wrapper.querySelector('[role="listbox"]') as HTMLUListElement
+  const options = Array.from(
+    wrapper.querySelectorAll<HTMLElement>('[role="option"]'),
+  )
+
+  // the user is responsible for handling aria-selected on listbox options
+  options.forEach(el =>
+    el.addEventListener('click', e => {
+      const target = e.currentTarget as HTMLElement
+      target.setAttribute(
+        'aria-selected',
+        JSON.stringify(
+          !JSON.parse(String(target.getAttribute('aria-selected'))),
+        ),
+      )
+    }),
+  )
+
+  return {
+    ...addListeners(listbox),
+    listbox,
+    options,
+    user: userEvent.setup(),
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/utility/selectOptions/select.ts b/tests/utility/selectOptions/select.ts
index 51b13cb2..a8b39120 100644
--- a/tests/utility/selectOptions/select.ts
+++ b/tests/utility/selectOptions/select.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
-import {setupListbox, setupSelect} from './_setup'
+import {
+  setupListbox,
+  setupListboxWithComplexOptions,
+  setupSelect,
+} from './_setup'
 import {PointerEventsCheckLevel} from '#src'
 import {addListeners, setup} from '#testHelpers'
 
@@ -65,6 +69,35 @@ test('fires correct events on listBox select', async () => {
   expect(o3).toHaveAttribute('aria-selected', 'false')
 })
 
+test('fires correct events on listBox select with complex options', async () => {
+  const {listbox, options, getEventSnapshot, user} =
+    setupListboxWithComplexOptions()
+  await user.selectOptions(listbox, '2 is the best option')
+  expect(getEventSnapshot()).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+    Events fired on: ul[value="2 is the best option"]
+
+    li#2[value="2 is the best option"][aria-selected=false] - pointerover
+    ul - pointerenter
+    li#2[value="2 is the best option"][aria-selected=false] - mouseover
+    ul - mouseenter
+    li#2[value="2 is the best option"][aria-selected=false] - pointermove
+    li#2[value="2 is the best option"][aria-selected=false] - mousemove
+    li#2[value="2 is the best option"][aria-selected=false] - pointerdown
+    li#2[value="2 is the best option"][aria-selected=false] - mousedown: primary
+    li#2[value="2 is the best option"][aria-selected=false] - pointerup
+    li#2[value="2 is the best option"][aria-selected=false] - mouseup: primary
+    li#2[value="2 is the best option"][aria-selected=true] - click: primary
+    li#2[value="2 is the best option"][aria-selected=true] - pointerout
+    ul[value="2 is the best option"] - pointerleave
+    li#2[value="2 is the best option"][aria-selected=true] - mouseout
+    ul[value="2 is the best option"] - mouseleave
+  `)
+  const [o1, o2, o3] = options
+  expect(o1).toHaveAttribute('aria-selected', 'false')
+  expect(o2).toHaveAttribute('aria-selected', 'true')
+  expect(o3).toHaveAttribute('aria-selected', 'false')
+})
+
 test('fires correct events on multi-selects', async () => {
   const {select, options, getEventSnapshot, user} = setupSelect({
     multiple: true,