diff --git a/openwisp_utils/admin.py b/openwisp_utils/admin.py
index bfaba7e2..face1373 100644
--- a/openwisp_utils/admin.py
+++ b/openwisp_utils/admin.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 from django.core.exceptions import FieldError
 from django.urls import reverse
 from django.utils.translation import gettext_lazy as _
+from openwisp_utils.widgets import Select2Widget
 
 
 class TimeReadonlyAdminMixin(object):
@@ -217,3 +218,14 @@ def get_formset(self, request, obj=None, **kwargs):
         formset = super().get_formset(request, obj, **kwargs)
         formset.help_text = self.help_text
         return formset
+
+
+class Select2AdminMixin:
+    """Mixin that applies Select2Widget to specified choice fields."""
+
+    select2_fields = ()
+
+    def formfield_for_choice_field(self, db_field, request, **kwargs):
+        if db_field.name in self.select2_fields:
+            kwargs["widget"] = Select2Widget()
+        return super().formfield_for_choice_field(db_field, request, **kwargs)
diff --git a/openwisp_utils/static/openwisp-utils/js/select2.js b/openwisp_utils/static/openwisp-utils/js/select2.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..308d284a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openwisp_utils/static/openwisp-utils/js/select2.js
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+"use strict";
+
+django.jQuery(function ($) {
+  function initSelect2($element) {
+    $element.not('select[name*="__prefix__"]').each(function () {
+      var $el = $(this);
+      if (!$el.hasClass("select2-hidden-accessible")) {
+        $el.select2();
+      }
+    });
+  }
+
+  initSelect2($("select.ow-select2"));
+
+  $(document).on("formset:added", function (event, $row) {
+    initSelect2($row.find("select.ow-select2"));
+  });
+});
diff --git a/openwisp_utils/widgets.py b/openwisp_utils/widgets.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a0257860
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openwisp_utils/widgets.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+from django.conf import settings
+from django.contrib.admin.widgets import SELECT2_TRANSLATIONS
+from django.forms import Media, Select
+from django.utils.translation import get_language
+
+
+class Select2Widget(Select):
+    """Select2 autocomplete widget for Django ChoiceFields."""
+
+    @property
+    def media(self):
+        extra = "" if getattr(settings, "DEBUG", False) else ".min"
+        i18n_name = SELECT2_TRANSLATIONS.get(get_language())
+        i18n_file = (
+            ("admin/js/vendor/select2/i18n/{0}.js".format(i18n_name),)
+            if i18n_name
+            else ()
+        )
+        return Media(
+            js=(
+                "admin/js/vendor/jquery/jquery{0}.js".format(extra),
+                "admin/js/vendor/select2/select2.full{0}.js".format(extra),
+            )
+            + i18n_file
+            + ("admin/js/jquery.init.js", "openwisp-utils/js/select2.js"),
+            css={
+                "screen": ("admin/css/vendor/select2/select2{0}.css".format(extra),),
+            },
+        )
+
+    def __init__(self, attrs=None, choices=()):
+        attrs = attrs or {}
+        attrs["class"] = "ow-select2 {0}".format(attrs.get("class", "")).strip()
+        super().__init__(attrs, choices)
diff --git a/tests/test_project/admin.py b/tests/test_project/admin.py
index 3ea8fd49..7fc2ef19 100644
--- a/tests/test_project/admin.py
+++ b/tests/test_project/admin.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
     HelpTextStackedInline,
     ReadOnlyAdmin,
     ReceiveUrlAdmin,
+    Select2AdminMixin,
     TimeReadonlyAdminMixin,
     UUIDAdmin,
 )
@@ -110,7 +111,7 @@ class AutoOwnerFilter(AutocompleteFilter):
 
 
 @admin.register(Shelf)
-class ShelfAdmin(TimeReadonlyAdminMixin, admin.ModelAdmin):
+class ShelfAdmin(Select2AdminMixin, TimeReadonlyAdminMixin, admin.ModelAdmin):
     # DO NOT CHANGE: used for testing filters
     list_filter = [
         ShelfFilter,
@@ -121,6 +122,7 @@ class ShelfAdmin(TimeReadonlyAdminMixin, admin.ModelAdmin):
         ReverseBookFilter,
     ]
     search_fields = ["name"]
+    select2_fields = ("books_type",)
 
 
 @admin.register(OrganizationRadiusSettings)
diff --git a/tests/test_project/tests/test_widgets.py b/tests/test_project/tests/test_widgets.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e717b2b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_project/tests/test_widgets.py
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+from channels.testing import ChannelsLiveServerTestCase
+from django.test import TestCase, tag
+from django.urls import reverse
+from openwisp_utils.widgets import Select2Widget
+from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By
+
+from ..models import Shelf
+from .utils import SeleniumTestMixin
+
+
+class TestWidgets(TestCase):
+    def test_select2_widget_attrs(self):
+        widget = Select2Widget()
+        html = widget.render("name", "value")
+        self.assertIn('class="ow-select2"', html)
+
+        # test overriding works and class is preserved
+        widget = Select2Widget(attrs={"class": "my-class"})
+        html = widget.render("name", "value")
+        self.assertIn("ow-select2 my-class", html)
+
+    def test_select2_widget_media(self):
+        widget = Select2Widget()
+        media = str(widget.media)
+        self.assertIn("admin/css/vendor/select2/select2", media)
+        self.assertIn("admin/js/vendor/jquery/jquery", media)
+        self.assertIn("admin/js/vendor/select2/select2.full", media)
+        self.assertIn("openwisp-utils/js/select2.js", media)
+
+
+@tag("selenium_tests")
+class TestSelect2AdminMixinSelenium(SeleniumTestMixin, ChannelsLiveServerTestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        super().setUp()
+        self.login()
+
+    def test_select2_widget_renders_on_shelf_add_form(self):
+        url = reverse("admin:test_project_shelf_add")
+        self.open(url)
+        self.wait_for_presence(By.CSS_SELECTOR, "select#id_books_type.ow-select2")
+
+    def test_select2_widget_renders_on_shelf_change_form(self):
+        shelf = Shelf.objects.create(name="Test Shelf", books_type="HORROR")
+        url = reverse("admin:test_project_shelf_change", args=[shelf.pk])
+        self.open(url)
+        self.wait_for_presence(By.CSS_SELECTOR, "select#id_books_type.ow-select2")
+        self.wait_for_presence(By.CSS_SELECTOR, ".select2-container")