diff --git a/classes/class-settings.php b/classes/class-settings.php
index 7aead3bd1..fa00b7b20 100644
--- a/classes/class-settings.php
+++ b/classes/class-settings.php
@@ -551,12 +551,12 @@ public function sanitize_settings( $input ) {
 							// Support all values in multidimentional arrays too.
 							array_walk_recursive(
 								$output[ $name ],
-								function ( &$v, $k ) {
-									$v = trim( $v );
+								function ( &$v ) {
+									$v = sanitize_text_field( trim( $v ) );
 								}
 							);
 						} else {
-							$output[ $name ] = trim( $input[ $name ] );
+							$output[ $name ] = sanitize_text_field( trim( $input[ $name ] ) );
 						}
 				}
 			}
@@ -848,7 +848,7 @@ public function render_field( $field ) {
 				}
 
 				// Prepend an empty row.
-				$current_value['exclude_row'] = array( 'helper' => '' ) + ( isset( $current_value['exclude_row'] ) ? $current_value['exclude_row'] : array() );
+				$current_value['exclude_row'] = ( isset( $current_value['exclude_row'] ) ? $current_value['exclude_row'] : array() ) + array( 'helper' => '' );
 
 				foreach ( $current_value['exclude_row'] as $key => $value ) {
 					// Prepare values.
diff --git a/ui/js/exclude.js b/ui/js/exclude.js
index 1b6416f90..d74d33ed0 100644
--- a/ui/js/exclude.js
+++ b/ui/js/exclude.js
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
 /* globals jQuery, ajaxurl, wp_stream_regenerate_alt_rows */
 jQuery(
 	function( $ ) {
-		var initSettingsSelect2 = function() {
+		var $excludeRows = $( '.stream-exclude-list tbody tr:not(.hidden)' );
+		var $placeholderRow = $( '.stream-exclude-list tr.helper' );
+
+		var initSettingsSelect2 = function( $rowsWithSelect2 ) {
 			var $input_user;
 
-			$( '.stream-exclude-list tr:not(.hidden) select.select2-select.connector_or_context' ).each(
+			$( 'select.select2-select.connector_or_context', $rowsWithSelect2 ).each(
 				function( k, el ) {
 					$( el ).select2(
 						{
@@ -64,7 +67,7 @@ jQuery(
 				}
 			);
 
-			$( '.stream-exclude-list tr:not(.hidden) select.select2-select.action' ).each(
+			$( 'select.select2-select.action', $rowsWithSelect2 ).each(
 				function( k, el ) {
 					$( el ).select2(
 						{
@@ -74,7 +77,7 @@ jQuery(
 				}
 			);
 
-			$( '.stream-exclude-list tr:not(.hidden) select.select2-select.author_or_role' ).each(
+			$( 'select.select2-select.author_or_role', $rowsWithSelect2 ).each(
 				function( k, el ) {
 					$input_user = $( el );
 
@@ -173,7 +176,7 @@ jQuery(
 				}
 			);
 
-			$( '.stream-exclude-list tr:not(.hidden) select.select2-select.ip_address' ).each(
+			$( 'select.select2-select.ip_address', $rowsWithSelect2 ).each(
 				function( k, el ) {
 					var $input_ip = $( el ),
 						searchTerm = '';
@@ -271,7 +274,7 @@ jQuery(
 				}
 			);
 
-			$( '.stream-exclude-list tr:not(.hidden) .exclude_rules_remove_rule_row' ).on(
+			$( '.exclude_rules_remove_rule_row', $rowsWithSelect2 ).on(
 				'click', function() {
 					var $thisRow = $( this ).closest( 'tr' );
 
@@ -283,16 +286,16 @@ jQuery(
 			);
 		};
 
-		initSettingsSelect2();
+		initSettingsSelect2( $excludeRows );
 
-		$( '.stream-exclude-list tr:not(.hidden) select.select2-select.author_or_role' ).each(
+		$( 'select.select2-select.author_or_role', $excludeRows ).each(
 			function() {
 				var $option = $( '<option selected>' + $( this ).data( 'selected-text' ) + '</option>' ).val( $( this ).data( 'selected-id' ) );
 				$( this ).append( $option ).trigger( 'change' );
 			}
 		);
 
-		$( '.stream-exclude-list tr:not(.hidden) select.select2-select.connector_or_context' ).each(
+		$( 'select.select2-select.connector_or_context', $excludeRows ).each(
 			function() {
 				var parts = [
 					$( this ).siblings( '.connector' ).val(),
@@ -307,25 +310,12 @@ jQuery(
 
 		$( '#exclude_rules_new_rule' ).on(
 			'click', function() {
-				var $excludeList = $( 'table.stream-exclude-list' );
-
-				$( 'tr:not(.hidden) select.select2-select', $excludeList ).each(
-					function() {
-						$( this ).select2( 'destroy' );
-					}
-				);
-
-				var $lastRow = $( 'tr', $excludeList ).last(),
-					$newRow = $lastRow.clone();
+				var $newRow = $placeholderRow.clone();
 
 				$newRow.removeAttr( 'class' );
-				$( '.stream-exclude-list tbody :input' ).off();
-				$( ':input', $newRow ).off().val( '' );
-
-				$lastRow.after( $newRow );
-
-				initSettingsSelect2();
+				$newRow.insertBefore( $placeholderRow );
 
+				initSettingsSelect2( $newRow );
 				recalculate_rules_found();
 				recalculate_rules_selected();
 			}
@@ -369,6 +359,12 @@ jQuery(
 				$( '.stream-exclude-list tbody tr:not(.hidden) select.select2-select.ip_address', this ).each(
 					function() {
 						var firstSelected = $( 'option:selected', this ).first();
+
+						// Ugly hack to ensure we always pass an empty value or the order of rows gets messed up.
+						if ( ! firstSelected.length ) {
+							$( this ).append( '<option selected="selected"></option>' );
+						}
+
 						$( 'option:selected:not(:first)', this ).each(
 							function() {
 								firstSelected.attr( 'value', firstSelected.attr( 'value' ) + ',' + $( this ).attr( 'value' ) );