diff --git a/src/SMESHGUI/SMESHGUI_BuildCompoundDlg.cxx b/src/SMESHGUI/SMESHGUI_BuildCompoundDlg.cxx
index 90f42ee45..ae1f5ad3f 100644
--- a/src/SMESHGUI/SMESHGUI_BuildCompoundDlg.cxx
+++ b/src/SMESHGUI/SMESHGUI_BuildCompoundDlg.cxx
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ void SMESHGUI_BuildCompoundDlg::Init()
   ComboBoxUnion->addItem(tr("RENAME"));
   ComboBoxUnion->setCurrentIndex(0);
 
-  CheckBoxMerge->setChecked(false);
+  CheckBoxMerge->setChecked(true);
 
   TextLabelTol->setEnabled(CheckBoxMerge->isChecked());
   SpinBoxTol->SetValue(1e-05);
diff --git a/src/SMESHGUI/SMESHGUI_Measurements.cxx b/src/SMESHGUI/SMESHGUI_Measurements.cxx
index e2d3b5b01..4b30659eb 100644
--- a/src/SMESHGUI/SMESHGUI_Measurements.cxx
+++ b/src/SMESHGUI/SMESHGUI_Measurements.cxx
@@ -198,6 +198,7 @@ SMESHGUI_MinDistance::SMESHGUI_MinDistance( QWidget* parent )
   clear();
 
   //setTarget( FirstTgt );
+  selectionChanged();
 }
 
 /*!
@@ -500,13 +501,21 @@ void SMESHGUI_MinDistance::secondEdited()
   setTarget( SecondTgt );
   if ( sender() == mySecondTgt )
     clear();
+  QString text = mySecondTgt->text();
+  if ( !mySecondActor )
+  {
+    selectionChanged();
+    mySecondTgt->setText( text );
+  }
   SVTK_Selector* selector = SMESH::GetViewWindow()->GetSelector();
   if ( mySecondActor && selector ) {
     Handle(SALOME_InteractiveObject) IO = mySecondActor->getIO();
     if ( mySecond->checkedId() == NodeTgt || mySecond->checkedId() == ElementTgt ) {
-      TColStd_MapOfInteger ID;
-      ID.Add( mySecondTgt->text().toLong() );
-      selector->AddOrRemoveIndex( IO, ID, false );
+      if ( !text.isEmpty() ) {
+        TColStd_MapOfInteger ID;
+        ID.Add( text.toLong() );
+        selector->AddOrRemoveIndex( IO, ID, false );
+      }
     }
     if ( SVTK_ViewWindow* aViewWindow = SMESH::GetViewWindow() )
       aViewWindow->highlight( IO, true, true );