diff --git a/PROMS/VEPROMS User Interface/frmSectionProperties.cs b/PROMS/VEPROMS User Interface/frmSectionProperties.cs
index 28c2c652..72d697f9 100644
--- a/PROMS/VEPROMS User Interface/frmSectionProperties.cs	
+++ b/PROMS/VEPROMS User Interface/frmSectionProperties.cs	
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ namespace VEPROMS
 			ppCmbxFormat.DisplayMember = "FullName";
 			ppCmbxFormat.ValueMember = "FullName";
 			ppCmbxFormat.DataSource = FormatInfoList.SortedFormatInfoList;
-
+			ppCmbxFormat.SelectedIndex = -1;
 			// Get the saved settings for this user
 			//
 			// Get setting telling us whether to display the default values on this property page
@@ -408,7 +408,9 @@ namespace VEPROMS
 			}
 
             _Initializing = false;
+						//_InitialIndex = ppCmbxFormat.SelectedIndex;
 		}
+		int _InitialIndex = -2;
 
         private void ppCmbxLibDocFill()
         {
@@ -464,7 +466,6 @@ namespace VEPROMS
 		#endregion
 
 		#region Format tab
-
 		/// <summary>
 		/// This is the Format button used on the button interface design
 		/// </summary>
@@ -473,7 +474,7 @@ namespace VEPROMS
 		private void btnFormat_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
 		{
 			ProcessButtonClick(tiFormat, btnFormat);
-			
+			if (_InitialIndex < -1) _InitialIndex = ppCmbxFormat.SelectedIndex; // save the current format selection (happens here when current section is set to the default format)
 		}
 
 		private void SetupPpCmbxSectionType()
@@ -603,23 +604,83 @@ namespace VEPROMS
 
 		private void ppBtnDefaultFmt_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
 		{
-			ppCmbxFormat.SelectedIndex = -1; //reset to the default Format setting
+			bool foundMatch = false;
+			bool isWordSection = rbWordSect.Checked;
+			FormatInfo dfi = _SectionConfig.MyDefaultFormat;
+			// check to see if the default format has a similar document style
+			// if it does not, then do not allow the selection of the default format
+			foreach (DocStyle ds in dfi.PlantFormat.DocStyles.DocStyleList)
+			{
+				if (ds.IsStepSection != isWordSection) foundMatch = true;
+			}
+			if (foundMatch)
+			{
+				_Initializing = true;
+				ppCmbxFormat.SelectedIndex = -1; //reset to the default Format setting
+				_Initializing = false;
+				SetupPpCmbxSectionType();
+			}
+			else
+			{
+				string suffix = "format ";
+				if (_DefaultFormatName.ToUpper().Contains("FORMAT")) suffix = "";
+				MessageBox.Show(string.Format("{0}\n\n{1}does not support {2} section type", _DefaultFormatName, suffix, isWordSection ? "MS Word" : "Step"), "Incompatible Format", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Exclamation);
+			}
 		}
 
-        private void ppCmbxFormat_SelectedIndexChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
-        {
-            if (_Initializing) return;
+		private void ppCmbxFormat_SelectedIndexChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
+		{
+			if (_Initializing)
+			{
+				// determine if the default button and the default description text should visable
+				ppBtnDefaultFmt.Visible = !(ppCmbxFormat.SelectedValue == null || ppCmbxFormat.SelectedIndex == -1);
+				ppLblFormatDefault.Visible = ppCbShwDefSettings.Checked && ppBtnDefaultFmt.Visible;
+				return;
+			}
+			if (_InitialIndex < -1) _InitialIndex = ppCmbxFormat.SelectedIndex; // save the current format selection (happens here when current section format is not the default section)
+			PlantFormat pf = FormatInfoList.SortedFormatInfoList[ppCmbxFormat.SelectedIndex].PlantFormat;
+			// If the selected format does not have a docstyle compatable with the section
+			// then reset the format selection back to what it was
+			if (!ValidPlantFormat(pf))
+			{
+				_Initializing = true;
+				ppCmbxFormat.SelectedIndex = _InitialIndex; // reset the format selection to what it was
+				ppBtnCancel.Focus(); // this will force the property page to refresh
+				_Initializing = false;
+				return;
+			}
 			bool didDefault = false;
-            if ((ppCmbxFormat.SelectedIndex != -1) && _DefaultFormatName != null && _DefaultFormatName.Equals(ppCmbxFormat.SelectedValue))
-            {
-                ppBtnDefaultFmt.Focus();
-                ppBtnDefaultFmt.PerformClick();
+			if ((ppCmbxFormat.SelectedIndex != -1) && _DefaultFormatName != null && _DefaultFormatName.Equals(ppCmbxFormat.SelectedValue))
+			{
+				ppBtnDefaultFmt.Focus();
+				ppBtnDefaultFmt.PerformClick();
 				didDefault = true;
-            }
-            ppBtnDefaultFmt.Visible = (ppCmbxFormat.SelectedValue != null);
-            ppLblFormatDefault.Visible = ppCbShwDefSettings.Checked && ppBtnDefaultFmt.Visible;
-            if (!didDefault)SetupPpCmbxSectionType();
-        }
+			}
+			// determine if the default button and the default description text should visable
+			ppBtnDefaultFmt.Visible = !(ppCmbxFormat.SelectedValue == null || ppCmbxFormat.SelectedIndex == -1);
+			ppLblFormatDefault.Visible = ppCbShwDefSettings.Checked && ppBtnDefaultFmt.Visible;
+			//if (!didDefault) SetupPpCmbxSectionType();
+			SetupPpCmbxSectionType();
+		}
+
+		//  This function is used when the user selects different format for a give section.
+		//	It will verify that the newly selected format contains a document style (docstyle)
+		//	compatable with the that section. (i.e. if the section is a Word section, the selected format has Word section docstyle)
+				private bool ValidPlantFormat(PlantFormat pf)
+				{
+					bool foundMatch = false;
+					bool isWordSection = rbWordSect.Checked;
+					foreach (DocStyle ds in pf.DocStyles.DocStyleList)
+					{
+						if (ds.IsStepSection != isWordSection) foundMatch = true;
+					}
+					if (foundMatch)
+						return true; // valid format
+					string suffix = "format ";
+					if (ppCmbxFormat.SelectedValue.ToString().ToUpper().Contains("FORMAT")) suffix = "";
+					MessageBox.Show(string.Format("{0}\n\n{1}does not support {2} section type", ppCmbxFormat.SelectedValue, suffix, isWordSection ? "MS Word" : "Step"), "Incompatible Format", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Exclamation);
+					return false;
+				}
 
         private void ppCmbxStyleSectionType_SelectedValueChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
         {