diff --git a/wcs/qommon/static/js/qommon.geolocation.js b/wcs/qommon/static/js/qommon.geolocation.js
index 62c6a1e58..755b925bf 100644
--- a/wcs/qommon/static/js/qommon.geolocation.js
+++ b/wcs/qommon/static/js/qommon.geolocation.js
@@ -113,9 +113,26 @@ function init_sync_from_template_address() {
     }
   }
   $(widget_selector).each(function(idx, elem) {
-    // enable manual address mode if there is an error in one of the manual address fields.
+    var $manual_checkbox = $(elem).find('input.wcs-manual-address');
     if ($(elem).nextUntil('.template-address', '[data-geolocation].widget-with-error').length) {
-      $(elem).find('input.wcs-manual-address').prop('checked', true).trigger('change');
+      // enable manual address mode if there is an error in one of the manual address fields.
+      $manual_checkbox.prop('checked', true).trigger('change');
+    } else {
+      // enable manual address mode if a manual field has data while the select is empty
+      // (typically when going back to a previous page)
+      var has_val = $(elem).find('select').val();
+      if (! has_val) {
+        var has_manual_var = false;
+        $(elem).nextUntil('.template-address', 'div[data-geolocation]').find('input').each(function(idx, manual_elem) {
+          if ($(manual_elem).val()) has_manual_var = true;
+        })
+        $(elem).nextUntil('.template-address', 'div[data-geolocation]').find('textarea').each(function(idx, manual_elem) {
+          if ($(manual_elem).val()) has_manual_var = true;
+        })
+        if (has_manual_var) {
+          $manual_checkbox.prop('checked', true).trigger('change');
+        }
+      }
     }
   });
 }