diff --git a/jdaviz/configs/default/plugins/virtual_observatory/tests/test_vo_imviz.py b/jdaviz/configs/default/plugins/virtual_observatory/tests/test_vo_imviz.py
index e0fa8f7f82..3ab99e8315 100644
--- a/jdaviz/configs/default/plugins/virtual_observatory/tests/test_vo_imviz.py
+++ b/jdaviz/configs/default/plugins/virtual_observatory/tests/test_vo_imviz.py
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ def _init_voplugin_M51(self, imviz_helper):
         vo_plugin.viewer_selected = "Manual"
         vo_plugin.source = "M51"
         vo_plugin.radius_val = 1
-        vo_plugin.radius_unit = "deg"
+        vo_plugin.radius_unit.selected = "deg"
         vo_plugin.waveband_selected = "optical"
 
         return vo_plugin
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ def test_target_lookup_warnings(self, imviz_helper):
         vo_plugin.viewer_selected = "Manual"
         vo_plugin.source = "ThisIsAFakeTargetThatWontResolveToAnything"
         vo_plugin.radius_val = 1
-        vo_plugin.radius_unit = "deg"
+        vo_plugin.radius_unit.selected = "deg"
 
         # If we have coverage filtering on, we should get an error
         vo_plugin.resource_filter_coverage = True
diff --git a/jdaviz/configs/default/plugins/virtual_observatory/vo_plugin.py b/jdaviz/configs/default/plugins/virtual_observatory/vo_plugin.py
index 0fe121649b..edf75884e1 100644
--- a/jdaviz/configs/default/plugins/virtual_observatory/vo_plugin.py
+++ b/jdaviz/configs/default/plugins/virtual_observatory/vo_plugin.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
     AddResultsMixin,
     TableMixin,
     ViewerSelect,
+    UnitSelectPluginComponent,
 )
 
 __all__ = ["VoPlugin"]
@@ -49,7 +50,8 @@ class VoPlugin(PluginTemplateMixin, AddResultsMixin, TableMixin):
     coordframes = List([]).tag(sync=True)
     coordframe_selected = Unicode("icrs").tag(sync=True)
     radius_val = Float(1).tag(sync=True)
-    radius_unit = Unicode("deg").tag(sync=True)
+    radius_unit_items = List().tag(sync=True)
+    radius_unit_selected = Unicode("deg").tag(sync=True)
 
     results_loading = Bool(False).tag(sync=True)
     data_loading = Bool(False).tag(sync=True)
@@ -60,6 +62,11 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
             self, "viewer_items", "viewer_selected", manual_options=["Manual"]
         )
 
+        self.radius_unit = UnitSelectPluginComponent(
+            self, items="radius_unit_items", selected="radius_unit_selected"
+        )
+        self.radius_unit.choices = ["deg", "rad", "arcmin", "arcsec"]
+
         # Waveband properties to filter available registry resources
         self.wavebands = [
             w.lower() for w in vocabularies.get_vocabulary("messenger")["terms"]
@@ -187,7 +194,7 @@ def vue_query_registry_resources(self, _=None):
                         )
                 registry_args.append(
                     registry.Spatial(
-                        (coord, (self.radius_val * u.Unit(self.radius_unit))),
+                        (coord, (self.radius_val * u.Unit(self.radius_unit.selected))),
                         intersect="overlaps",
                     )
                 )
@@ -256,7 +263,7 @@ def vue_query_resource(self, _=None):
             sia_results = sia_service.search(
                 coord,
                 size=(
-                    (self.radius_val * u.Unit(self.radius_unit))
+                    (self.radius_val * u.Unit(self.radius_unit.selected))
                     if self.radius_val > 0.0
                     else None
                 ),
diff --git a/jdaviz/configs/default/plugins/virtual_observatory/vo_plugin.vue b/jdaviz/configs/default/plugins/virtual_observatory/vo_plugin.vue
index adafdd558a..fe15fe5a98 100644
--- a/jdaviz/configs/default/plugins/virtual_observatory/vo_plugin.vue
+++ b/jdaviz/configs/default/plugins/virtual_observatory/vo_plugin.vue
@@ -53,9 +53,9 @@
         </div>
         <div :style="{ width: '40%' }">
           <v-select
-          v-model="radius_unit"
+          v-model="radius_unit_selected"
           attach
-          :items="['deg', 'rad', 'arcmin', 'arcsec']"
+          :items="radius_unit_items.map(i => i.label)"
           label="Unit">
           </v-select>
         </div>