diff --git a/extraterm/src/render_process/TerminalCanvas.ts b/extraterm/src/render_process/TerminalCanvas.ts
index 9620b7cd3..7af369a09 100644
--- a/extraterm/src/render_process/TerminalCanvas.ts
+++ b/extraterm/src/render_process/TerminalCanvas.ts
@@ -282,6 +282,10 @@ export class TerminalCanvas extends ThemeableElementBase implements AcceptsConfi
 
   private _handleBeforeSelectionChange(ev: CustomEvent): void {
     const target = ev.target;
+    if (this._mode === Mode.DEFAULT && ! (<ViewerElement> target).hasSelection()) {
+      return;
+    }
+
     this._childElementList.forEach( (nodeInfo): void => {
       const node = nodeInfo.element;
       if (node !== target) {
diff --git a/extraterm/src/render_process/viewers/EmbeddedViewer.ts b/extraterm/src/render_process/viewers/EmbeddedViewer.ts
index e6a0edf04..2559da4a0 100644
--- a/extraterm/src/render_process/viewers/EmbeddedViewer.ts
+++ b/extraterm/src/render_process/viewers/EmbeddedViewer.ts
@@ -379,6 +379,11 @@ export class EmbeddedViewer extends ViewerElement implements SupportsClipboardPa
     const viewerElement = this.getViewerElement();
     return viewerElement === null ? null : viewerElement.getSelectionText();
   }
+
+  hasSelection(): boolean {
+    const viewerElement = this.getViewerElement();
+    return viewerElement === null ? false : viewerElement.hasSelection();
+  }
   
   getBulkFileHandle(): BulkFileHandle {
     const viewerElement = this.getViewerElement();
diff --git a/extraterm/src/render_process/viewers/TerminalAceViewer.ts b/extraterm/src/render_process/viewers/TerminalAceViewer.ts
index e50800e91..f42492cb7 100644
--- a/extraterm/src/render_process/viewers/TerminalAceViewer.ts
+++ b/extraterm/src/render_process/viewers/TerminalAceViewer.ts
@@ -410,11 +410,11 @@ export class TerminalViewer extends ViewerElement implements SupportsClipboardPa
   }
 
   getSelectionText(): string {    
-    if (this._aceEditor.selection.isEmpty()) {
+    const selection = this._aceEditSession.getSelection()
+    if (selection.isEmpty()) {
       return null;
     }
 
-    const selection = this._aceEditSession.getSelection()
     if (selection.inMultiSelectMode) {
       return selection.getAllRanges().map(range => this._aceEditSession.getUnwrappedTextRange(range)).join("\n");
     } else {
diff --git a/extraterm/src/render_process/viewers/ViewerElement.ts b/extraterm/src/render_process/viewers/ViewerElement.ts
index 92ab5cbf6..a073a7b4f 100644
--- a/extraterm/src/render_process/viewers/ViewerElement.ts
+++ b/extraterm/src/render_process/viewers/ViewerElement.ts
@@ -49,7 +49,11 @@ export abstract class ViewerElement extends ThemeableElementBase implements Virt
   getSelectionText(): string {
     return null;
   }
-  
+
+  hasSelection(): boolean {
+    return false;
+  }
+
   clearSelection(): void {
   }