diff --git a/glfw/glfw3.h b/glfw/glfw3.h
index e8267165d..513c47bc7 100644
--- a/glfw/glfw3.h
+++ b/glfw/glfw3.h
@@ -1716,6 +1716,7 @@ typedef void (* GLFWjoystickfun)(int,int);
 typedef void (* GLFWuserdatafun)(unsigned long long, void*);
 typedef void (* GLFWtickcallback)(void*);
 typedef bool (* GLFWdrawtextfun)(GLFWwindow *window, const char *text, uint32_t fg, uint32_t bg, uint8_t *output_buf, size_t width, size_t height, float x_offset, float y_offset, size_t right_margin);
+typedef const char* (* GLFWcurrentselectionfun)(void);
 
 /*! @brief Video mode type.
  *
@@ -1873,6 +1874,7 @@ GLFWAPI unsigned long long glfwAddTimer(monotonic_t interval, bool repeats, GLFW
 GLFWAPI void glfwUpdateTimer(unsigned long long timer_id, monotonic_t interval, bool enabled);
 GLFWAPI void glfwRemoveTimer(unsigned long long);
 GLFWAPI GLFWdrawtextfun glfwSetDrawTextFunction(GLFWdrawtextfun function);
+GLFWAPI GLFWcurrentselectionfun glfwSetCurrentSelectionCallback(GLFWcurrentselectionfun callback);
 
 /*! @brief Terminates the GLFW library.
  *
diff --git a/glfw/init.c b/glfw/init.c
index 21bd744c1..13c535635 100644
--- a/glfw/init.c
+++ b/glfw/init.c
@@ -386,3 +386,10 @@ GLFWAPI GLFWdrawtextfun glfwSetDrawTextFunction(GLFWdrawtextfun cbfun)
     _GLFW_SWAP_POINTERS(_glfw.callbacks.draw_text, cbfun);
     return cbfun;
 }
+
+GLFWAPI GLFWcurrentselectionfun glfwSetCurrentSelectionCallback(GLFWcurrentselectionfun cbfun)
+{
+    _GLFW_REQUIRE_INIT_OR_RETURN(NULL);
+    _GLFW_SWAP_POINTERS(_glfw.callbacks.get_current_selection, cbfun);
+    return cbfun;
+}
diff --git a/glfw/internal.h b/glfw/internal.h
index a36403457..101921a25 100644
--- a/glfw/internal.h
+++ b/glfw/internal.h
@@ -621,6 +621,7 @@ struct _GLFWlibrary
         GLFWjoystickfun joystick;
         GLFWapplicationclosefun application_close;
         GLFWdrawtextfun draw_text;
+        GLFWcurrentselectionfun get_current_selection;
     } callbacks;
 
 
diff --git a/kitty/boss.py b/kitty/boss.py
index 966df341e..b3eaaf848 100644
--- a/kitty/boss.py
+++ b/kitty/boss.py
@@ -1614,6 +1614,12 @@ class Boss:
                 if get_options().copy_on_select:
                     self.copy_to_buffer(get_options().copy_on_select)
 
+    def get_active_selection(self) -> Optional[str]:
+        w = self.active_window
+        if w is not None and not w.destroyed:
+            return w.text_for_selection()
+        return None
+
     @ac('cp', '''
         Copy the selection from the active window to the specified buffer
 
diff --git a/kitty/glfw-wrapper.c b/kitty/glfw-wrapper.c
index e92f1d785..df19f72c2 100644
--- a/kitty/glfw-wrapper.c
+++ b/kitty/glfw-wrapper.c
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ load_glfw(const char* path) {
     *(void **) (&glfwSetDrawTextFunction_impl) = dlsym(handle, "glfwSetDrawTextFunction");
     if (glfwSetDrawTextFunction_impl == NULL) fail("Failed to load glfw function glfwSetDrawTextFunction with error: %s", dlerror());
 
+    *(void **) (&glfwSetCurrentSelectionCallback_impl) = dlsym(handle, "glfwSetCurrentSelectionCallback");
+    if (glfwSetCurrentSelectionCallback_impl == NULL) fail("Failed to load glfw function glfwSetCurrentSelectionCallback with error: %s", dlerror());
+
     *(void **) (&glfwTerminate_impl) = dlsym(handle, "glfwTerminate");
     if (glfwTerminate_impl == NULL) fail("Failed to load glfw function glfwTerminate with error: %s", dlerror());
 
diff --git a/kitty/glfw-wrapper.h b/kitty/glfw-wrapper.h
index 36e655edd..152e7d1bf 100644
--- a/kitty/glfw-wrapper.h
+++ b/kitty/glfw-wrapper.h
@@ -1454,6 +1454,7 @@ typedef void (* GLFWjoystickfun)(int,int);
 typedef void (* GLFWuserdatafun)(unsigned long long, void*);
 typedef void (* GLFWtickcallback)(void*);
 typedef bool (* GLFWdrawtextfun)(GLFWwindow *window, const char *text, uint32_t fg, uint32_t bg, uint8_t *output_buf, size_t width, size_t height, float x_offset, float y_offset, size_t right_margin);
+typedef const char* (* GLFWcurrentselectionfun)(void);
 
 /*! @brief Video mode type.
  *
@@ -1643,6 +1644,10 @@ typedef GLFWdrawtextfun (*glfwSetDrawTextFunction_func)(GLFWdrawtextfun);
 GFW_EXTERN glfwSetDrawTextFunction_func glfwSetDrawTextFunction_impl;
 #define glfwSetDrawTextFunction glfwSetDrawTextFunction_impl
 
+typedef GLFWcurrentselectionfun (*glfwSetCurrentSelectionCallback_func)(GLFWcurrentselectionfun);
+GFW_EXTERN glfwSetCurrentSelectionCallback_func glfwSetCurrentSelectionCallback_impl;
+#define glfwSetCurrentSelectionCallback glfwSetCurrentSelectionCallback_impl
+
 typedef void (*glfwTerminate_func)(void);
 GFW_EXTERN glfwTerminate_func glfwTerminate_impl;
 #define glfwTerminate glfwTerminate_impl
diff --git a/kitty/glfw.c b/kitty/glfw.c
index cbe543480..d083da7b1 100644
--- a/kitty/glfw.c
+++ b/kitty/glfw.c
@@ -464,6 +464,18 @@ application_close_requested_callback(int flags) {
     }
 }
 
+const char*
+get_current_selection(void) {
+    if (!global_state.boss) return NULL;
+    PyObject *ret = PyObject_CallMethod(global_state.boss, "get_active_selection", NULL);
+    if (!ret) { PyErr_Print(); return NULL; }
+    const char* ans = NULL;
+    if (PyUnicode_Check(ret)) ans = strdup(PyUnicode_AsUTF8(ret));
+    Py_DECREF(ret);
+    return ans;
+}
+
+
 static void get_window_dpi(GLFWwindow *w, double *x, double *y);
 
 #ifdef __APPLE__
@@ -764,6 +776,7 @@ create_os_window(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args, PyObject *kw) {
         glfwWindowHint(GLFW_STENCIL_BITS, 0);
         if (OPT(hide_window_decorations) & 1) glfwWindowHint(GLFW_DECORATED, false);
         glfwSetApplicationCloseCallback(application_close_requested_callback);
+        glfwSetCurrentSelectionCallback(get_current_selection);
 #ifdef __APPLE__
         cocoa_set_activation_policy(OPT(macos_hide_from_tasks));
         glfwWindowHint(GLFW_COCOA_GRAPHICS_SWITCHING, true);