diff --git a/kitty/char_grid.py b/kitty/char_grid.py
index d25a8d3de..580c8ce67 100644
--- a/kitty/char_grid.py
+++ b/kitty/char_grid.py
@@ -400,7 +400,10 @@ class CharGrid:
                         s.end_x = self.screen.columns - 1
                 elif count == 2:
                     i = x
-                    pat = re.compile(r'\w')
+                    alphanumeric = 'A-Za-z0-9'
+                    optionalchars = re.escape(self.opts.select_by_word_characters)
+                    pattern = alphanumeric + optionalchars
+                    pat = re.compile(r'['+pattern+']+')
                     while i >= 0 and pat.match(line[i]) is not None:
                         i -= 1
                     s.start_x = i if i == x else i + 1
diff --git a/kitty/config.py b/kitty/config.py
index 5296959cd..1109bd20f 100644
--- a/kitty/config.py
+++ b/kitty/config.py
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ type_map = {
     'window_border_width': float,
     'wheel_scroll_multiplier': float,
     'click_interval': float,
+    'select_by_word_characters': str,
     'mouse_hide_wait': float,
     'cursor_blink_interval': float,
     'cursor_stop_blinking_after': float,
diff --git a/kitty/kitty.conf b/kitty/kitty.conf
index 71db31ca6..3c2de4446 100644
--- a/kitty/kitty.conf
+++ b/kitty/kitty.conf
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ wheel_scroll_multiplier 5.0
 # The interval between successive clicks to detect double/triple clicks (in seconds)
 click_interval 0.5
 
+# Characters considered part of a word when double clicking
+select_by_word_characters :@-./_~?&=%+#
+
 # Hide mouse cursor after the specified number of seconds of the mouse not being used. Set to
 # zero or a negative number to disable mouse cursor hiding.
 mouse_hide_wait 3.0