diff --git a/glfw/x11_window.c b/glfw/x11_window.c
index b4daadb77..4e9989e5e 100644
--- a/glfw/x11_window.c
+++ b/glfw/x11_window.c
@@ -923,27 +923,13 @@ static void handleSelectionRequest(XEvent* event)
 }
 
 static void
-getSelectionString(Atom selection, const char *mime_type, Atom *targets, size_t num_targets, GLFWclipboardwritedatafun write_data, void *object, bool report_not_found)
+getSelectionString(Atom selection, Atom *targets, size_t num_targets, GLFWclipboardwritedatafun write_data, void *object, bool report_not_found)
 {
 #define XFREE(x) { if (x) XFree(x); x = NULL; }
-    if (XGetSelectionOwner(_glfw.x11.display, selection) ==
-        _glfw.x11.helperWindowHandle)
-    {
-        if (mime_type == NULL) {
-            AtomArray *aa = selection == _glfw.x11.PRIMARY ? &_glfw.x11.primary_atoms : &_glfw.x11.clipboard_atoms;
-            for (size_t i = 0; i < aa->sz; i++) {
-                if (!write_data(object, (char*)&aa->array[i].atom, sizeof(Atom))) break;
-            }
-            return;
-        }
-        // Instead of doing a large number of X round-trips just to put this
-        // string into a window property and then read it back, just return it
-        _GLFWClipboardData *cd = selection == _glfw.x11.PRIMARY ? &_glfw.primary : &_glfw.clipboard;
-        char *data = NULL; size_t sz = get_clipboard_data(cd, mime_type, &data);
-        write_data(object, data, sz); free(data);
+    if (XGetSelectionOwner(_glfw.x11.display, selection) == _glfw.x11.helperWindowHandle) {
+        write_data(object, NULL, 1);
         return;
     }
-
     bool found = false;
     for (size_t i = 0; !found && i < num_targets; i++)
     {
@@ -2928,7 +2914,7 @@ write_chunk(void *object, const char *data, size_t sz) {
 static void
 get_available_mime_types(Atom which_clipboard, GLFWclipboardwritedatafun write_data, void *object) {
     chunked_writer cw = {0};
-    getSelectionString(which_clipboard, NULL, &_glfw.x11.TARGETS, 1, write_chunk, &cw, false);
+    getSelectionString(which_clipboard, &_glfw.x11.TARGETS, 1, write_chunk, &cw, false);
     size_t count = 0;
     bool ok = true;
     if (cw.buf) {
@@ -2964,7 +2950,7 @@ _glfwPlatformGetClipboard(GLFWClipboardType clipboard_type, const char* mime_typ
         atoms[count++] = _glfw.x11.UTF8_STRING;
         atoms[count++] = XA_STRING;
     }
-    getSelectionString(which, mime_type, atoms, count, write_data, object, true);
+    getSelectionString(which, atoms, count, write_data, object, true);
 }
 
 EGLenum _glfwPlatformGetEGLPlatform(EGLint** attribs)
diff --git a/kitty/clipboard.py b/kitty/clipboard.py
index b1de2e732..aaa1b6646 100644
--- a/kitty/clipboard.py
+++ b/kitty/clipboard.py
@@ -35,12 +35,30 @@ class Clipboard:
 
     def get_mime(self, mime: str, output: Callable[[bytes], None]) -> None:
         if self.enabled:
-            get_clipboard_mime(self.clipboard_type, mime, output)
+            try:
+                get_clipboard_mime(self.clipboard_type, mime, output)
+            except RuntimeError as err:
+                if str(err) != 'is_self_offer':
+                    raise
+                data = self.data.get(mime, b'')
+                if isinstance(data, bytes):
+                    output(data)
+                else:
+                    data.seek(0, 0)
+                    q = b' '
+                    while q:
+                        q = data.read(io.DEFAULT_BUFFER_SIZE)
+                        output(q)
 
     def get_available_mime_types_for_paste(self) -> Tuple[str, ...]:
         if self.enabled:
             parts: List[bytes] = []
-            get_clipboard_mime(self.clipboard_type, None, parts.append)
+            try:
+                get_clipboard_mime(self.clipboard_type, None, parts.append)
+            except RuntimeError as err:
+                if str(err) != 'is_self_offer':
+                    raise
+                return tuple(self.data)
             return tuple(x.decode('utf-8', 'replace') for x in uniq(parts))
         return ()
 
diff --git a/kitty/glfw.c b/kitty/glfw.c
index 505769dfe..761adaf4d 100644
--- a/kitty/glfw.c
+++ b/kitty/glfw.c
@@ -1629,6 +1629,10 @@ set_clipboard_data_types(PyObject *self UNUSED, PyObject *args) {
 static bool
 write_clipboard_data(void *callback, const char *data, size_t sz) {
     Py_ssize_t z = sz;
+    if (data == NULL) {
+        PyErr_SetString(PyExc_RuntimeError, "is_self_offer");
+        return false;
+    }
     PyObject *ret = PyObject_CallFunction(callback, "y#", data, z);
     bool ok = false;
     if (ret != NULL) { ok = true; Py_DECREF(ret); }