diff --git a/src/Surface.zig b/src/Surface.zig
index 248cccea1..f9945efb8 100644
--- a/src/Surface.zig
+++ b/src/Surface.zig
@@ -1217,6 +1217,7 @@ fn selectionScrollTick(self: *Surface) !void {
         .xpos = pos.x,
         .ypos = pos.y,
         .rectangle = SurfaceMouse.isRectangleSelectState(self.mouse.mods),
+        .word_boundary_codepoints = self.config.selection_word_chars,
         .geometry = .{
             .columns = @intCast(self.size.grid().columns),
             .cell_width = self.size.cell.width,
@@ -4625,11 +4626,13 @@ pub fn cursorPosCallback(
             return;
         };
 
+        // Perform our drag behavior in our gesture handler.
         const drag_selection = self.mouse.selection_gesture.drag(t, .{
             .pin = pin,
             .xpos = pos.x,
             .ypos = pos.y,
             .rectangle = SurfaceMouse.isRectangleSelectState(self.mouse.mods),
+            .word_boundary_codepoints = self.config.selection_word_chars,
             .geometry = .{
                 .columns = @intCast(self.size.grid().columns),
                 .cell_width = self.size.cell.width,
@@ -4638,6 +4641,7 @@ pub fn cursorPosCallback(
             },
         });
 
+        // Update our autoscroll timer based on the gesture state
         switch (self.mouse.selection_gesture.left_drag_autoscroll) {
             .none => if (self.selection_scroll_active) {
                 self.queueIo(
@@ -4653,95 +4657,11 @@ pub fn cursorPosCallback(
             },
         }
 
-        // Handle dragging depending on click count
-        switch (self.mouse.selection_gesture.left_click_count) {
-            1 => try self.io.terminal.screens.active.select(drag_selection),
-            2 => try self.dragLeftClickDouble(pin),
-            3 => try self.dragLeftClickTriple(pin),
-            0 => unreachable, // handled above
-            else => unreachable,
-        }
-
-        return;
+        // Update our selection based on the gesture state
+        try self.io.terminal.screens.active.select(drag_selection);
     }
 }
 
-/// Double-click dragging moves the selection one "word" at a time.
-fn dragLeftClickDouble(
-    self: *Surface,
-    drag_pin: terminal.Pin,
-) !void {
-    const screen: *terminal.Screen = self.io.terminal.screens.active;
-    const click_pin = (self.mouse.activeLeftClickPin(&self.io.terminal.screens) orelse return).*;
-
-    // Get the word closest to our starting click.
-    const word_start = screen.selectWordBetween(
-        click_pin,
-        drag_pin,
-        self.config.selection_word_chars,
-    ) orelse {
-        try self.setSelection(null);
-        return;
-    };
-
-    // Get the word closest to our current point.
-    const word_current = screen.selectWordBetween(
-        drag_pin,
-        click_pin,
-        self.config.selection_word_chars,
-    ) orelse {
-        try self.setSelection(null);
-        return;
-    };
-
-    // If our current mouse position is before the starting position,
-    // then the selection start is the word nearest our current position.
-    if (drag_pin.before(click_pin)) {
-        try self.io.terminal.screens.active.select(.init(
-            word_current.start(),
-            word_start.end(),
-            false,
-        ));
-    } else {
-        try self.io.terminal.screens.active.select(.init(
-            word_start.start(),
-            word_current.end(),
-            false,
-        ));
-    }
-}
-
-/// Triple-click dragging moves the selection one "line" at a time.
-fn dragLeftClickTriple(
-    self: *Surface,
-    drag_pin: terminal.Pin,
-) !void {
-    const screen: *terminal.Screen = self.io.terminal.screens.active;
-    const click_pin: terminal.Pin = pin: {
-        const set: *terminal.ScreenSet = &self.io.terminal.screens;
-        const tracked = self.mouse.activeLeftClickPin(set) orelse return;
-        break :pin tracked.*;
-    };
-
-    // Get the line selection under our current drag point. If there isn't a
-    // line, do nothing.
-    const line = screen.selectLine(.{ .pin = drag_pin }) orelse return;
-
-    // Get the selection under our click point. We first try to trim
-    // whitespace if we've selected a word. But if no word exists then
-    // we select the blank line.
-    const sel_ = screen.selectLine(.{ .pin = click_pin }) orelse
-        screen.selectLine(.{ .pin = click_pin, .whitespace = null });
-
-    var sel = sel_ orelse return;
-    if (drag_pin.before(click_pin)) {
-        sel.startPtr().* = line.start();
-    } else {
-        sel.endPtr().* = line.end();
-    }
-    try self.io.terminal.screens.active.select(sel);
-}
-
 /// Call to notify Ghostty that the color scheme for the terminal has
 /// changed.
 pub fn colorSchemeCallback(self: *Surface, scheme: apprt.ColorScheme) !void {
diff --git a/src/terminal/SelectionGesture.zig b/src/terminal/SelectionGesture.zig
index 73904844c..6adad5b4a 100644
--- a/src/terminal/SelectionGesture.zig
+++ b/src/terminal/SelectionGesture.zig
@@ -153,6 +153,9 @@ pub const Drag = struct {
     /// True if the current drag should produce a rectangular selection.
     rectangle: bool,
 
+    /// The codepoints that delimit words for double-click drag selection.
+    word_boundary_codepoints: []const u21,
+
     /// Geometry required for selection threshold and autoscroll calculations.
     geometry: Geometry,
 
@@ -189,8 +192,7 @@ pub fn drag(
     // Get our click pin. We get a validated pin because if our
     // screen changed out from under us then we aren't actually
     // clicking anymore.
-    const click_pin = self.validatedLeftClickPin(&t.screens) orelse
-        return null;
+    const click_pin = self.validatedLeftClickPin(&t.screens) orelse return null;
 
     // Determine if we should autoscroll. If our drag position is above
     // the top, we go up. If its below the bottom we go down. Easy.
@@ -202,14 +204,32 @@ pub fn drag(
     else
         .none;
 
-    return dragSelection(
-        click_pin.*,
-        d.pin,
-        @intFromFloat(@max(0, self.left_click_xpos)),
-        @intFromFloat(@max(0, d.xpos)),
-        d.rectangle,
-        d.geometry,
-    );
+    return switch (self.left_click_count) {
+        0 => unreachable, // handled above
+
+        1 => dragSelection(
+            click_pin.*,
+            d.pin,
+            @intFromFloat(@max(0, self.left_click_xpos)),
+            @intFromFloat(@max(0, d.xpos)),
+            d.rectangle,
+            d.geometry,
+        ),
+
+        2 => dragSelectionWord(
+            t.screens.active,
+            click_pin.*,
+            d.pin,
+            d.word_boundary_codepoints,
+        ),
+
+        3 => dragSelectionLine(
+            t.screens.active,
+            click_pin.*,
+            d.pin,
+        ),
+        else => unreachable,
+    };
 }
 
 fn pressInitial(
@@ -427,6 +447,68 @@ fn dragSelection(
     );
 }
 
+/// Calculates the appropriate word-wise selection for a double-click drag.
+fn dragSelectionWord(
+    screen: *Screen,
+    click_pin: Pin,
+    drag_pin: Pin,
+    boundary_codepoints: []const u21,
+) ?Selection {
+    // Get the word closest to our starting click.
+    const word_start = screen.selectWordBetween(
+        click_pin,
+        drag_pin,
+        boundary_codepoints,
+    ) orelse return null;
+
+    // Get the word closest to our current point.
+    const word_current = screen.selectWordBetween(
+        drag_pin,
+        click_pin,
+        boundary_codepoints,
+    ) orelse return null;
+
+    // If our current mouse position is before the starting position,
+    // then the selection start is the word nearest our current position.
+    return if (drag_pin.before(click_pin))
+        .init(
+            word_current.start(),
+            word_start.end(),
+            false,
+        )
+    else
+        .init(
+            word_start.start(),
+            word_current.end(),
+            false,
+        );
+}
+
+/// Calculates the appropriate line-wise selection for a triple-click drag.
+fn dragSelectionLine(
+    screen: *Screen,
+    click_pin: Pin,
+    drag_pin: Pin,
+) ?Selection {
+    // Get the line selection under our current drag point. If there isn't a
+    // line, do nothing.
+    const line = screen.selectLine(.{ .pin = drag_pin }) orelse return null;
+
+    // Get the selection under our click point. We first try to trim
+    // whitespace if we've selected a word. But if no word exists then
+    // we select the blank line.
+    const sel_ = screen.selectLine(.{ .pin = click_pin }) orelse
+        screen.selectLine(.{ .pin = click_pin, .whitespace = null });
+
+    var sel = sel_ orelse return null;
+    if (drag_pin.before(click_pin)) {
+        sel.startPtr().* = line.start();
+    } else {
+        sel.endPtr().* = line.end();
+    }
+    return sel;
+}
+
 fn untrackPin(self: *SelectionGesture, t: *Terminal) void {
     // Can't untrack unless we have a pin.
     const pin = self.left_click_pin orelse return;
@@ -464,6 +546,7 @@ fn testDrag(t: *Terminal, x: u16, y: u32, xpos: f64, ypos: f64) Drag {
         .xpos = xpos,
         .ypos = ypos,
         .rectangle = false,
+        .word_boundary_codepoints = &.{},
         .geometry = .{
             .columns = 5,
             .cell_width = 10,
@@ -473,6 +556,13 @@ fn testDrag(t: *Terminal, x: u16, y: u32, xpos: f64, ypos: f64) Drag {
     };
 }
 
+fn testPin(t: *Terminal, x: u16, y: u32) Pin {
+    return t.screens.active.pages.pin(.{ .active = .{
+        .x = x,
+        .y = y,
+    } }).?;
+}
+
 /// Utility function for the unit tests for drag selection logic.
 ///
 /// Tests a click and drag on a 10x5 cell grid, x positions are given in
@@ -927,6 +1017,178 @@ test "SelectionGesture drag returns selection and records autoscroll" {
     try testing.expectEqual(.down, gesture.left_drag_autoscroll);
 }
 
+test "SelectionGesture drag without press returns null" {
+    var t = try Terminal.init(testing.allocator, .{ .cols = 5, .rows = 5 });
+    defer t.deinit(testing.allocator);
+
+    var gesture: SelectionGesture = .init;
+    defer gesture.deinit(&t);
+
+    try testing.expectEqual(null, gesture.drag(&t, testDrag(&t, 1, 1, 10, 50)));
+    try testing.expectEqual(.none, gesture.left_drag_autoscroll);
+}
+
+test "SelectionGesture drag autoscroll edge boundaries" {
+    var t = try Terminal.init(testing.allocator, .{ .cols = 5, .rows = 5 });
+    defer t.deinit(testing.allocator);
+
+    var gesture: SelectionGesture = .init;
+    defer gesture.deinit(&t);
+
+    var press_event = testPress(&t, 1, 1, try std.time.Instant.now());
+    press_event.xpos = 10;
+    try gesture.press(&t, press_event);
+
+    _ = gesture.drag(&t, testDrag(&t, 2, 1, 20, 1));
+    try testing.expectEqual(.up, gesture.left_drag_autoscroll);
+
+    _ = gesture.drag(&t, testDrag(&t, 2, 1, 20, 1.1));
+    try testing.expectEqual(.none, gesture.left_drag_autoscroll);
+
+    _ = gesture.drag(&t, testDrag(&t, 2, 1, 20, 99));
+    try testing.expectEqual(.none, gesture.left_drag_autoscroll);
+
+    _ = gesture.drag(&t, testDrag(&t, 2, 1, 20, 99.1));
+    try testing.expectEqual(.down, gesture.left_drag_autoscroll);
+}
+
+test "SelectionGesture drag with invalidated click returns null" {
+    var t = try Terminal.init(testing.allocator, .{ .cols = 5, .rows = 5 });
+    defer t.deinit(testing.allocator);
+
+    var gesture: SelectionGesture = .init;
+    defer gesture.deinit(&t);
+
+    var press_event = testPress(&t, 1, 1, try std.time.Instant.now());
+    press_event.xpos = 10;
+    try gesture.press(&t, press_event);
+
+    _ = gesture.drag(&t, testDrag(&t, 2, 1, 20, 1));
+    try testing.expectEqual(.up, gesture.left_drag_autoscroll);
+
+    _ = try t.screens.getInit(testing.allocator, .alternate, .{
+        .cols = t.cols,
+        .rows = t.rows,
+    });
+    t.screens.switchTo(.alternate);
+
+    try testing.expectEqual(null, gesture.drag(&t, testDrag(&t, 2, 1, 20, 50)));
+    try testing.expectEqual(.up, gesture.left_drag_autoscroll);
+}
+
+test "SelectionGesture double-click drag selects by word" {
+    var t = try Terminal.init(testing.allocator, .{ .cols = 20, .rows = 5 });
+    defer t.deinit(testing.allocator);
+    try t.printString("alpha beta gamma");
+
+    var gesture: SelectionGesture = .init;
+    defer gesture.deinit(&t);
+
+    const time = try std.time.Instant.now();
+    try gesture.press(&t, testPress(&t, 1, 0, time));
+    try gesture.press(&t, testPress(&t, 1, 0, time));
+
+    var drag_event = testDrag(&t, 7, 0, 70, 50);
+    drag_event.word_boundary_codepoints = &.{ ' ' };
+    const sel = gesture.drag(&t, drag_event).?;
+
+    try testing.expectEqualDeep(Selection.init(
+        testPin(&t, 0, 0),
+        testPin(&t, 9, 0),
+        false,
+    ), sel);
+}
+
+test "SelectionGesture double-click drag selects by word backwards" {
+    var t = try Terminal.init(testing.allocator, .{ .cols = 20, .rows = 5 });
+    defer t.deinit(testing.allocator);
+    try t.printString("alpha beta gamma");
+
+    var gesture: SelectionGesture = .init;
+    defer gesture.deinit(&t);
+
+    const time = try std.time.Instant.now();
+    try gesture.press(&t, testPress(&t, 7, 0, time));
+    try gesture.press(&t, testPress(&t, 7, 0, time));
+
+    var drag_event = testDrag(&t, 1, 0, 10, 50);
+    drag_event.word_boundary_codepoints = &.{ ' ' };
+    const sel = gesture.drag(&t, drag_event).?;
+
+    try testing.expectEqualDeep(Selection.init(
+        testPin(&t, 0, 0),
+        testPin(&t, 9, 0),
+        false,
+    ), sel);
+}
+
+test "SelectionGesture double-click drag on empty cell selects nearest word" {
+    var t = try Terminal.init(testing.allocator, .{ .cols = 20, .rows = 5 });
+    defer t.deinit(testing.allocator);
+    try t.printString("alpha beta");
+
+    var gesture: SelectionGesture = .init;
+    defer gesture.deinit(&t);
+
+    const time = try std.time.Instant.now();
+    try gesture.press(&t, testPress(&t, 1, 0, time));
+    try gesture.press(&t, testPress(&t, 1, 0, time));
+
+    var drag_event = testDrag(&t, 15, 0, 150, 50);
+    drag_event.word_boundary_codepoints = &.{ ' ' };
+    const sel = gesture.drag(&t, drag_event).?;
+
+    try testing.expectEqualDeep(Selection.init(
+        testPin(&t, 0, 0),
+        testPin(&t, 9, 0),
+        false,
+    ), sel);
+}
+
+test "SelectionGesture triple-click drag selects by line" {
+    var t = try Terminal.init(testing.allocator, .{ .cols = 20, .rows = 5 });
+    defer t.deinit(testing.allocator);
+    try t.printString("alpha beta\none two\nthree four");
+
+    var gesture: SelectionGesture = .init;
+    defer gesture.deinit(&t);
+
+    const time = try std.time.Instant.now();
+    try gesture.press(&t, testPress(&t, 1, 0, time));
+    try gesture.press(&t, testPress(&t, 1, 0, time));
+    try gesture.press(&t, testPress(&t, 1, 0, time));
+
+    const sel = gesture.drag(&t, testDrag(&t, 2, 2, 20, 50)).?;
+
+    try testing.expectEqualDeep(Selection.init(
+        testPin(&t, 0, 0),
+        testPin(&t, 9, 2),
+        false,
+    ), sel);
+}
+
+test "SelectionGesture triple-click drag selects by line backwards" {
+    var t = try Terminal.init(testing.allocator, .{ .cols = 20, .rows = 5 });
+    defer t.deinit(testing.allocator);
+    try t.printString("alpha beta\none two\nthree four");
+
+    var gesture: SelectionGesture = .init;
+    defer gesture.deinit(&t);
+
+    const time = try std.time.Instant.now();
+    try gesture.press(&t, testPress(&t, 2, 2, time));
+    try gesture.press(&t, testPress(&t, 2, 2, time));
+    try gesture.press(&t, testPress(&t, 2, 2, time));
+
+    const sel = gesture.drag(&t, testDrag(&t, 1, 0, 10, 50)).?;
+
+    try testing.expectEqualDeep(Selection.init(
+        testPin(&t, 0, 0),
+        testPin(&t, 9, 2),
+        false,
+    ), sel);
+}
+
 test "SelectionGesture repeat increments click count" {
     var t = try Terminal.init(testing.allocator, .{ .cols = 5, .rows = 5 });
     defer t.deinit(testing.allocator);