diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 1866b39..3d65e20 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-node_modules/
+node_modules
 dist/
 *.bun-build
diff --git a/desktop/main.js b/desktop/main.js
index 6676f1b..debfe31 100644
--- a/desktop/main.js
+++ b/desktop/main.js
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ ipcMain.handle("app:init", () => {
   const layout = config.restore ? readJson(layoutFile()) : undefined;
   const open = pendingSpec;
   pendingSpec = undefined;
-  return { config, layout, open, version: VERSION, platform: process.platform };
+  return { config, layout, open, version: VERSION, platform: process.platform, smoke: !!process.env.HQTERM_DESKTOP_SMOKE };
 });
 
 ipcMain.handle("hosts:list", () => listHosts());
@@ -276,6 +276,10 @@ ipcMain.handle("clipboard:read", () => clipboard.readText());
 ipcMain.on("clipboard:write", (_e, text) => {
   if (typeof text === "string") clipboard.writeText(text);
 });
+// PRIMARY selection exists only on Linux (X11/Wayland); a no-op elsewhere.
+ipcMain.on("selection:write", (_e, text) => {
+  if (typeof text === "string" && process.platform === "linux") clipboard.writeText(text, "selection");
+});
 ipcMain.on("open:url", (_e, url) => {
   if (typeof url === "string" && /^https?:\/\//.test(url)) shell.openExternal(url);
 });
@@ -328,6 +332,33 @@ if (!app.requestSingleInstanceLock()) {
         win.webContents.sendInputEvent({ type: "keyDown", keyCode: "D", modifiers: ["control", "shift"] });
         win.webContents.sendInputEvent({ type: "keyUp", keyCode: "D", modifiers: ["control", "shift"] });
       }, wait * 0.7);
+      // Shift+drag must leave a selection that survives the mouse moving on,
+      // even when the app tracks every motion (hqtui hover, DECSET 1003).
+      let selection = "not run";
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        const p = [...ptys.values()].pop();
+        if (p) p.write("clear; printf 'select me please\\n\\033[?1003h'\r");
+      }, wait * 0.75);
+      setTimeout(async () => {
+        if (!win) return;
+        try {
+          const r = await win.webContents.executeJavaScript(`(() => {
+            const b = document.querySelector(".pane.focused .xterm-screen").getBoundingClientRect();
+            return { x: Math.round(b.left + 4), y: Math.round(b.top + 6), mode: window.hqSmoke.mouseMode() };
+          })()`);
+          const send = (type, x, modifiers) => win.webContents.sendInputEvent({ type, x, y: r.y, button: "left", clickCount: 1, modifiers });
+          send("mouseDown", r.x, ["shift"]);
+          for (let x = r.x; x <= r.x + 80; x += 10) send("mouseMove", x, ["shift", "leftButtonDown"]);
+          send("mouseUp", r.x + 80, ["shift"]);
+          await new Promise((res) => setTimeout(res, 100));
+          for (let x = r.x + 80; x <= r.x + 140; x += 10) win.webContents.sendInputEvent({ type: "mouseMove", x, y: r.y + 20 });
+          await new Promise((res) => setTimeout(res, 300));
+          const sel = await win.webContents.executeJavaScript("window.hqSmoke.selection()");
+          selection = r.mode !== "any" ? `mouse mode ${r.mode}, not any` : sel ? "" : "cleared after release";
+        } catch (err) {
+          selection = `error: ${err && err.message}`;
+        }
+      }, wait * 0.85);
       setTimeout(async () => {
         const shot = process.env.HQTERM_DESKTOP_SMOKE_SHOT;
         if (shot && win) {
@@ -357,6 +388,10 @@ if (!app.requestSingleInstanceLock()) {
           console.log(`hqterm-desktop smoke: clipped: ${clipped.join("; ")}`);
           return app.exit(4);
         }
+        if (selection) {
+          console.log(`hqterm-desktop smoke: selection: ${selection}`);
+          return app.exit(5);
+        }
         console.log(`hqterm-desktop smoke: ok (ptys=${ptys.size})`);
         app.exit(ptys.size > 0 ? 0 : 3);
       }, wait);
diff --git a/desktop/package-lock.json b/desktop/package-lock.json
index 73d80dd..35ca7f9 100644
--- a/desktop/package-lock.json
+++ b/desktop/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "hqterm-desktop",
-  "version": "0.3.0",
+  "version": "0.3.1",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "hqterm-desktop",
-      "version": "0.3.0",
+      "version": "0.3.1",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
         "@xterm/addon-fit": "^0.11.0",
diff --git a/desktop/package.json b/desktop/package.json
index 5bf0a88..a45ce45 100644
--- a/desktop/package.json
+++ b/desktop/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "hqterm-desktop",
   "productName": "hqterm",
-  "version": "0.3.0",
+  "version": "0.3.1",
   "description": "hqterm desktop: a terminal window that shows hqtui/qc images and HD emoji (xterm.js + node-pty).",
   "license": "MIT",
   "author": "Profullstack, Inc. <hello@profullstack.com>",
diff --git a/desktop/preload.js b/desktop/preload.js
index 7d46ba3..4657e66 100644
--- a/desktop/preload.js
+++ b/desktop/preload.js
@@ -15,5 +15,6 @@ contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld("hq", {
   onOpen: (fn) => ipcRenderer.on("app:open", (_e, spec) => fn(spec)),
   readClipboard: () => ipcRenderer.invoke("clipboard:read"),
   writeClipboard: (text) => ipcRenderer.send("clipboard:write", text),
+  writeSelection: (text) => ipcRenderer.send("selection:write", text),
   openUrl: (url) => ipcRenderer.send("open:url", url),
 });
diff --git a/desktop/src/app.js b/desktop/src/app.js
index 5ff2aa9..9c8b478 100644
--- a/desktop/src/app.js
+++ b/desktop/src/app.js
@@ -34,6 +34,14 @@
   const early = new Map(); // pty id -> { data: string[], exit?: [code, signal] }
   let webglCount = 0;
 
+  // CI smoke test (main.js) checks the focused pane's selection through this.
+  if (init.smoke) {
+    window.hqSmoke = {
+      mouseMode: () => focusedRt()?.term.modes.mouseTrackingMode,
+      selection: () => focusedRt()?.term.getSelection() || "",
+    };
+  }
+
   // ---------- PTY plumbing ----------
 
   hq.onData((id, data) => {
@@ -117,6 +125,23 @@
       rt.title = t;
       renderBar();
     });
+    // Shift+drag selects even when the app tracks the mouse, but xterm.js counts
+    // every mouse report as user input and clears the selection on it. With
+    // any-motion tracking (hqtui's hover) the first move after releasing the
+    // button wiped the selection, so hold back hover reports while text is selected.
+    el.addEventListener(
+      "mousemove",
+      (e) => {
+        if (!e.buttons && term.modes.mouseTrackingMode === "any" && term.hasSelection()) e.stopPropagation();
+      },
+      true,
+    );
+    // Like other Linux terminals, a selection is also the PRIMARY selection
+    // (middle-click pastes it); Ctrl+Shift+C still copies to the clipboard.
+    term.onSelectionChange(() => {
+      const sel = term.getSelection();
+      if (sel) hq.writeSelection(sel);
+    });
     // One click focuses a pane.
     el.addEventListener("mousedown", () => setFocus(pane.id), true);
     el.addEventListener("focusin", () => setFocus(pane.id, false));
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 383d7dd..70d24e5 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "hqterm",
-  "version": "0.3.0",
+  "version": "0.3.1",
   "description": "Terminal session manager: persistent hqsh sessions with images and HD emoji, built on hqtui.",
   "license": "MIT",
   "private": true,