diff --git a/render.c b/render.c
index 5dcd7035..950638ac 100644
--- a/render.c
+++ b/render.c
@@ -92,34 +92,26 @@ draw_strikeout(const struct terminal *term, cairo_t *cr, const struct font *font
 static bool
 coord_is_selected(const struct terminal *term, int col, int row)
 {
-    if (term->selection.start.col != -1 && term->selection.end.col != -1) {
-        const struct coord *start = &term->selection.start;
-        const struct coord *end = &term->selection.end;
+    if (term->selection.start.col == -1 || term->selection.end.col == -1)
+        return false;
 
-        if (end->row < start->row || (end->row == start->row && end->col < start->col)) {
-            const struct coord *tmp = start;
-            start = end;
-            end = tmp;
-        }
+    const struct coord *start = &term->selection.start;
+    const struct coord *end = &term->selection.end;
 
-        assert(start->row <= end->row);
+    assert(start->row <= end->row);
 
-        if (start->row == end->row) {
-            return (term->grid->view + row == start->row &&
-                    col >= start->col &&
-                    col <= end->col);
-        } else {
-            if (term->grid->view + row == start->row)
-                return col >= start->col;
-            else if (term->grid->view + row == end->row)
-                return col <= end->col;
-            else
-                return (term->grid->view + row >= start->row &&
-                        term->grid->view + row <= end->row);
-        }
+    row += term->grid->view;
+
+    if (start->row == end->row) {
+        return row == start->row && col >= start->col && col <= end->col;
+    } else {
+        if (row == start->row)
+            return col >= start->col;
+        else if (row == end->row)
+            return col <= end->col;
+        else
+            return row >= start->row && row <= end->row;
     }
-
-    return false;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/selection.c b/selection.c
index 92beafe5..fe4f4297 100644
--- a/selection.c
+++ b/selection.c
@@ -30,12 +30,6 @@ extract_selection(const struct terminal *term)
     const struct coord *start = &term->selection.start;
     const struct coord *end = &term->selection.end;
 
-    if (start->row > end->row || (start->row == end->row && start->col > end->col)) {
-        const struct coord *tmp = start;
-        start = end;
-        end = tmp;
-    }
-
     assert(start->row <= end->row);
 
     size_t max_cells = 0;
@@ -159,6 +153,17 @@ selection_finalize(struct terminal *term, uint32_t serial)
     assert(term->selection.start.row != -1);
     assert(term->selection.end.row != -1);
 
+    if (term->selection.start.row > term->selection.end.row ||
+        (term->selection.start.row == term->selection.end.row &&
+         term->selection.start.col > term->selection.end.col))
+    {
+        struct coord tmp = term->selection.start;
+        term->selection.start = term->selection.end;
+        term->selection.end = tmp;
+    }
+
+    assert(term->selection.start.row <= term->selection.end.row);
+
     /* TODO: somehow share code with the clipboard equivalent */
     if (term->selection.primary.data_source != NULL) {
         /* Kill previous data source */