diff --git a/input.c b/input.c
index 0b45c5ad..d046bb4a 100644
--- a/input.c
+++ b/input.c
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ execute_binding(struct seat *seat, struct terminal *term,
         if (selection_enabled(term, seat) && cursor_is_on_grid) {
             selection_start(
                 term, seat->mouse.col, seat->mouse.row,
-                SELECTION_NORMAL, SELECTION_SEMANTIC_NONE);
+                SELECTION_NORMAL, SELECTION_SEMANTIC_NONE, false);
             return true;
         }
         return false;
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ execute_binding(struct seat *seat, struct terminal *term,
         if (selection_enabled(term, seat) && cursor_is_on_grid) {
             selection_start(
                 term, seat->mouse.col, seat->mouse.row,
-                SELECTION_BLOCK, SELECTION_SEMANTIC_NONE);
+                SELECTION_BLOCK, SELECTION_SEMANTIC_NONE, false);
             return true;
         }
         return false;
@@ -300,23 +300,26 @@ execute_binding(struct seat *seat, struct terminal *term,
 
     case BIND_ACTION_SELECT_WORD:
         if (selection_enabled(term, seat) && cursor_is_on_grid) {
-            selection_mark_word(
-                seat, term, seat->mouse.col, seat->mouse.row, false, serial);
+            selection_start(
+                term, seat->mouse.col, seat->mouse.row,
+                SELECTION_NORMAL, SELECTION_SEMANTIC_WORD, false);
             return true;
         }
         return false;
 
     case BIND_ACTION_SELECT_WORD_WS:
         if (selection_enabled(term, seat) && cursor_is_on_grid) {
-            selection_mark_word(
-                seat, term, seat->mouse.col, seat->mouse.row, true, serial);
+            selection_start(
+                term, seat->mouse.col, seat->mouse.row,
+                SELECTION_NORMAL, SELECTION_SEMANTIC_WORD, true);
             return true;
         }
         return false;
 
     case BIND_ACTION_SELECT_ROW:
         if (selection_enabled(term, seat) && cursor_is_on_grid) {
-            selection_mark_row(seat, term, seat->mouse.row, serial);
+            selection_start(term, seat->mouse.col, seat->mouse.row,
+                            SELECTION_NORMAL, SELECTION_SEMANTIC_ROW, false);
             return true;
         }
         return false;
diff --git a/search.c b/search.c
index 034fc7c9..c4fd8f05 100644
--- a/search.c
+++ b/search.c
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ search_update_selection(struct terminal *term,
         assert(selection_row >= 0 &&
                selection_row < term->grid->num_rows);
         selection_start(term, start_col, selection_row,
-                        SELECTION_NORMAL, SELECTION_SEMANTIC_NONE);
+                        SELECTION_NORMAL, SELECTION_SEMANTIC_NONE, false);
     }
 
     /* Update selection endpoint */
diff --git a/selection.c b/selection.c
index c4eeba02..4b7baf13 100644
--- a/selection.c
+++ b/selection.c
@@ -236,9 +236,73 @@ selection_to_text(const struct terminal *term)
     return extract_finish(ctx, &text, NULL) ? text : NULL;
 }
 
+static void
+find_word_boundary_left(struct terminal *term, struct coord *pos,
+                        bool spaces_only)
+{
+    const struct row *r = grid_row_in_view(term->grid, pos->row);
+    wchar_t c = r->cells[pos->col].wc;
+
+    if (!(c == 0 || !isword(c, spaces_only, term->conf->word_delimiters))) {
+        while (true) {
+            int next_col = pos->col - 1;
+            int next_row = pos->row;
+
+            /* Linewrap */
+            if (next_col < 0) {
+                next_col = term->cols - 1;
+                if (--next_row < 0)
+                    break;
+            }
+
+            const struct row *row = grid_row_in_view(term->grid, next_row);
+
+            c = row->cells[next_col].wc;
+            if (c == 0 || !isword(c, spaces_only, term->conf->word_delimiters))
+                break;
+
+            pos->col = next_col;
+            pos->row = next_row;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+static void
+find_word_boundary_right(struct terminal *term, struct coord *pos,
+                         bool spaces_only)
+{
+    const struct row *r = grid_row_in_view(term->grid, pos->row);
+    wchar_t c = r->cells[pos->col].wc;
+
+    if (!(c == 0 || !isword(c, spaces_only, term->conf->word_delimiters))) {
+        while (true) {
+            int next_col = pos->col + 1;
+            int next_row = pos->row;
+
+            /* Linewrap */
+            if (next_col >= term->cols) {
+                next_col = 0;
+                if (++next_row >= term->rows)
+                    break;
+            }
+
+            const struct row *row = grid_row_in_view(term->grid, next_row);
+
+            c = row->cells[next_col].wc;
+            if (c == '\0' || !isword(c, spaces_only, term->conf->word_delimiters))
+                break;
+
+            pos->col = next_col;
+            pos->row = next_row;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 void
 selection_start(struct terminal *term, int col, int row,
-                enum selection_kind kind, enum selection_semantic semantic)
+                enum selection_kind kind,
+                enum selection_semantic semantic,
+                bool spaces_only)
 {
     selection_cancel(term);
 
@@ -249,9 +313,33 @@ selection_start(struct terminal *term, int col, int row,
 
     term->selection.kind = kind;
     term->selection.semantic = semantic;
-    term->selection.start = (struct coord){col, term->grid->view + row};
-    term->selection.end = (struct coord){-1, -1};
     term->selection.ongoing = true;
+    term->selection.spaces_only = spaces_only;
+
+
+    switch (semantic) {
+    case SELECTION_SEMANTIC_NONE:
+        term->selection.start = (struct coord){col, term->grid->view + row};
+        term->selection.end = (struct coord){-1, -1};
+        break;
+
+    case SELECTION_SEMANTIC_WORD: {
+        struct coord start = {col, row}, end = {col, row};
+        find_word_boundary_left(term, &start, spaces_only);
+        find_word_boundary_right(term, &end, spaces_only);
+
+        term->selection.start = (struct coord){
+            start.col, term->grid->view + start.row};
+
+        selection_update(term, end.col, end.row);
+        break;
+    }
+
+    case SELECTION_SEMANTIC_ROW:
+        term->selection.start = (struct coord){0, term->grid->view + row};
+        selection_update(term, term->cols - 1, row);
+        break;
+    }
 }
 
 /* Context used while (un)marking selected cells, to be able to
@@ -361,68 +449,6 @@ selection_modify(struct terminal *term, struct coord start, struct coord end)
     render_refresh(term);
 }
 
-static void
-find_word_boundary_left(struct terminal *term, struct coord *pos,
-                        bool spaces_only)
-{
-    const struct row *r = grid_row_in_view(term->grid, pos->row);
-    wchar_t c = r->cells[pos->col].wc;
-
-    if (!(c == 0 || !isword(c, spaces_only, term->conf->word_delimiters))) {
-        while (true) {
-            int next_col = pos->col - 1;
-            int next_row = pos->row;
-
-            /* Linewrap */
-            if (next_col < 0) {
-                next_col = term->cols - 1;
-                if (--next_row < 0)
-                    break;
-            }
-
-            const struct row *row = grid_row_in_view(term->grid, next_row);
-
-            c = row->cells[next_col].wc;
-            if (c == 0 || !isword(c, spaces_only, term->conf->word_delimiters))
-                break;
-
-            pos->col = next_col;
-            pos->row = next_row;
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-static void
-find_word_boundary_right(struct terminal *term, struct coord *pos,
-                         bool spaces_only)
-{
-    const struct row *r = grid_row_in_view(term->grid, pos->row);
-    wchar_t c = r->cells[pos->col].wc;
-
-    if (!(c == 0 || !isword(c, spaces_only, term->conf->word_delimiters))) {
-        while (true) {
-            int next_col = pos->col + 1;
-            int next_row = pos->row;
-
-            /* Linewrap */
-            if (next_col >= term->cols) {
-                next_col = 0;
-                if (++next_row >= term->rows)
-                    break;
-            }
-
-            const struct row *row = grid_row_in_view(term->grid, next_row);
-
-            c = row->cells[next_col].wc;
-            if (c == '\0' || !isword(c, spaces_only, term->conf->word_delimiters))
-                break;
-
-            pos->col = next_col;
-            pos->row = next_row;
-        }
-    }
-}
-
 void
 selection_update(struct terminal *term, int col, int row)
 {
@@ -833,33 +859,6 @@ selection_primary_unset(struct seat *seat)
     primary->text = NULL;
 }
 
-void
-selection_mark_word(struct seat *seat, struct terminal *term, int col, int row,
-                    bool spaces_only, uint32_t serial)
-{
-    selection_cancel(term);
-
-    struct coord start = {col, row};
-    struct coord end = {col, row};
-
-    find_word_boundary_left(term, &start, spaces_only);
-    find_word_boundary_right(term, &end, spaces_only);
-
-    selection_start(term, start.col, start.row,
-                    SELECTION_NORMAL, SELECTION_SEMANTIC_WORD);
-    term->selection.spaces_only =  spaces_only;
-
-    selection_update(term, end.col, end.row);
-}
-
-void
-selection_mark_row(
-    struct seat *seat, struct terminal *term, int row, uint32_t serial)
-{
-    selection_start(term, 0, row, SELECTION_NORMAL, SELECTION_SEMANTIC_ROW);
-    selection_update(term, term->cols - 1, row);
-}
-
 static bool
 fdm_scroll_timer(struct fdm *fdm, int fd, int events, void *data)
 {
diff --git a/selection.h b/selection.h
index db83ef83..21e983e8 100644
--- a/selection.h
+++ b/selection.h
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ extern const struct zwp_primary_selection_device_v1_listener primary_selection_d
 bool selection_enabled(const struct terminal *term, struct seat *seat);
 void selection_start(
     struct terminal *term, int col, int row,
-    enum selection_kind kind, enum selection_semantic semantic);
+    enum selection_kind kind, enum selection_semantic semantic,
+    bool spaces_only);
 void selection_update(struct terminal *term, int col, int row);
 void selection_finalize(
     struct seat *seat, struct terminal *term, uint32_t serial);
@@ -25,12 +26,6 @@ bool selection_on_rows(const struct terminal *term, int start, int end);
 void selection_view_up(struct terminal *term, int new_view);
 void selection_view_down(struct terminal *term, int new_view);
 
-void selection_mark_word(
-    struct seat *seat, struct terminal *term, int col, int row,
-    bool spaces_only, uint32_t serial);
-void selection_mark_row(
-    struct seat *seat, struct terminal *term, int row, uint32_t serial);
-
 void selection_clipboard_unset(struct seat *seat);
 void selection_primary_unset(struct seat *seat);