diff --git a/src/frontends/WorkArea.C b/src/frontends/WorkArea.C
index 643447e6b4..abe266cd79 100644
--- a/src/frontends/WorkArea.C
+++ b/src/frontends/WorkArea.C
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ void WorkArea::processKeySym(LyXKeySymPtr key, key_modifier::state state)
 }
 
 
-void WorkArea::dispatch(FuncRequest const & cmd0)
+void WorkArea::dispatch(FuncRequest const & cmd0, key_modifier::state k)
 {
 	// Handle drag&drop
 	if (cmd0.action == LFUN_FILE_OPEN) {
@@ -192,10 +192,23 @@ void WorkArea::dispatch(FuncRequest const & cmd0)
 
 	theLyXFunc().setLyXView(&lyx_view_);
 
-	bool needRedraw = buffer_view_->workAreaDispatch(cmd0);
+	FuncRequest cmd;
+
+	if (cmd0.action == LFUN_MOUSE_PRESS) {
+		if (k == key_modifier::shift)
+			cmd = FuncRequest(cmd0, "region-select");
+		else if (k == key_modifier::ctrl)
+			cmd = FuncRequest(cmd0, "paragraph-select");
+		else
+			cmd = cmd0;
+	}
+	else
+		cmd = cmd0;
+
+	bool needRedraw = buffer_view_->workAreaDispatch(cmd);
 
 	// Skip these when selecting
-	if (cmd0.action != LFUN_MOUSE_MOTION) {
+	if (cmd.action != LFUN_MOUSE_MOTION) {
 		lyx_view_.updateLayoutChoice();
 		lyx_view_.updateMenubar();
 		lyx_view_.updateToolbars();
@@ -203,14 +216,14 @@ void WorkArea::dispatch(FuncRequest const & cmd0)
 
 	
 	// GUI tweaks except with mouse motion with no button pressed.
-	if (!(cmd0.action == LFUN_MOUSE_MOTION 
-		&& cmd0.button() == mouse_button::none)) {
+	if (!(cmd.action == LFUN_MOUSE_MOTION 
+		&& cmd.button() == mouse_button::none)) {
 		// Slight hack: this is only called currently when we
 		// clicked somewhere, so we force through the display
 		// of the new status here.
 		lyx_view_.clearMessage();
 
-		// Show the cursor immediately after any operation.
+		// Show the cursor	 immediately after any operation.
 		hideCursor();
 		toggleCursor();
 	}
diff --git a/src/frontends/WorkArea.h b/src/frontends/WorkArea.h
index bca23d19f9..12baf43217 100644
--- a/src/frontends/WorkArea.h
+++ b/src/frontends/WorkArea.h
@@ -98,7 +98,8 @@ protected:
 	/// cause the display of the given area of the work area
 	virtual void expose(int x, int y, int w, int h) = 0;
 	///
-	void dispatch(FuncRequest const & cmd0);
+	void dispatch(FuncRequest const & cmd0,
+		key_modifier::state = key_modifier::none);
 	///
 	void resizeBufferView();
 	///
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiWorkArea.C b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiWorkArea.C
index 10ccfe8b78..261aaef8f8 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiWorkArea.C
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiWorkArea.C
@@ -290,8 +290,8 @@ void GuiWorkArea::mousePressEvent(QMouseEvent * e)
 	}
 
 	FuncRequest const cmd(LFUN_MOUSE_PRESS, e->x(), e->y(),
-			      q_button_state(e->button()));
-	dispatch(cmd);
+		q_button_state(e->button()));
+	dispatch(cmd, q_key_state(e->modifiers()));
 }