diff --git a/packages/core/src/lib/selection.ts b/packages/core/src/lib/selection.ts
index 57a54f9a7..8499f8a82 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/lib/selection.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/lib/selection.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { Renderable } from "../Renderable.js"
 import type { ViewportBounds } from "../types.js"
+import { stringWidth } from "../platform/runtime.js"
 import { coordinateToCharacterIndex, fonts } from "./ascii.font.js"
 
 class SelectionAnchor {
@@ -111,8 +112,14 @@ export class Selection {
   }
 
   getSelectedText(): string {
-    const selectedTextsByLine = new Map<number, Array<{ x: number; text: string }>>()
-    const selectedRenderables = this._selectedRenderables
+    const selectedTextsByLine = new Map<number, Array<{ x: number; text: string; spanEndY: number }>>()
+    const anchor = this.anchor
+    const focus = this.focus
+    const selectionStart = anchor.y < focus.y || (anchor.y === focus.y && anchor.x <= focus.x) ? anchor : focus
+    let baselineX = Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY
+    let firstSelectedTextX: number | null = null
+    let preserveFirstLineIndentation = false
+    const selectedRenderables = [...this._selectedRenderables]
       // Sort by reading order: top-to-bottom, then left-to-right
       .sort((a, b) => {
         const aY = a.y
@@ -128,23 +135,79 @@ export class Selection {
       const text = renderable.getSelectedText()
       if (!text) continue
       const lines = text.split("\n")
+      const firstSelectedY = Math.max(renderable.y, selectionStart.y)
+      const visualEndY = renderable.y + renderable.height - 1
+
       for (let index = 0; index < lines.length; index += 1) {
-        const y = renderable.y + index
+        const y = firstSelectedY + index
+        const selectedLine = lines[index]
+        // Some renderables include newline delimiter rows outside their visual
+        // bounds. Skip those boundary-only empties so we can synthesize gaps from
+        // actual vertical spacing instead of double-counting them.
+        if (selectedLine === "" && (y < renderable.y || y > visualEndY)) {
+          continue
+        }
+
+        const x = y === selectionStart.y ? Math.max(renderable.x, selectionStart.x) : renderable.x
         const line = selectedTextsByLine.get(y) ?? []
-        line.push({ x: renderable.x, text: lines[index] })
+        line.push({ x, text: selectedLine, spanEndY: visualEndY })
         selectedTextsByLine.set(y, line)
+
+        if (selectedLine !== "") {
+          if (firstSelectedTextX === null) {
+            firstSelectedTextX = x
+            preserveFirstLineIndentation = x === renderable.x
+          }
+
+          baselineX = Math.min(baselineX, x)
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    const sortedEntries = [...selectedTextsByLine.entries()].sort(([leftY], [rightY]) => leftY - rightY)
+    if (sortedEntries.length === 0) return ""
+
+    const lineStartX =
+      firstSelectedTextX === null
+        ? 0
+        : preserveFirstLineIndentation && Number.isFinite(baselineX)
+          ? baselineX
+          : firstSelectedTextX
+    const selectedLines: string[] = []
+    let previousSpanEndY: number | null = null
+
+    for (const [y, line] of sortedEntries) {
+      if (previousSpanEndY !== null && y > previousSpanEndY + 1) {
+        for (let gapY = previousSpanEndY + 1; gapY < y; gapY += 1) {
+          selectedLines.push("")
+        }
       }
+
+      const currentSpanEndY = line.reduce((max, segment) => Math.max(max, segment.spanEndY), y)
+
+      if (line.every((segment) => segment.text === "")) {
+        selectedLines.push("")
+        previousSpanEndY = previousSpanEndY === null ? currentSpanEndY : Math.max(previousSpanEndY, currentSpanEndY)
+        continue
+      }
+
+      let cursorX = lineStartX
+      let selectedLine = ""
+
+      for (const segment of line.sort((left, right) => left.x - right.x)) {
+        if (segment.x > cursorX) {
+          selectedLine += " ".repeat(segment.x - cursorX)
+        }
+
+        selectedLine += segment.text
+        cursorX = Math.max(cursorX, segment.x + stringWidth(segment.text))
+      }
+
+      selectedLines.push(selectedLine)
+      previousSpanEndY = previousSpanEndY === null ? currentSpanEndY : Math.max(previousSpanEndY, currentSpanEndY)
     }
 
-    return [...selectedTextsByLine.entries()]
-      .sort(([leftY], [rightY]) => leftY - rightY)
-      .map(([, line]) =>
-        line
-          .sort((left, right) => left.x - right.x)
-          .map((segment) => segment.text)
-          .join(""),
-      )
-      .join("\n")
+    return selectedLines.join("\n")
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/renderables/__tests__/Markdown.test.ts b/packages/core/src/renderables/__tests__/Markdown.test.ts
index 42317961f..49e9f50d1 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/renderables/__tests__/Markdown.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/renderables/__tests__/Markdown.test.ts
@@ -1029,9 +1029,11 @@ Outro line below table.`
 
   const selectedText = renderer.getSelection()?.getSelectedText() ?? ""
 
+  expect(selectedText).toContain("table.\n\nComponent")
   expect(selectedText).toContain("Authentication")
   expect(selectedText).toContain("Payments API")
   expect(selectedText).toContain("Retry + idempotency")
+  expect(selectedText).toContain("Ranking + typo fix\n\nOutro line below table.")
 })
 
 // Code block tests
@@ -1356,6 +1358,49 @@ test("selection across top-level ordered list copies marker and text on same lin
   expect(renderer.getSelection()?.getSelectedText()).toBe(" 9. Nine\n10. Ten")
 })
 
+test("selection across top-level ordered list does not add skipped leading indentation", async () => {
+  const md = createMarkdownRenderable({
+    id: "markdown-structured-ordered-list-selection-partial-indent",
+    content: `9. Nine
+10. Ten`,
+    syntaxStyle,
+    internalBlockMode: "top-level",
+  })
+
+  renderer.root.add(md)
+  await renderMarkdownRenderable(md)
+
+  const list = md._blockStates[0]?.renderable
+  expect(list).toBeInstanceOf(BoxRenderable)
+
+  await mockMouse.drag(list!.x + 1, list!.y, list!.x + 20, list!.y + 1)
+  await renderer.idle()
+
+  expect(renderer.getSelection()?.getSelectedText()).toBe("9. Nine\n10. Ten")
+})
+
+test("selection across nested unordered list preserves visual indentation", async () => {
+  const md = createMarkdownRenderable({
+    id: "markdown-nested-structured-list-selection",
+    content: `- parent
+  - child
+    - grandchild`,
+    syntaxStyle,
+    internalBlockMode: "top-level",
+  })
+
+  renderer.root.add(md)
+  await renderMarkdownRenderable(md)
+
+  const list = md._blockStates[0]?.renderable
+  expect(list).toBeInstanceOf(BoxRenderable)
+
+  await mockMouse.drag(list!.x, list!.y, list!.x + 20, list!.y + 2)
+  await renderer.idle()
+
+  expect(renderer.getSelection()?.getSelectedText()).toBe("- parent\n  - child\n    - grandchild")
+})
+
 test("top-level structured lists align nested fenced code under nested content", async () => {
   const md = createMarkdownRenderable({
     id: "markdown-structured-list-code",
diff --git a/packages/core/src/tests/renderer.selection.test.ts b/packages/core/src/tests/renderer.selection.test.ts
index 864b7283c..b5ae8e35c 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/tests/renderer.selection.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/tests/renderer.selection.test.ts
@@ -79,10 +79,151 @@ test("selected text joins same-row renderables without newlines", () => {
   expect(renderer.getSelection()?.getSelectedText()).toBe("Hello World")
 })
 
-test("selected text keeps newlines between different rows", () => {
+test("selected text preserves visual gaps between same-row renderables", () => {
+  const row = new BoxRenderable(renderer, {
+    flexDirection: "row",
+    width: 20,
+    height: 1,
+  })
+  const left = new TextRenderable(renderer, {
+    content: "Hello",
+    width: 5,
+    height: 1,
+    selectable: true,
+  })
+  const spacer = new BoxRenderable(renderer, {
+    width: 2,
+    height: 1,
+  })
+  const right = new TextRenderable(renderer, {
+    content: "World",
+    width: 5,
+    height: 1,
+    selectable: true,
+  })
+
+  row.add(left)
+  row.add(spacer)
+  row.add(right)
+  renderer.root.add(row)
+  renderOnce()
+
+  renderer.startSelection(left, left.x, left.y)
+  renderer.updateSelection(right, right.x + right.width, right.y, { finishDragging: true })
+
+  expect(renderer.getSelection()?.getSelectedText()).toBe("Hello  World")
+})
+
+test("selected text joins adjacent rows with a single newline", () => {
+  const top = new TextRenderable(renderer, {
+    content: "First row",
+    left: 0,
+    top: 0,
+    width: 9,
+    height: 1,
+    selectable: true,
+  })
+  const bottom = new TextRenderable(renderer, {
+    content: "Second row",
+    left: 0,
+    top: 1,
+    width: 10,
+    height: 1,
+    selectable: true,
+  })
+
+  renderer.root.add(top)
+  renderer.root.add(bottom)
+  renderOnce()
+
+  renderer.startSelection(top, top.x, top.y)
+  renderer.updateSelection(bottom, bottom.x + bottom.width, bottom.y, { finishDragging: true })
+
+  const gapLines = Math.max(bottom.y - top.y - 1, 0)
+  expect(renderer.getSelection()?.getSelectedText()).toBe(["First row", ...Array(gapLines).fill(""), "Second row"].join("\n"))
+})
+
+test("selected text preserves blank lines within multiline renderables", () => {
+  const text = new TextRenderable(renderer, {
+    content: "First\n\nSecond",
+    left: 0,
+    top: 0,
+    width: 10,
+    height: 3,
+    selectable: true,
+  })
+
+  renderer.root.add(text)
+  renderOnce()
+
+  renderer.startSelection(text, text.x, text.y)
+  renderer.updateSelection(text, text.x + 6, text.y + 2, { finishDragging: true })
+
+  expect(renderer.getSelection()?.getSelectedText()).toBe("First\n\nSecond")
+})
+
+test("selected text preserves vertical gaps between separated rows", () => {
+  const top = new TextRenderable(renderer, {
+    content: "First row",
+    left: 0,
+    top: 0,
+    width: 9,
+    height: 1,
+    selectable: true,
+  })
+  const bottom = new TextRenderable(renderer, {
+    content: "Second row",
+    left: 0,
+    top: 3,
+    width: 10,
+    height: 1,
+    selectable: true,
+  })
+
+  renderer.root.add(top)
+  renderer.root.add(bottom)
+  renderOnce()
+
+  renderer.startSelection(top, top.x, top.y)
+  renderer.updateSelection(bottom, bottom.x + bottom.width, bottom.y, { finishDragging: true })
+
+  const gapLines = Math.max(bottom.y - top.y - 1, 0)
+  expect(renderer.getSelection()?.getSelectedText()).toBe(["First row", ...Array(gapLines).fill(""), "Second row"].join("\n"))
+})
+
+test("selected text preserves first-line indentation when selection starts at local column zero", () => {
   const top = new TextRenderable(renderer, {
     content: "First row",
+    left: 4,
+    top: 0,
+    width: 9,
+    height: 1,
+    selectable: true,
+  })
+  const bottom = new TextRenderable(renderer, {
+    content: "Second row",
     left: 0,
+    top: 1,
+    width: 10,
+    height: 1,
+    selectable: true,
+  })
+
+  renderer.root.add(top)
+  renderer.root.add(bottom)
+  renderOnce()
+
+  renderer.startSelection(top, top.x, top.y)
+  renderer.updateSelection(bottom, bottom.x + bottom.width, bottom.y, { finishDragging: true })
+
+  const gapLines = Math.max(bottom.y - top.y - 1, 0)
+  expect(renderer.getSelection()?.getSelectedText()).toBe(["    First row", ...Array(gapLines).fill(""), "Second row"].join("\n"))
+})
+
+test("selected text does not synthesize skipped indentation on the first copied line", () => {
+  const top = new TextRenderable(renderer, {
+    content: "First row",
+    left: 4,
     top: 0,
     width: 9,
     height: 1,
@@ -101,10 +242,41 @@ test("selected text keeps newlines between different rows", () => {
   renderer.root.add(bottom)
   renderOnce()
 
+  renderer.startSelection(top, top.x + 1, top.y)
+  renderer.updateSelection(bottom, bottom.x + bottom.width, bottom.y, { finishDragging: true })
+
+  const gapLines = Math.max(bottom.y - top.y - 1, 0)
+  expect(renderer.getSelection()?.getSelectedText()).toBe(["irst row", ...Array(gapLines).fill(""), "Second row"].join("\n"))
+})
+
+test("selected text does not infer blank rows from renderable height", () => {
+  const top = new TextRenderable(renderer, {
+    content: "First row",
+    left: 0,
+    top: 0,
+    width: 9,
+    height: 3,
+    selectable: true,
+  })
+  const bottom = new TextRenderable(renderer, {
+    content: "Second row",
+    left: 0,
+    top: 4,
+    width: 10,
+    height: 1,
+    selectable: true,
+  })
+
+  renderer.root.add(top)
+  renderer.root.add(bottom)
+  renderOnce()
+
   renderer.startSelection(top, top.x, top.y)
   renderer.updateSelection(bottom, bottom.x + bottom.width, bottom.y, { finishDragging: true })
 
-  expect(renderer.getSelection()?.getSelectedText()).toBe("First row\nSecond row")
+  const topVisualEndY = top.y + top.height - 1
+  const gapLines = Math.max(bottom.y - topVisualEndY - 1, 0)
+  expect(renderer.getSelection()?.getSelectedText()).toBe(["First row", ...Array(gapLines).fill(""), "Second row"].join("\n"))
 })
 
 test("selected text merges multiline same-row renderables by visual row", () => {