diff --git a/src/client_manager.cc b/src/client_manager.cc
index 519cd00ac..a864ef93a 100644
--- a/src/client_manager.cc
+++ b/src/client_manager.cc
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ Context& ClientManager::get_client_context(const String& name)
 
 static String generate_status_line(const Context& context)
 {
-    BufferCoord cursor = context.editor().selections().back().last().coord();
+    BufferCoord cursor = context.editor().main_selection().last().coord();
     std::ostringstream oss;
     oss << context.buffer().name()
         << " " << (int)cursor.line+1 << "," << (int)cursor.column+1;
diff --git a/src/commands.cc b/src/commands.cc
index 5f1c1cf39..b56de71e6 100644
--- a/src/commands.cc
+++ b/src/commands.cc
@@ -662,7 +662,7 @@ void info(const CommandParameters& params, Context& context)
         if (parser.has_option("anchor"))
         {
             style =  MenuStyle::Inline;
-            const auto& sel = context.editor().selections().back();
+            const auto& sel = context.editor().main_selection();
             auto it = sel.last();
             String anchor = parser.option_value("anchor");
             if (anchor == "left")
diff --git a/src/editor.cc b/src/editor.cc
index 0f8e3a2ca..b08a00ea9 100644
--- a/src/editor.cc
+++ b/src/editor.cc
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ void Editor::select(const Selector& selector, SelectMode mode)
             res.captures() = sel.captures();
         m_selections.push_back(res);
     }
-    else if (mode == SelectMode::ReplaceLast)
+    else if (mode == SelectMode::ReplaceMain)
     {
         auto& sel = m_selections.back();
         auto  res = selector(sel);
diff --git a/src/editor.hh b/src/editor.hh
index 8df5f55ad..a1f272651 100644
--- a/src/editor.hh
+++ b/src/editor.hh
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ enum class SelectMode
     Replace,
     Extend,
     Append,
-    ReplaceLast,
+    ReplaceMain,
 };
 
 enum class InsertMode : unsigned
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ public:
     void multi_select(const MultiSelector& selector);
 
     const SelectionList& selections() const { return m_selections; }
+    const Selection& main_selection() const { return m_selections.back(); }
     std::vector<String>  selections_content() const;
 
     bool undo();
diff --git a/src/input_handler.cc b/src/input_handler.cc
index b54b790fc..658b0d56d 100644
--- a/src/input_handler.cc
+++ b/src/input_handler.cc
@@ -549,7 +549,7 @@ private:
     {
         if (not m_position.is_valid())
         {
-            BufferIterator cursor = m_context.editor().selections().back().last();
+            BufferIterator cursor = m_context.editor().main_selection().last();
             auto completions = complete_opt(cursor, m_context.options());
             if (completions.first.empty())
                 completions = complete_word(cursor);
diff --git a/src/main.cc b/src/main.cc
index 8ae6735f4..19168bf8d 100644
--- a/src/main.cc
+++ b/src/main.cc
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ void do_go(Context& context)
             }
             case 'f':
             {
-                String filename = context.editor().selections().back().content();
+                String filename = context.editor().main_selection().content();
                 static char forbidden[] = { '\'', '\\', '\0' };
                 for (auto c : forbidden)
                     if (contains(filename, c))
@@ -646,7 +646,7 @@ std::unordered_map<Key, std::function<void (Context& context)>> keymap =
     { { Key::Modifiers::Alt,  '/' }, do_search<SelectMode::Replace, false> },
     { { Key::Modifiers::Alt,  '?' }, do_search<SelectMode::Extend, false> },
     { { Key::Modifiers::None, 'n' }, do_search_next<SelectMode::Replace, true> },
-    { { Key::Modifiers::Alt,  'n' }, do_search_next<SelectMode::ReplaceLast, true> },
+    { { Key::Modifiers::Alt,  'n' }, do_search_next<SelectMode::ReplaceMain, true> },
     { { Key::Modifiers::None, 'N' }, do_search_next<SelectMode::Append, true> },
     { { Key::Modifiers::None, '*' }, use_selection_as_search_pattern },
 
@@ -711,10 +711,10 @@ void register_env_vars()
                                    { return ClientManager::instance().get_client_name(context); });
     shell_manager.register_env_var("cursor_line",
                                    [](const String& name, const Context& context)
-                                   { return int_to_str((int)context.editor().selections().back().last().line() + 1); });
+                                   { return int_to_str((int)context.editor().main_selection().last().line() + 1); });
     shell_manager.register_env_var("cursor_column",
                                    [](const String& name, const Context& context)
-                                   { return int_to_str((int)context.editor().selections().back().last().column() + 1); });
+                                   { return int_to_str((int)context.editor().main_selection().last().column() + 1); });
 }
 
 void register_registers()
diff --git a/src/unit_tests.cc b/src/unit_tests.cc
index 09ad7f4ea..913693f25 100644
--- a/src/unit_tests.cc
+++ b/src/unit_tests.cc
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ void test_editor()
     Selection sel{ buffer.iterator_at_line_begin(2_line), buffer.end() };
     editor.select(sel, SelectMode::Replace);
     editor.insert("",InsertMode::Replace);
-    assert(not editor.selections().back().first().is_end());
+    assert(not editor.main_selection().first().is_end());
 }
 
 void test_incremental_inserter()
diff --git a/src/window.cc b/src/window.cc
index 473fa5f56..f5fba1f9a 100644
--- a/src/window.cc
+++ b/src/window.cc
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ Window::~Window()
 
 void Window::center_selection()
 {
-    BufferIterator cursor = selections().back().last();
+    BufferIterator cursor = main_selection().last();
     m_position.line = std::max(0_line, cursor.line() - m_dimensions.line/2_line);
 }
 
@@ -87,8 +87,8 @@ void Window::set_dimensions(const DisplayCoord& dimensions)
 
 void Window::scroll_to_keep_cursor_visible_ifn()
 {
-    const BufferIterator first = selections().back().first();
-    const BufferIterator last  = selections().back().last();
+    const BufferIterator first = main_selection().first();
+    const BufferIterator last  = main_selection().last();
 
     // scroll lines if needed
     if (first.line() < m_position.line)