diff --git a/keymaps/darwin.cson b/keymaps/darwin.cson
index 819e0079e..953fb0c48 100644
--- a/keymaps/darwin.cson
+++ b/keymaps/darwin.cson
@@ -130,6 +130,8 @@
 
   # Atom Specific
   'ctrl-W': 'editor:select-word'
+  'cmd-ctrl-left': 'editor:move-selection-left'
+  'cmd-ctrl-right': 'editor:move-selection-right'
 
   # Sublime Parity
   'cmd-a': 'core:select-all'
diff --git a/keymaps/linux.cson b/keymaps/linux.cson
index e676ed5ab..7d67e2ce5 100644
--- a/keymaps/linux.cson
+++ b/keymaps/linux.cson
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
   'ctrl-shift-pageup': 'pane:move-item-left'
   'ctrl-shift-pagedown': 'pane:move-item-right'
   'f11': 'window:toggle-full-screen'
+  'alt-shift-left': 'editor:move-selection-left'
+  'alt-shift-right': 'editor:move-selection-right'
 
   # Sublime Parity
   'ctrl-,': 'application:show-settings'
diff --git a/keymaps/win32.cson b/keymaps/win32.cson
index 5869a3ed8..10450ec18 100644
--- a/keymaps/win32.cson
+++ b/keymaps/win32.cson
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
   'ctrl-shift-left': 'pane:move-item-left'
   'ctrl-shift-right': 'pane:move-item-right'
   'f11': 'window:toggle-full-screen'
+  'alt-shift-left': 'editor:move-selection-left'
+  'alt-shift-right': 'editor:move-selection-right'
 
   # Sublime Parity
   'ctrl-,': 'application:show-settings'
diff --git a/menus/darwin.cson b/menus/darwin.cson
index 7fa2aaf6d..53cc4cbc4 100644
--- a/menus/darwin.cson
+++ b/menus/darwin.cson
@@ -75,6 +75,13 @@
           { label: 'Join Lines', command: 'editor:join-lines' }
         ]
       }
+      {
+        label: 'Columns',
+        submenu: [
+          { label: 'Move Selection Left', command: 'editor:move-selection-left' }
+          { label: 'Move Selection Right', command: 'editor:move-selection-right' }
+        ]
+      }
       {
         label: 'Text',
         submenu: [
diff --git a/menus/linux.cson b/menus/linux.cson
index 7cfd72885..be11c1430 100644
--- a/menus/linux.cson
+++ b/menus/linux.cson
@@ -48,6 +48,13 @@
           { label: '&Join Lines', command: 'editor:join-lines' }
         ]
       }
+      {
+        label: 'Columns',
+        submenu: [
+          { label: 'Move Selection &Left', command: 'editor:move-selection-left' }
+          { label: 'Move Selection &Right', command: 'editor:move-selection-right' }
+        ]
+      }
       {
         label: 'Text',
         submenu: [
diff --git a/menus/win32.cson b/menus/win32.cson
index 349e3e064..738b52f00 100644
--- a/menus/win32.cson
+++ b/menus/win32.cson
@@ -56,6 +56,13 @@
           { label: '&Join Lines', command: 'editor:join-lines' }
         ]
       }
+      {
+        label: 'Columns',
+        submenu: [
+          { label: 'Move Selection &Left', command: 'editor:move-selection-left' }
+          { label: 'Move Selection &Right', command: 'editor:move-selection-right' }
+        ]
+      }
       {
         label: 'Text',
         submenu: [
diff --git a/spec/text-editor-spec.coffee b/spec/text-editor-spec.coffee
index 9d2a2a58c..4de7168b7 100644
--- a/spec/text-editor-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/text-editor-spec.coffee
@@ -4561,6 +4561,136 @@ describe "TextEditor", ->
         expect(cursor1.getBufferPosition()).toEqual [0, 0]
         expect(cursor3.getBufferPosition()).toEqual [1, 2]
 
+    describe ".moveSelectionLeft()", ->
+      it "moves one active selection on one line one column to the left", ->
+        editor.setSelectedBufferRange [[0, 4], [0, 13]]
+        expect(editor.getSelectedText()).toBe 'quicksort'
+
+        editor.moveSelectionLeft()
+
+        expect(editor.getSelectedText()).toBe 'quicksort'
+        expect(editor.getSelectedBufferRange()).toEqual [[0, 3], [0, 12]]
+
+      it "moves multiple active selections on one line one column to the left", ->
+        editor.setSelectedBufferRanges([[[0, 4], [0, 13]], [[0, 16], [0, 24]]])
+        selections = editor.getSelections()
+
+        expect(selections[0].getText()).toBe 'quicksort'
+        expect(selections[1].getText()).toBe 'function'
+
+        editor.moveSelectionLeft()
+
+        expect(selections[0].getText()).toBe 'quicksort'
+        expect(selections[1].getText()).toBe 'function'
+        expect(editor.getSelectedBufferRanges()).toEqual [[[0, 3], [0, 12]], [[0, 15], [0, 23]]]
+
+      it "moves multiple active selections on multiple lines one column to the left", ->
+        editor.setSelectedBufferRanges([[[0, 4], [0, 13]], [[1, 6], [1, 10]]])
+        selections = editor.getSelections()
+
+        expect(selections[0].getText()).toBe 'quicksort'
+        expect(selections[1].getText()).toBe 'sort'
+
+        editor.moveSelectionLeft()
+
+        expect(selections[0].getText()).toBe 'quicksort'
+        expect(selections[1].getText()).toBe 'sort'
+        expect(editor.getSelectedBufferRanges()).toEqual [[[0, 3], [0, 12]], [[1, 5], [1, 9]]]
+
+      describe "when a selection is at the first column of a line", ->
+        it "does not change the selection", ->
+          editor.setSelectedBufferRanges([[[0, 0], [0, 3]], [[1, 0], [1, 3]]])
+          selections = editor.getSelections()
+
+          expect(selections[0].getText()).toBe 'var'
+          expect(selections[1].getText()).toBe '  v'
+
+          editor.moveSelectionLeft()
+          editor.moveSelectionLeft()
+
+          expect(selections[0].getText()).toBe 'var'
+          expect(selections[1].getText()).toBe '  v'
+          expect(editor.getSelectedBufferRanges()).toEqual [[[0, 0], [0, 3]], [[1, 0], [1, 3]]]
+
+        describe "when multiple selections are active on one line", ->
+          it "does not change the selection", ->
+            editor.setSelectedBufferRanges([[[0, 0], [0, 3]], [[0, 4], [0, 13]]])
+            selections = editor.getSelections()
+
+            expect(selections[0].getText()).toBe 'var'
+            expect(selections[1].getText()).toBe 'quicksort'
+
+            editor.moveSelectionLeft()
+
+            expect(selections[0].getText()).toBe 'var'
+            expect(selections[1].getText()).toBe 'quicksort'
+            expect(editor.getSelectedBufferRanges()).toEqual [[[0, 0], [0, 3]], [[0, 4], [0, 13]]]
+
+    describe ".moveSelectionRight()", ->
+      it "moves one active selection on one line one column to the right", ->
+        editor.setSelectedBufferRange [[0, 4], [0, 13]]
+        expect(editor.getSelectedText()).toBe 'quicksort'
+
+        editor.moveSelectionRight()
+
+        expect(editor.getSelectedText()).toBe 'quicksort'
+        expect(editor.getSelectedBufferRange()).toEqual [[0, 5], [0, 14]]
+
+      it "moves multiple active selections on one line one column to the right", ->
+        editor.setSelectedBufferRanges([[[0, 4], [0, 13]], [[0, 16], [0, 24]]])
+        selections = editor.getSelections()
+
+        expect(selections[0].getText()).toBe 'quicksort'
+        expect(selections[1].getText()).toBe 'function'
+
+        editor.moveSelectionRight()
+
+        expect(selections[0].getText()).toBe 'quicksort'
+        expect(selections[1].getText()).toBe 'function'
+        expect(editor.getSelectedBufferRanges()).toEqual [[[0, 5], [0, 14]], [[0, 17], [0, 25]]]
+
+      it "moves multiple active selections on multiple lines one column to the right", ->
+        editor.setSelectedBufferRanges([[[0, 4], [0, 13]], [[1, 6], [1, 10]]])
+        selections = editor.getSelections()
+
+        expect(selections[0].getText()).toBe 'quicksort'
+        expect(selections[1].getText()).toBe 'sort'
+
+        editor.moveSelectionRight()
+
+        expect(selections[0].getText()).toBe 'quicksort'
+        expect(selections[1].getText()).toBe 'sort'
+        expect(editor.getSelectedBufferRanges()).toEqual [[[0, 5], [0, 14]], [[1, 7], [1, 11]]]
+
+      describe "when a selection is at the last column of a line", ->
+        it "does not change the selection", ->
+          editor.setSelectedBufferRanges([[[2, 34], [2, 40]], [[5, 22], [5, 30]]])
+          selections = editor.getSelections()
+
+          expect(selections[0].getText()).toBe 'items;'
+          expect(selections[1].getText()).toBe 'shift();'
+
+          editor.moveSelectionRight()
+          editor.moveSelectionRight()
+
+          expect(selections[0].getText()).toBe 'items;'
+          expect(selections[1].getText()).toBe 'shift();'
+          expect(editor.getSelectedBufferRanges()).toEqual [[[2, 34], [2, 40]], [[5, 22], [5, 30]]]
+
+        describe "when multiple selections are active on one line", ->
+          it "does not change the selection", ->
+            editor.setSelectedBufferRanges([[[2, 27], [2, 33]], [[2, 34], [2, 40]]])
+            selections = editor.getSelections()
+
+            expect(selections[0].getText()).toBe 'return'
+            expect(selections[1].getText()).toBe 'items;'
+
+            editor.moveSelectionRight()
+
+            expect(selections[0].getText()).toBe 'return'
+            expect(selections[1].getText()).toBe 'items;'
+            expect(editor.getSelectedBufferRanges()).toEqual [[[2, 27], [2, 33]], [[2, 34], [2, 40]]]
+
   describe 'reading text', ->
     it '.lineTextForScreenRow(row)', ->
       editor.foldBufferRow(4)
diff --git a/src/register-default-commands.coffee b/src/register-default-commands.coffee
index dacb1d228..bb3630117 100644
--- a/src/register-default-commands.coffee
+++ b/src/register-default-commands.coffee
@@ -207,6 +207,8 @@ module.exports = ({commandRegistry, commandInstaller, config}) ->
     'editor:checkout-head-revision': -> @checkoutHeadRevision()
     'editor:move-line-up': -> @moveLineUp()
     'editor:move-line-down': -> @moveLineDown()
+    'editor:move-selection-left': -> @moveSelectionLeft()
+    'editor:move-selection-right': -> @moveSelectionRight()
     'editor:duplicate-lines': -> @duplicateLines()
     'editor:join-lines': -> @joinLines()
   )
diff --git a/src/text-editor.coffee b/src/text-editor.coffee
index 7d8d955e9..58ecf4712 100644
--- a/src/text-editor.coffee
+++ b/src/text-editor.coffee
@@ -1074,6 +1074,50 @@ class TextEditor extends Model
       @autoIndentSelectedRows() if @shouldAutoIndent()
       @scrollToBufferPosition([newSelectionRanges[0].start.row - 1, 0])
 
+  # Move any active selections one column to the left.
+  moveSelectionLeft: ->
+    selections = @getSelectedBufferRanges()
+    noSelectionAtStartOfLine = selections.every((selection) ->
+      selection.start.column isnt 0
+    )
+
+    translationDelta = [0, -1]
+    translatedRanges = []
+
+    if noSelectionAtStartOfLine
+      @transact =>
+        for selection in selections
+          charToLeftOfSelection = new Range(selection.start.translate(translationDelta), selection.start)
+          charTextToLeftOfSelection = @buffer.getTextInRange(charToLeftOfSelection)
+
+          @buffer.insert(selection.end, charTextToLeftOfSelection)
+          @buffer.delete(charToLeftOfSelection)
+          translatedRanges.push(selection.translate(translationDelta))
+
+        @setSelectedBufferRanges(translatedRanges)
+
+  # Move any active selections one column to the right.
+  moveSelectionRight: ->
+    selections = @getSelectedBufferRanges()
+    noSelectionAtEndOfLine = selections.every((selection) =>
+      selection.end.column isnt @buffer.lineLengthForRow(selection.end.row)
+    )
+
+    translationDelta = [0, 1]
+    translatedRanges = []
+
+    if noSelectionAtEndOfLine
+      @transact =>
+        for selection in selections
+          charToRightOfSelection = new Range(selection.end, selection.end.translate(translationDelta))
+          charTextToRightOfSelection = @buffer.getTextInRange(charToRightOfSelection)
+
+          @buffer.delete(charToRightOfSelection)
+          @buffer.insert(selection.start, charTextToRightOfSelection)
+          translatedRanges.push(selection.translate(translationDelta))
+
+        @setSelectedBufferRanges(translatedRanges)
+
   # Duplicate the most recent cursor's current line.
   duplicateLines: ->
     @transact =>