diff --git a/src/frontend/gui/termwindow.rs b/src/frontend/gui/termwindow.rs
index c861a8abd..255b8334f 100644
--- a/src/frontend/gui/termwindow.rs
+++ b/src/frontend/gui/termwindow.rs
@@ -646,7 +646,7 @@ impl TermWindow {
                 // self.toggle_full_screen(),
             }
             Copy => {
-                // Nominally copy, but that is implicit, so NOP
+                self.clipboard.set_contents(tab.selection_text())?;
             }
             Paste => {
                 tab.trickle_paste(self.clipboard.get_contents()?)?;
diff --git a/src/localtab.rs b/src/localtab.rs
index 2a70bb50c..e747e548a 100644
--- a/src/localtab.rs
+++ b/src/localtab.rs
@@ -93,6 +93,11 @@ impl Tab for LocalTab {
             .selection_range()
             .map(|r| r.clip_to_viewport(terminal.get_viewport_offset(), rows))
     }
+
+    fn selection_text(&self) -> Option<String> {
+        let terminal = self.terminal.borrow();
+        Some(terminal.get_selection_text())
+    }
 }
 
 impl LocalTab {
diff --git a/src/mux/tab.rs b/src/mux/tab.rs
index 1f2bdd404..904b347ac 100644
--- a/src/mux/tab.rs
+++ b/src/mux/tab.rs
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ pub trait Tab: Downcast {
     /// (eg: it has been normalized and had clip_to_viewport called
     /// on it prior to being returned)
     fn selection_range(&self) -> Option<SelectionRange>;
+    fn selection_text(&self) -> Option<String>;
 
     fn trickle_paste(&self, text: String) -> Fallible<()> {
         if text.len() <= PASTE_CHUNK_SIZE {
diff --git a/src/server/tab.rs b/src/server/tab.rs
index 8462b8dac..ab713ce2a 100644
--- a/src/server/tab.rs
+++ b/src/server/tab.rs
@@ -312,6 +312,11 @@ impl Tab for ClientTab {
             .lock()
             .unwrap()
     }
+
+    fn selection_text(&self) -> Option<String> {
+        // FIXME: get selection from peer or the surface
+        None
+    }
 }
 
 struct RenderableInner {
diff --git a/src/termwiztermtab.rs b/src/termwiztermtab.rs
index ed2728a62..778f8154d 100644
--- a/src/termwiztermtab.rs
+++ b/src/termwiztermtab.rs
@@ -294,6 +294,11 @@ impl Tab for TermWizTerminalTab {
             .lock()
             .unwrap()
     }
+
+    fn selection_text(&self) -> Option<String> {
+        // FIXME: grab it from the surface
+        None
+    }
 }
 
 pub struct TermWizTerminal {