diff --git a/fixtures/typings-test/typings-test.ts b/fixtures/typings-test/typings-test.ts
index 7bbaf214..13da6961 100644
--- a/fixtures/typings-test/typings-test.ts
+++ b/fixtures/typings-test/typings-test.ts
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ namespace methods_core {
       const r24: string = t.getOption('fontWeight');
       const r25: string = t.getOption('fontWeightBold');
       const r26: boolean = t.getOption('allowTransparency');
+      const r27: boolean = t.getOption('rightClickSelectsWord');
     }
     {
       const t: Terminal = new Terminal();
@@ -187,6 +188,7 @@ namespace methods_core {
       t.setOption('fontFamily', 'foo');
       t.setOption('theme', {background: '#ff0000'});
       t.setOption('macOptionIsMeta', true);
+      t.setOption('rightClickSelectsWord', false);
     }
   }
   namespace scrolling {
diff --git a/src/SelectionManager.test.ts b/src/SelectionManager.test.ts
index 5c53565f..a76947e5 100644
--- a/src/SelectionManager.test.ts
+++ b/src/SelectionManager.test.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class TestSelectionManager extends SelectionManager {
   public get model(): SelectionModel { return this._model; }
 
   public selectLineAt(line: number): void { this._selectLineAt(line); }
-  public selectWordAt(coords: [number, number]): void { this._selectWordAt(coords); }
+  public selectWordAt(coords: [number, number]): void { this._selectWordAt(coords, true); }
 
   // Disable DOM interaction
   public enable(): void {}
diff --git a/src/SelectionManager.ts b/src/SelectionManager.ts
index 3c927839..11856a92 100644
--- a/src/SelectionManager.ts
+++ b/src/SelectionManager.ts
@@ -253,6 +253,37 @@ export class SelectionManager extends EventEmitter implements ISelectionManager
     this.emit('refresh', { start: this._model.finalSelectionStart, end: this._model.finalSelectionEnd });
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Checks if the current click was inside the current selection
+   * @param event The mouse event
+   */
+  public isClickInSelection(event: MouseEvent): boolean {
+    const coords = this._getMouseBufferCoords(event);
+    const start = this._model.finalSelectionStart;
+    const end = this._model.finalSelectionEnd;
+
+    if (!start || !end) {
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    return (coords[1] > start[1] && coords[1] < end[1]) ||
+        (start[1] === end[1] && coords[1] === start[1] && coords[0] > start[0] && coords[0] < end[0]) ||
+        (start[1] < end[1] && coords[1] === end[1] && coords[0] < end[0]);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Selects word at the current mouse event coordinates.
+   * @param event The mouse event.
+   */
+  public selectWordAtCursor(event: MouseEvent): void {
+    const coords = this._getMouseBufferCoords(event);
+    if (coords) {
+      this._selectWordAt(coords, false);
+      this._model.selectionEnd = null;
+      this.refresh(true);
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Selects all text within the terminal.
    */
@@ -445,7 +476,7 @@ export class SelectionManager extends EventEmitter implements ISelectionManager
     const coords = this._getMouseBufferCoords(event);
     if (coords) {
       this._activeSelectionMode = SelectionMode.WORD;
-      this._selectWordAt(coords);
+      this._selectWordAt(coords, true);
     }
   }
 
@@ -602,7 +633,7 @@ export class SelectionManager extends EventEmitter implements ISelectionManager
    * Gets positional information for the word at the coordinated specified.
    * @param coords The coordinates to get the word at.
    */
-  private _getWordAt(coords: [number, number]): IWordPosition {
+  private _getWordAt(coords: [number, number], allowWhitespaceOnlySelection: boolean): IWordPosition {
     const bufferLine = this._buffer.lines.get(coords[1]);
     if (!bufferLine) {
       return null;
@@ -708,15 +739,20 @@ export class SelectionManager extends EventEmitter implements ISelectionManager
         - leftLongCharOffset // The number of additional chars left of the initial char added by columns with strings longer than 1 (emojis)
         - rightLongCharOffset); // The number of additional chars right of the initial char (inclusive) added by columns with strings longer than 1 (emojis)
 
+    if (!allowWhitespaceOnlySelection && line.slice(startIndex, endIndex).trim() === '') {
+      return null;
+    }
+
     return { start, length };
   }
 
   /**
    * Selects the word at the coordinates specified.
    * @param coords The coordinates to get the word at.
+   * @param allowWhitespaceOnlySelection If whitespace should be selected
    */
-  protected _selectWordAt(coords: [number, number]): void {
-    const wordPosition = this._getWordAt(coords);
+  protected _selectWordAt(coords: [number, number], allowWhitespaceOnlySelection: boolean): void {
+    const wordPosition = this._getWordAt(coords, allowWhitespaceOnlySelection);
     if (wordPosition) {
       this._model.selectionStart = [wordPosition.start, coords[1]];
       this._model.selectionStartLength = wordPosition.length;
@@ -728,7 +764,7 @@ export class SelectionManager extends EventEmitter implements ISelectionManager
    * @param coords The coordinates to get the word at.
    */
   private _selectToWordAt(coords: [number, number]): void {
-    const wordPosition = this._getWordAt(coords);
+    const wordPosition = this._getWordAt(coords, true);
     if (wordPosition) {
       this._model.selectionEnd = [this._model.areSelectionValuesReversed() ? wordPosition.start : (wordPosition.start + wordPosition.length), coords[1]];
     }
diff --git a/src/Terminal.ts b/src/Terminal.ts
index 6e501d03..dff64045 100644
--- a/src/Terminal.ts
+++ b/src/Terminal.ts
@@ -87,7 +87,8 @@ const DEFAULT_OPTIONS: ITerminalOptions = {
   useFlowControl: false,
   allowTransparency: false,
   tabStopWidth: 8,
-  theme: null
+  theme: null,
+  rightClickSelectsWord: Browser.isMac
   // programFeatures: false,
   // focusKeys: false,
 };
@@ -506,12 +507,12 @@ export class Terminal extends EventEmitter implements ITerminal, IInputHandlingT
       // Firefox doesn't appear to fire the contextmenu event on right click
       on(this.element, 'mousedown', (event: MouseEvent) => {
         if (event.button === 2) {
-          rightClickHandler(event, this.textarea, this.selectionManager);
+          rightClickHandler(event, this.textarea, this.selectionManager, this.options.rightClickSelectsWord);
         }
       });
     } else {
       on(this.element, 'contextmenu', (event: MouseEvent) => {
-        rightClickHandler(event, this.textarea, this.selectionManager);
+        rightClickHandler(event, this.textarea, this.selectionManager, this.options.rightClickSelectsWord);
       });
     }
 
diff --git a/src/Types.ts b/src/Types.ts
index da3cc9d2..659a8084 100644
--- a/src/Types.ts
+++ b/src/Types.ts
@@ -285,6 +285,8 @@ export interface ISelectionManager {
   disable(): void;
   enable(): void;
   setSelection(row: number, col: number, length: number): void;
+  isClickInSelection(event: MouseEvent): boolean;
+  selectWordAtCursor(event: MouseEvent): void;
 }
 
 export interface ILinkifier extends IEventEmitter {
diff --git a/src/handlers/Clipboard.ts b/src/handlers/Clipboard.ts
index 035b5fff..7ac97714 100644
--- a/src/handlers/Clipboard.ts
+++ b/src/handlers/Clipboard.ts
@@ -116,10 +116,15 @@ export function moveTextAreaUnderMouseCursor(ev: MouseEvent, textarea: HTMLTextA
  * @param ev The original right click event to be handled.
  * @param textarea The terminal's textarea.
  * @param selectionManager The terminal's selection manager.
+ * @param shouldSelectWord If true and there is no selection the current word will be selected
  */
-export function rightClickHandler(ev: MouseEvent, textarea: HTMLTextAreaElement, selectionManager: ISelectionManager): void {
+export function rightClickHandler(ev: MouseEvent, textarea: HTMLTextAreaElement, selectionManager: ISelectionManager, shouldSelectWord: boolean): void {
   moveTextAreaUnderMouseCursor(ev, textarea);
 
+  if (shouldSelectWord && !selectionManager.isClickInSelection(ev)) {
+    selectionManager.selectWordAtCursor(ev);
+  }
+
   // Get textarea ready to copy from the context menu
   textarea.value = selectionManager.selectionText;
   textarea.select();
diff --git a/typings/xterm.d.ts b/typings/xterm.d.ts
index 0b35edf1..1d14243e 100644
--- a/typings/xterm.d.ts
+++ b/typings/xterm.d.ts
@@ -93,6 +93,12 @@ declare module 'xterm' {
      */
     macOptionIsMeta?: boolean;
 
+    /**
+     * Whether to select the word under the cursor on right click, this is
+     * standard behavior in a lot of macOS applications.
+     */
+    rightClickSelectsWord?: boolean;
+
     /**
      * The number of rows in the terminal.
      */
@@ -427,7 +433,7 @@ declare module 'xterm' {
      * Retrieves an option's value from the terminal.
      * @param key The option key.
      */
-    getOption(key: 'allowTransparency' | 'cancelEvents' | 'convertEol' | 'cursorBlink' | 'debug' | 'disableStdin' | 'enableBold' | 'macOptionIsMeta' | 'popOnBell' | 'screenKeys' | 'useFlowControl' | 'visualBell'): boolean;
+    getOption(key: 'allowTransparency' | 'cancelEvents' | 'convertEol' | 'cursorBlink' | 'debug' | 'disableStdin' | 'enableBold' | 'macOptionIsMeta' | 'rightClickSelectsWord' | 'popOnBell' | 'screenKeys' | 'useFlowControl' | 'visualBell'): boolean;
     /**
      * Retrieves an option's value from the terminal.
      * @param key The option key.
@@ -478,7 +484,7 @@ declare module 'xterm' {
      * @param key The option key.
      * @param value The option value.
      */
-    setOption(key: 'allowTransparency' | 'cancelEvents' | 'convertEol' | 'cursorBlink' | 'debug' | 'disableStdin' | 'enableBold' | 'macOptionIsMeta' | 'popOnBell' | 'screenKeys' | 'useFlowControl' | 'visualBell', value: boolean): void;
+    setOption(key: 'allowTransparency' | 'cancelEvents' | 'convertEol' | 'cursorBlink' | 'debug' | 'disableStdin' | 'enableBold' | 'macOptionIsMeta' | 'popOnBell' | 'rightClickSelectsWord' | 'screenKeys' | 'useFlowControl' | 'visualBell', value: boolean): void;
     /**
      * Sets an option on the terminal.
      * @param key The option key.