diff --git a/src/Interfaces.ts b/src/Interfaces.ts
index e98385c1..ea1d00a0 100644
--- a/src/Interfaces.ts
+++ b/src/Interfaces.ts
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ export interface ITerminalOptions {
   termName?: string;
   theme?: ITheme;
   useFlowControl?: boolean;
+  rightClickSelectsWord?: boolean;
 }
 
 export interface IBuffer {
@@ -194,11 +195,13 @@ export interface ISelectionManager {
   selectionText: string;
   selectionStart: [number, number];
   selectionEnd: [number, number];
+  hasSelection: boolean;
 
   disable(): void;
   enable(): void;
   setBuffer(buffer: IBuffer): void;
   setSelection(row: number, col: number, length: number): void;
+  selectWordAtCursor(event: MouseEvent): void;
 }
 
 export interface ICompositionHelper {
diff --git a/src/SelectionManager.ts b/src/SelectionManager.ts
index bf5144cb..87b71a12 100644
--- a/src/SelectionManager.ts
+++ b/src/SelectionManager.ts
@@ -249,6 +249,18 @@ export class SelectionManager extends EventEmitter implements ISelectionManager
     this.emit('refresh', { start: this._model.finalSelectionStart, end: this._model.finalSelectionEnd });
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Selects word at the current mouse event coordenates.
+   * @param event The mouse event.
+   */
+  public selectWordAtCursor(event: MouseEvent): void {
+    const coords = this._getMouseBufferCoords(event);
+    if (coords) {
+      this._selectWordAt(coords, false);
+      this.refresh(true);
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Selects all text within the terminal.
    */
@@ -439,7 +451,7 @@ 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);
     }
   }
 
@@ -578,7 +590,7 @@ 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], selectWhiteSpace: boolean): IWordPosition {
     const bufferLine = this._buffer.lines.get(coords[1]);
     if (!bufferLine) {
       return null;
@@ -684,15 +696,19 @@ 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 (!selectWhiteSpace && 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 selectWhiteSpace If whitespace should be selected
    */
-  protected _selectWordAt(coords: [number, number]): void {
-    const wordPosition = this._getWordAt(coords);
+  protected _selectWordAt(coords: [number, number], selectWhiteSpace: boolean): void {
+    const wordPosition = this._getWordAt(coords, selectWhiteSpace);
     if (wordPosition) {
       this._model.selectionStart = [wordPosition.start, coords[1]];
       this._model.selectionStartLength = wordPosition.length;
@@ -704,7 +720,7 @@ 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 5ac8a1a0..7dbdeb76 100644
--- a/src/Terminal.ts
+++ b/src/Terminal.ts
@@ -89,7 +89,8 @@ const DEFAULT_OPTIONS: ITerminalOptions = {
   disableStdin: false,
   useFlowControl: false,
   tabStopWidth: 8,
-  theme: null
+  theme: null,
+  rightClickSelectsWord: Browser.isMac
   // programFeatures: false,
   // focusKeys: false,
 };
@@ -492,12 +493,12 @@ 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/handlers/Clipboard.ts b/src/handlers/Clipboard.ts
index a9735352..86a604f2 100644
--- a/src/handlers/Clipboard.ts
+++ b/src/handlers/Clipboard.ts
@@ -103,10 +103,14 @@ 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.hasSelection)
+    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 9ab61ce6..a5137797 100644
--- a/typings/xterm.d.ts
+++ b/typings/xterm.d.ts
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@ declare module 'xterm' {
      * Retrieves an option's value from the terminal.
      * @param key The option key.
      */
-    getOption(key: 'cancelEvents' | 'convertEol' | 'cursorBlink' | 'debug' | 'disableStdin' | 'enableBold' | 'popOnBell' | 'screenKeys' | 'useFlowControl' | 'visualBell'): boolean;
+    getOption(key: 'cancelEvents' | 'convertEol' | 'cursorBlink' | 'debug' | 'disableStdin' | 'enableBold' | 'popOnBell' | 'screenKeys' | 'useFlowControl' | 'visualBell' | 'rightClickSelectsWord'): boolean;
     /**
      * Retrieves an option's value from the terminal.
      * @param key The option key.
@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ declare module 'xterm' {
      * @param key The option key.
      * @param value The option value.
      */
-    setOption(key: 'cancelEvents' | 'convertEol' | 'cursorBlink' | 'debug' | 'disableStdin' | 'enableBold' | 'popOnBell' | 'screenKeys' | 'useFlowControl' | 'visualBell', value: boolean): void;
+    setOption(key: 'cancelEvents' | 'convertEol' | 'cursorBlink' | 'debug' | 'disableStdin' | 'enableBold' | 'popOnBell' | 'screenKeys' | 'useFlowControl' | 'visualBell' | 'rightClickSelectsWord', value: boolean): void;
     /**
      * Sets an option on the terminal.
      * @param key The option key.