diff -Nurw leafpad-0.8.18.1.orig/src/main.c leafpad-0.8.18.1/src/main.c
--- leafpad-0.8.18.1.orig/src/main.c	2009-10-24 10:38:34.000000000 +0800
+++ leafpad-0.8.18.1/src/main.c	2013-12-25 16:23:30.066306128 +0800
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@
 #	include <getopt.h>
 #endif
 
+GtkClipboard *selection_primary = NULL;
+
 typedef struct {
 	gint width;
 	gint height;
@@ -297,6 +299,8 @@
 	gtk_init(&argc, &argv);
 	g_set_application_name(PACKAGE_NAME);
 	
+	selection_primary = gtk_clipboard_get(GDK_SELECTION_PRIMARY);
+
 #if !GTK_CHECK_VERSION(2, 6, 0)
 	add_about_stock();
 #endif
diff -Nurw leafpad-0.8.18.1.orig/src/view.c leafpad-0.8.18.1/src/view.c
--- leafpad-0.8.18.1.orig/src/view.c	2008-12-18 06:24:59.000000000 +0800
+++ leafpad-0.8.18.1/src/view.c	2013-12-25 16:33:24.882300900 +0800
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@
 static gint keyval;
 static gboolean view_scroll_flag = FALSE;
 
+extern GtkClipboard *selection_primary;
+gchar *selection_primary_str = NULL;
+
 gint get_current_keyval(void)
 {
 	return keyval;
@@ -212,6 +215,16 @@
 			gtk_text_buffer_place_cursor(buffer, &iter);
 	}
 	
+	// backup and restore the clipboard
+	gchar *current_clipboard_str = gtk_clipboard_wait_for_text(selection_primary);
+	if ((current_clipboard_str == NULL) || (current_clipboard_str[0]=='\0')) {
+		gtk_clipboard_set_text(selection_primary, selection_primary_str, -1);
+	}
+	else {
+		g_free(selection_primary_str);
+		selection_primary_str = g_strdup(current_clipboard_str);
+	}
+	
 	return FALSE;
 }