diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/documentview.py b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/documentview.py
index 1ac8f9cb85..89461c919f 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/documentview.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/documentview.py
@@ -661,9 +661,13 @@ class DocumentView(QWebView):  # {{{
     def selected_text(self):
         return self.document.selectedText().replace(u'\u00ad', u'').strip()
 
+    @property
+    def selected_html(self):
+        return self.document.selectedHtml().replace(u'\u00ad', u'').strip()
+
     def selection_changed(self):
         if self.manager is not None:
-            self.manager.selection_changed(self.selected_text)
+            self.manager.selection_changed(self.selected_text, self.selected_html)
 
     def _selectedText(self):
         t = unicode(self.selectedText()).strip()
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/main.py b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/main.py
index a903ae4ba9..219fcc29c4 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/main.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/main.py
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ from functools import partial
 from threading import Thread
 
 from PyQt5.Qt import (
-    QAction, QApplication, QByteArray, QIcon, QInputDialog, QModelIndex, QObject,
-    QPropertyAnimation, QSize, Qt, QTime, QTimer, pyqtSignal
+    QAction, QApplication, QByteArray, QIcon, QInputDialog, QMimeData, QModelIndex,
+    QObject, QPropertyAnimation, QSize, Qt, QTime, QTimer, pyqtSignal
 )
 
 from calibre import as_unicode, force_unicode, isbytestring, prints
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ class EbookViewer(MainWindow):
         self.pending_toc_click = None
         self.cursor_hidden     = False
         self.existing_bookmarks= []
-        self.selected_text     = None
+        self.selected_text     = self.selected_html = None
         self.was_maximized     = False
         self.read_settings()
         self.autosave_timer = t = QTimer(self)
@@ -570,13 +570,19 @@ class EbookViewer(MainWindow):
                 self.link_clicked(url)
         self.view.setFocus(Qt.OtherFocusReason)
 
-    def selection_changed(self, selected_text):
-        self.selected_text = selected_text.strip()
-        self.action_copy.setEnabled(bool(self.selected_text))
+    def selection_changed(self, selected_text, selected_html):
+        self.selected_text = selected_text
+        self.selected_html = selected_html
+        self.action_copy.setEnabled(bool(self.selected_text) or bool(self.selected_html))
 
     def copy(self, x=False):
-        if self.selected_text:
-            QApplication.clipboard().setText(self.selected_text)
+        if self.selected_text or self.selected_html:
+            md = QMimeData()
+            if self.selected_text:
+                md.setText(self.selected_text)
+            if self.selected_html:
+                md.setHtml(self.selected_html)
+            QApplication.clipboard().setMimeData(md)
 
     def back(self, x):
         pos = self.history.back(self.pos.value())