diff --git a/spec/app/buffer-spec.coffee b/spec/app/buffer-spec.coffee
index 8ae4a9241..76747cc15 100644
--- a/spec/app/buffer-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/app/buffer-spec.coffee
@@ -679,6 +679,13 @@ describe 'Buffer', ->
         expect(buffer.getMarkerPosition(marker2)).toEqual [4, 20]
         expect(buffer.getMarkerTailPosition(marker2)).toBeNull()
 
+      it "allows markers to be created in a reversed orientation", ->
+        marker = buffer.markRange([[4, 20], [4, 23]], reverse: true)
+        expect(buffer.isMarkerReversed(marker)).toBeTruthy()
+        expect(buffer.getMarkerRange(marker)).toEqual [[4, 20], [4, 23]]
+        expect(buffer.getMarkerHeadPosition(marker)).toEqual [4, 20]
+        expect(buffer.getMarkerTailPosition(marker)).toEqual [4, 23]
+
     describe "marker updates due to buffer changes", ->
       [marker1, marker2] = []
 
diff --git a/src/app/buffer-marker.coffee b/src/app/buffer-marker.coffee
index df739c5fe..c0e8f0cf2 100644
--- a/src/app/buffer-marker.coffee
+++ b/src/app/buffer-marker.coffee
@@ -8,13 +8,20 @@ class BufferMarker
   tailPosition: null
   stayValid: false
 
-  constructor: ({@id, @buffer, range, @stayValid, noTail}) ->
-    @setRange(range, {noTail})
+  constructor: ({@id, @buffer, range, @stayValid, noTail, reverse}) ->
+    @setRange(range, {noTail, reverse})
 
   setRange: (range, options={}) ->
     range = @buffer.clipRange(range)
-    @tailPosition = range.start unless options.noTail
-    @headPosition = range.end
+    if options.reverse
+      @tailPosition = range.end unless options.noTail
+      @headPosition = range.start
+    else
+      @tailPosition = range.start unless options.noTail
+      @headPosition = range.end
+
+  isReversed: ->
+    @tailPosition? and @headPosition.isLessThan(@tailPosition)
 
   getRange: ->
     if @tailPosition
diff --git a/src/app/buffer.coffee b/src/app/buffer.coffee
index 4a1cdb3dc..824105ace 100644
--- a/src/app/buffer.coffee
+++ b/src/app/buffer.coffee
@@ -295,6 +295,9 @@ class Buffer
   getMarkerRange: (id) ->
     @validMarkers[id]?.getRange()
 
+  isMarkerReversed: (id) ->
+    @validMarkers[id]?.isReversed()
+
   getAnchors: -> new Array(@anchors...)
 
   addAnchor: (options) ->