diff --git a/spec/editor-component-spec.coffee b/spec/editor-component-spec.coffee
index e3bdbac5e..d8ff96259 100644
--- a/spec/editor-component-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/editor-component-spec.coffee
@@ -743,6 +743,19 @@ describe "EditorComponent", ->
       expect(selectionNode.offsetTop).toBe editor.getLineHeightInPixels()
       expect(selectionNode.offsetLeft).toBe editor.pixelPositionForScreenPosition([1, 6]).left
 
+    it "will flash the selection when flash:true is passed to editor::setSelectedBufferRange", ->
+      editor.setSelectedBufferRange([[1, 6], [1, 10]], flash: true)
+      runSetImmediateCallbacks()
+      selectionNode = node.querySelector('.selection')
+      expect(selectionNode.classList.contains('highlighted')).toBe true
+
+      advanceClock 500
+      expect(selectionNode.classList.contains('highlighted')).toBe false
+
+      editor.setSelectedBufferRange([[1, 5], [1, 7]], flash: true)
+      runSetImmediateCallbacks()
+      expect(selectionNode.classList.contains('highlighted')).toBe true
+
   describe "line decoration rendering", ->
     [marker, decoration] = []
 
diff --git a/src/decoration.coffee b/src/decoration.coffee
index 3949f857d..13b73c843 100644
--- a/src/decoration.coffee
+++ b/src/decoration.coffee
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ class Decoration
   constructor: (@marker, @params) ->
     @id = nextId()
     @params.id = @id
+    @flashQueue = null
 
   getParams: ->
     @params
@@ -32,4 +33,11 @@ class Decoration
     true
 
   flash: (klass, duration=500) ->
-    @emit('flash', klass, duration)
+    flashObject = {class: klass, duration}
+    @flashQueue ?= []
+    @flashQueue.push(flashObject)
+    @emit('flash')
+
+  consumeNextFlash: ->
+    return @flashQueue.shift() if @flashQueue?.length > 0
+    null
diff --git a/src/highlight-component.coffee b/src/highlight-component.coffee
index 20eb3676f..6bf7b5ffb 100644
--- a/src/highlight-component.coffee
+++ b/src/highlight-component.coffee
@@ -23,22 +23,22 @@ HighlightComponent = React.createClass
     if decoration.id?
       @decoration = editor.decorationForId(decoration.id)
       @decoration.on 'flash', @startFlashAnimation
-
-  componentDidUpdate: ->
-    @startFlashAnimation() if @props.decoration.flash?
+      @startFlashAnimation()
 
   componentWillUnmount: ->
     @decoration?.off 'flash', @startFlashAnimation
 
-  startFlashAnimation: (klass, duration) ->
+  startFlashAnimation: ->
+    return unless flash = @decoration.consumeNextFlash()
+
     node = @getDOMNode()
-    node.classList.remove(klass)
+    node.classList.remove(flash.class)
 
     requestAnimationFrame =>
-      node.classList.add(klass)
+      node.classList.add(flash.class)
       clearTimeout(@flashTimeoutId)
-      removeFlashClass = -> node.classList.remove(klass)
-      @flashTimeoutId = setTimeout(removeFlashClass, duration)
+      removeFlashClass = -> node.classList.remove(flash.class)
+      @flashTimeoutId = setTimeout(removeFlashClass, flash.duration)
 
   renderSingleLineRegions: ->
     {startPixelPosition, endPixelPosition, lineHeightInPixels} = @props
diff --git a/src/selection.coffee b/src/selection.coffee
index c91a0c81d..5ffa91154 100644
--- a/src/selection.coffee
+++ b/src/selection.coffee
@@ -78,9 +78,12 @@ class Selection extends Model
     options.reversed ?= @isReversed()
     @editor.destroyFoldsIntersectingBufferRange(bufferRange) unless options.preserveFolds
     @modifySelection =>
+      needsFlash = options.flash
+      delete options.flash if options.flash?
       @cursor.needsAutoscroll = false if @needsAutoscroll?
       @marker.setBufferRange(bufferRange, options)
       @autoscroll() if @needsAutoscroll and @editor.manageScrollPosition
+      @decoration.flash('highlighted', 500) if needsFlash
 
   # Public: Returns the starting and ending buffer rows the selection is
   # highlighting.