diff --git a/spec/atom/editor-spec.coffee b/spec/atom/editor-spec.coffee
index e54f270eb..190eb234d 100644
--- a/spec/atom/editor-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/atom/editor-spec.coffee
@@ -1893,4 +1893,4 @@ describe "Editor", ->
 
       eventHandler.reset()
       editor.buffer.setPath("new.txt")
-      expect(eventHandler).toHaveBeenCalled()
\ No newline at end of file
+      expect(eventHandler).toHaveBeenCalled()
diff --git a/src/atom/composite-cursor.coffee b/src/atom/composite-cursor.coffee
index ac852e926..ac3166557 100644
--- a/src/atom/composite-cursor.coffee
+++ b/src/atom/composite-cursor.coffee
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ class CompositeCursor
     cursor = new Cursor(@editor)
     @cursors.push(cursor)
     @editor.lines.append(cursor)
-    @editor.addSelectionForCursor(cursor)
     cursor
 
   addCursorAtScreenPosition: (screenPosition) ->
diff --git a/src/atom/composite-selection.coffee b/src/atom/composite-selection.coffee
index d85e03d48..05ba22dfe 100644
--- a/src/atom/composite-selection.coffee
+++ b/src/atom/composite-selection.coffee
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ class CompositeSeleciton
     selection = new Selection({@editor, cursor})
     @selections.push(selection)
     @editor.lines.append(selection)
+    selection
 
   addSelectionForBufferRange: (bufferRange, options) ->
     cursor = @editor.compositeCursor.addCursor()
@@ -66,26 +67,20 @@ class CompositeSeleciton
     fn(selection) for selection in @getSelections()
     @mergeIntersectingSelections(reverse: true)
 
-  modifySelectedText: (fn) ->
-    selection.retainSelection = true for selection in @getSelections()
-    for selection in @getSelections()
-      selection.retainSelection = false
-      fn(selection)
-
   insertText: (text) ->
-    @modifySelectedText (selection) -> selection.insertText(text)
+    selection.insertText(text) for selection in @getSelections()
 
   backspace: ->
-    @modifySelectedText (selection) -> selection.backspace()
+    selection.backspace() for selection in @getSelections()
 
   backspaceToBeginningOfWord: ->
-    @modifySelectedText (selection) -> selection.backspaceToBeginningOfWord()
+    selection.backspaceToBeginningOfWord() for selection in @getSelections()
 
   delete: ->
-    @modifySelectedText (selection) -> selection.delete()
+    selection.delete() for selection in @getSelections()
 
   deleteToEndOfWord: ->
-    @modifySelectedText (selection) -> selection.deleteToEndOfWord()
+    selection.deleteToEndOfWord() for selection in @getSelections()
 
   selectToScreenPosition: (position) ->
     @getLastSelection().selectToScreenPosition(position)
@@ -122,7 +117,7 @@ class CompositeSeleciton
 
   cut: ->
     maintainPasteboard = false
-    @modifySelectedText (selection) ->
+    for selection in @getSelections()
       selection.cut(maintainPasteboard)
       maintainPasteboard = true
 
@@ -140,4 +135,4 @@ class CompositeSeleciton
         if selection.intersectsWith(otherSelection)
           selection.merge(otherSelection, options)
           @mergeIntersectingSelections(options)
-          return
\ No newline at end of file
+          return
diff --git a/src/atom/cursor.coffee b/src/atom/cursor.coffee
index 1085c74be..93a305fd4 100644
--- a/src/atom/cursor.coffee
+++ b/src/atom/cursor.coffee
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ class Cursor extends View
 
   initialize: (@editor) ->
     @anchor = new Anchor(@editor)
+    @selection = @editor.compositeSelection.addSelectionForCursor(this)
     @one 'attach', => @updateAppearance()
 
   handleBufferChange: (e) ->
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ class Cursor extends View
   setBufferPosition: (bufferPosition) ->
     @anchor.setBufferPosition(bufferPosition)
     @refreshScreenPosition()
+    @clearSelection()
 
   getScreenPosition: ->
     @anchor.getScreenPosition()
@@ -38,6 +40,7 @@ class Cursor extends View
   setScreenPosition: (position, options={}) ->
     @anchor.setScreenPosition(position, options)
     @refreshScreenPosition(position, options)
+    @clearSelection()
 
   refreshScreenPosition: ->
     @goalColumn = null
@@ -48,6 +51,9 @@ class Cursor extends View
     window.clearTimeout(@idleTimeout) if @idleTimeout
     @idleTimeout = window.setTimeout (=> @addClass 'idle'), 200
 
+  clearSelection: ->
+    @selection.clearSelection() unless @selection.retainSelection
+
   getCurrentBufferLine: ->
     @editor.lineForBufferRow(@getBufferPosition().row)
 
diff --git a/src/atom/selection.coffee b/src/atom/selection.coffee
index 274468e7d..6d82852c1 100644
--- a/src/atom/selection.coffee
+++ b/src/atom/selection.coffee
@@ -16,11 +16,7 @@ class Selection extends View
 
   initialize: ({@editor, @cursor}) ->
     @regions = []
-    @cursor.on 'cursor:position-changed', =>
-      if @retainSelection
-        @updateAppearance()
-      else
-        @clearSelection()
+    @cursor.on 'cursor:position-changed', => @updateAppearance()
 
   handleBufferChange: (e) ->
     return unless @anchor
@@ -106,6 +102,7 @@ class Selection extends View
     { text, shouldOutdent } = @autoIndentText(text)
     @editor.buffer.change(@getBufferRange(), text)
     @autoOutdentText() if shouldOutdent
+    @clearSelection()
 
   autoIndentText: (text) ->
     if @editor.autoIndent