diff --git a/gramps/gui/clipboard.py b/gramps/gui/clipboard.py
index 9b16bcb90..c0f83d4ab 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/clipboard.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/clipboard.py
@@ -1477,6 +1477,7 @@ class MultiTreeView(Gtk.TreeView):
         Gtk.TreeView.__init__(self)
         self.connect('button_press_event', self.on_button_press)
         self.connect('button_release_event', self.on_button_release)
+        self.connect('grab_broken_event', self.on_grab_broken)
         self.connect('key_press_event', self.key_press_event)
         self.defer_select = False
 
@@ -1578,6 +1579,11 @@ class MultiTreeView(Gtk.TreeView):
 
         self.defer_select=False
 
+    def on_grab_broken(self, widget, event):
+        # re-enable selection
+        self.get_selection().set_select_function(lambda *ignore: True, None)
+        self.defer_select=False
+
     def edit_obj(self, objclass, handle):
         from .editors import (EditPerson, EditEvent, EditFamily, EditSource,
                               EditPlace, EditRepository, EditNote, EditMedia,
diff --git a/gramps/gui/widgets/multitreeview.py b/gramps/gui/widgets/multitreeview.py
index d3cc8edca..a8843da06 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/widgets/multitreeview.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/widgets/multitreeview.py
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ class MultiTreeView(Gtk.TreeView):
         Gtk.TreeView.__init__(self)
         self.connect('button_press_event', self.on_button_press)
         self.connect('button_release_event', self.on_button_release)
+        self.connect('grab_broken_event', self.on_grab_broken)
         self.connect('key_press_event', self.key_press_event)
         self.defer_select = False
 
@@ -82,3 +83,7 @@ class MultiTreeView(Gtk.TreeView):
 
         self.defer_select=False
 
+    def on_grab_broken(self, widget, event):
+        # re-enable selection
+        self.get_selection().set_select_function(lambda *ignore: True, None)
+        self.defer_select=False