diff --git a/crates/editor/src/editor.rs b/crates/editor/src/editor.rs
index 2c41a3f5fe0cc078382eb5b6a2d52d34217f4df4..14256b326653f9f26587ae417390debe96712c57 100644
--- a/crates/editor/src/editor.rs
+++ b/crates/editor/src/editor.rs
@@ -206,6 +206,14 @@ pub(crate) const SCROLL_CENTER_TOP_BOTTOM_DEBOUNCE_TIMEOUT: Duration = Duration:
 pub(crate) const EDIT_PREDICTION_KEY_CONTEXT: &str = "edit_prediction";
 pub(crate) const EDIT_PREDICTION_CONFLICT_KEY_CONTEXT: &str = "edit_prediction_conflict";
 
+const COLUMNAR_SELECTION_MODIFIERS: Modifiers = Modifiers {
+    alt: true,
+    shift: true,
+    control: false,
+    platform: false,
+    function: false,
+};
+
 pub fn render_parsed_markdown(
     element_id: impl Into<ElementId>,
     parsed: &language::ParsedMarkdown,
@@ -5341,6 +5349,8 @@ impl Editor {
             self.update_edit_prediction_preview(&modifiers, window, cx);
         }
 
+        self.update_selection_mode(&modifiers, position_map, window, cx);
+
         let mouse_position = window.mouse_position();
         if !position_map.text_hitbox.is_hovered(window) {
             return;
@@ -5355,6 +5365,32 @@ impl Editor {
         )
     }
 
+    fn update_selection_mode(
+        &mut self,
+        modifiers: &Modifiers,
+        position_map: &PositionMap,
+        window: &mut Window,
+        cx: &mut Context<Self>,
+    ) {
+        if modifiers != &COLUMNAR_SELECTION_MODIFIERS || self.selections.pending.is_none() {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        let mouse_position = window.mouse_position();
+        let point_for_position = position_map.point_for_position(mouse_position);
+        let position = point_for_position.previous_valid;
+
+        self.select(
+            SelectPhase::BeginColumnar {
+                position,
+                reset: false,
+                goal_column: point_for_position.exact_unclipped.column(),
+            },
+            window,
+            cx,
+        );
+    }
+
     fn update_edit_prediction_preview(
         &mut self,
         modifiers: &Modifiers,
diff --git a/crates/editor/src/element.rs b/crates/editor/src/element.rs
index cd9d28b1a7b67e4ef40894271da546959ae495e2..b1d828564be11dce9005b9ee01ef39b4949dac8c 100644
--- a/crates/editor/src/element.rs
+++ b/crates/editor/src/element.rs
@@ -21,8 +21,9 @@ use crate::{
     GutterDimensions, HalfPageDown, HalfPageUp, HandleInput, HoveredCursor, InlineCompletion,
     JumpData, LineDown, LineUp, OpenExcerpts, PageDown, PageUp, Point, RevertSelectedHunks, RowExt,
     RowRangeExt, SelectPhase, SelectedTextHighlight, Selection, SoftWrap, StickyHeaderExcerpt,
-    ToPoint, ToggleFold, ToggleStagedSelectedDiffHunks, CURSORS_VISIBLE_FOR, FILE_HEADER_HEIGHT,
-    GIT_BLAME_MAX_AUTHOR_CHARS_DISPLAYED, MAX_LINE_LEN, MULTI_BUFFER_EXCERPT_HEADER_HEIGHT,
+    ToPoint, ToggleFold, ToggleStagedSelectedDiffHunks, COLUMNAR_SELECTION_MODIFIERS,
+    CURSORS_VISIBLE_FOR, FILE_HEADER_HEIGHT, GIT_BLAME_MAX_AUTHOR_CHARS_DISPLAYED, MAX_LINE_LEN,
+    MULTI_BUFFER_EXCERPT_HEADER_HEIGHT,
 };
 use buffer_diff::{DiffHunkSecondaryStatus, DiffHunkStatus};
 use client::ParticipantIndex;
@@ -515,6 +516,7 @@ impl EditorElement {
                     if editor.hover_state.focused(window, cx) {
                         return;
                     }
+
                     editor.handle_modifiers_changed(event.modifiers, &position_map, window, cx);
                 })
             }
@@ -594,7 +596,7 @@ impl EditorElement {
 
         let point_for_position = position_map.point_for_position(event.position);
         let position = point_for_position.previous_valid;
-        if modifiers.shift && modifiers.alt {
+        if modifiers == COLUMNAR_SELECTION_MODIFIERS {
             editor.select(
                 SelectPhase::BeginColumnar {
                     position,
diff --git a/crates/gpui/src/platform/keystroke.rs b/crates/gpui/src/platform/keystroke.rs
index f96d3d1721fa8654c48ca388c284414f767b3b4a..f2edf35a5ae6412ba1d83226a40d84d1fd774681 100644
--- a/crates/gpui/src/platform/keystroke.rs
+++ b/crates/gpui/src/platform/keystroke.rs
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ impl Modifiers {
         }
     }
 
-    /// Returns [`Modifiers`] with just control.
+    /// Returns [`Modifiers`] with just alt.
     pub fn alt() -> Modifiers {
         Modifiers {
             alt: true,