diff --git a/atom/common/api/atom_api_clipboard.cc b/atom/common/api/atom_api_clipboard.cc
index 0789f51c0600..f4e25284b71b 100644
--- a/atom/common/api/atom_api_clipboard.cc
+++ b/atom/common/api/atom_api_clipboard.cc
@@ -11,15 +11,37 @@
 
 #include "atom/common/node_includes.h"
 
+namespace mate {
+
+template<>
+struct Converter<ui::Clipboard::Buffer> {
+  static bool FromV8(v8::Isolate* isolate,
+                     v8::Handle<v8::Value> val,
+                     ui::Clipboard::Buffer* out) {
+    std::string type;
+    if (!Converter<std::string>::FromV8(isolate, val, &type))
+      return false;
+
+    if (type == "selection")
+      *out = ui::Clipboard::BUFFER_STANDARD;
+    else
+      *out = ui::Clipboard::BUFFER_SELECTION;
+    return true;
+  }
+};
+
+}  // namespace mate
+
 namespace {
 
-bool Has(const std::string& format_string) {
+bool Has(const std::string& format_string, ui::Clipboard::Buffer buffer) {
   ui::Clipboard* clipboard = ui::Clipboard::GetForCurrentThread();
   ui::Clipboard::FormatType format(ui::Clipboard::GetFormatType(format_string));
-  return clipboard->IsFormatAvailable(format, ui::Clipboard::BUFFER_STANDARD);
+  return clipboard->IsFormatAvailable(format, buffer);
 }
 
-std::string Read(const std::string& format_string) {
+std::string Read(const std::string& format_string,
+                 ui::Clipboard::Buffer buffer) {
   ui::Clipboard* clipboard = ui::Clipboard::GetForCurrentThread();
   ui::Clipboard::FormatType format(ui::Clipboard::GetFormatType(format_string));
 
@@ -28,34 +50,32 @@ std::string Read(const std::string& format_string) {
   return data;
 }
 
-string16 ReadText() {
-  ui::Clipboard* clipboard = ui::Clipboard::GetForCurrentThread();
-
+string16 ReadText(ui::Clipboard::Buffer buffer) {
   string16 data;
-  clipboard->ReadText(ui::Clipboard::BUFFER_STANDARD, &data);
+  ui::Clipboard::GetForCurrentThread()->ReadText(buffer, &data);
   return data;
 }
 
-void WriteText(const std::string text) {
+void WriteText(const std::string text, ui::Clipboard::Buffer buffer) {
   ui::Clipboard::ObjectMap object_map;
   object_map[ui::Clipboard::CBF_TEXT].push_back(
       std::vector<char>(text.begin(), text.end()));
 
   ui::Clipboard* clipboard = ui::Clipboard::GetForCurrentThread();
-  clipboard->WriteObjects(ui::Clipboard::BUFFER_STANDARD, object_map);
+  clipboard->WriteObjects(buffer, object_map);
 }
 
-void Clear() {
-  ui::Clipboard::GetForCurrentThread()->Clear(ui::Clipboard::BUFFER_STANDARD);
+void Clear(ui::Clipboard::Buffer buffer) {
+  ui::Clipboard::GetForCurrentThread()->Clear(buffer);
 }
 
 void Initialize(v8::Handle<v8::Object> exports) {
   mate::Dictionary dict(v8::Isolate::GetCurrent(), exports);
-  dict.SetMethod("has", &Has);
-  dict.SetMethod("read", &Read);
-  dict.SetMethod("readText", &ReadText);
-  dict.SetMethod("writeText", &WriteText);
-  dict.SetMethod("clear", &Clear);
+  dict.SetMethod("_has", &Has);
+  dict.SetMethod("_read", &Read);
+  dict.SetMethod("_readText", &ReadText);
+  dict.SetMethod("_writeText", &WriteText);
+  dict.SetMethod("_clear", &Clear);
 }
 
 }  // namespace
diff --git a/atom/common/api/lib/clipboard.coffee b/atom/common/api/lib/clipboard.coffee
index 6fc075f83750..425c8cc26acc 100644
--- a/atom/common/api/lib/clipboard.coffee
+++ b/atom/common/api/lib/clipboard.coffee
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
-module.exports =
-  if process.platform is 'linux' and process.type is 'renderer'
-    # On Linux we could not access clipboard in renderer process.
-    require('remote').process.atomBinding 'clipboard'
-  else
-    process.atomBinding 'clipboard'
+if process.platform is 'linux' and process.type is 'renderer'
+  # On Linux we could not access clipboard in renderer process.
+  module.exports = require('remote').process.atomBinding 'clipboard'
+else
+  binding = process.atomBinding 'clipboard'
+
+  module.exports =
+    has: (format, type='standard') -> binding._has format, type
+    read: (format, type='standard') -> binding._read format, type
+    readText: (type='standard') -> binding._readText type
+    writeText: (text, type='standard') -> binding._writeText text, type
+    clear: (type='standard') -> binding._clear type
diff --git a/docs/api/clipboard.md b/docs/api/clipboard.md
index f95364f059b6..33fb1207f038 100644
--- a/docs/api/clipboard.md
+++ b/docs/api/clipboard.md
@@ -1,38 +1,55 @@
 # clipboard
 
-An example of writing a string to clipboard:
+The `clipboard` provides methods to do copy/paste operations. An example of
+writing a string to clipboard:
 
 ```javascript
 var clipboard = require('clipboard');
 clipboard.writeText('Example String');
 ```
 
-## clipboard.readText()
+On X Window systems, there is also a selection clipboard, to manipulate in it
+you need to pass `selection` to each method:
+
+```javascript
+var clipboard = require('clipboard');
+clipboard.writeText('Example String', 'selection');
+console.log(clipboard.readText('selection'));
+```
+
+## clipboard.readText([type])
+
+* `type` String
 
 Returns the content in clipboard as plain text.
 
-## clipboard.writeText(text)
+## clipboard.writeText(text[, type])
 
 * `text` String
+* `type` String
 
 Writes the `text` into clipboard as plain text.
 
-## clipboard.clear()
+## clipboard.clear([type])
+
+* `type` String
 
 Clears everything in clipboard.
 
-## clipboard.has(type)
+## clipboard.has(format[, type])
 
+* `format` String
 * `type` String
 
-Returns whether clipboard has data in specified `type`.
+Returns whether clipboard has data in specified `format`.
 
 **Note:** This API is experimental and could be removed in future.
 
-## clipboard.read(type)
+## clipboard.read(format[, type])
 
+* `format` String
 * `type` String
 
-Reads the data in clipboard of the `type`.
+Reads the data in clipboard of the `format`.
 
 **Note:** This API is experimental and could be removed in future.