diff --git a/st.c b/st.c
index 8475878..99c3468 100644
--- a/st.c
+++ b/st.c
@@ -249,11 +249,10 @@ typedef struct {
 	int mode;
 	int type;
 	int snap;
-	int bx, by;
-	int ex, ey;
+	int bx, by, ex, ey;
 	struct {
 		int x, y;
-	} b, e;
+	} b, e; /* same as bx, ..., ey, but swapped if by > ey */
 	char *clip;
 	Atom xtarget;
 	bool alt;
@@ -390,6 +389,7 @@ static void selclear(XEvent *);
 static void selrequest(XEvent *);
 
 static void selinit(void);
+static void selsort(void);
 static inline bool selected(int, int);
 static void selcopy(void);
 static void selscroll(int, int);
@@ -658,21 +658,23 @@ y2row(int y) {
 	return LIMIT(y, 0, term.row-1);
 }
 
+static void
+selsort(void) {
+	sel.b.x = sel.by < sel.ey ? sel.bx : sel.ex;
+	sel.b.y = MIN(sel.by, sel.ey);
+	sel.e.x = sel.by < sel.ey ? sel.ex : sel.bx;
+	sel.e.y = MAX(sel.by, sel.ey);
+}
+
 static inline bool
 selected(int x, int y) {
-	int bx, ex;
-
-	if(sel.ey == y && sel.by == y) {
-		bx = MIN(sel.bx, sel.ex);
-		ex = MAX(sel.bx, sel.ex);
-
-		return BETWEEN(x, bx, ex);
-	}
+	if(sel.e.y == y && sel.b.y == y)
+		return BETWEEN(x, sel.b.x, sel.e.x);
 
-	if(sel.type == SEL_RECTANGULAR) {
+	if(sel.type == SEL_RECTANGULAR)
 		return ((sel.b.y <= y && y <= sel.e.y)
 			&& (sel.b.x <= x && x <= sel.e.x));
-	}
+
 	return ((sel.b.y < y && y < sel.e.y)
 		|| (y == sel.e.y && x <= sel.e.x))
 		|| (y == sel.b.y && x >= sel.b.x
@@ -774,11 +776,7 @@ getbuttoninfo(XEvent *e) {
 		selsnap(sel.snap, &sel.bx, &sel.by, +1);
 	}
 
-	sel.b.x = sel.by < sel.ey ? sel.bx : sel.ex;
-	sel.b.y = MIN(sel.by, sel.ey);
-	sel.e.x = sel.by < sel.ey ? sel.ex : sel.bx;
-	sel.e.y = MAX(sel.by, sel.ey);
-
+	selsort();
 	sel.type = SEL_REGULAR;
 	for(type = 1; type < LEN(selmasks); ++type) {
 		if(match(selmasks[type], state)) {
@@ -882,10 +880,8 @@ bpress(XEvent *e) {
 		}
 		selsnap(sel.snap, &sel.bx, &sel.by, -1);
 		selsnap(sel.snap, &sel.ex, &sel.ey, +1);
-		sel.b.x = sel.bx;
-		sel.b.y = sel.by;
-		sel.e.x = sel.ex;
-		sel.e.y = sel.ey;
+
+		selsort();
 
 		/*
 		 * Draw selection, unless it's regular and we don't want to
@@ -1111,9 +1107,8 @@ bmotion(XEvent *e) {
 	oldsey = sel.e.y;
 	getbuttoninfo(e);
 
-	if(oldey != sel.ey || oldex != sel.ex) {
+	if(oldey != sel.ey || oldex != sel.ex)
 		tsetdirt(MIN(sel.b.y, oldsby), MAX(sel.e.y, oldsey));
-	}
 }
 
 void
@@ -1434,8 +1429,7 @@ selscroll(int orig, int n) {
 				sel.ex = term.col;
 			}
 		}
-		sel.b.y = sel.by, sel.b.x = sel.bx;
-		sel.e.y = sel.ey, sel.e.x = sel.ex;
+		selsort();
 	}
 }