diff --git a/packages/cells/src/cells/multi-select-cell.tsx b/packages/cells/src/cells/multi-select-cell.tsx
index 2664b2394..4f77a464c 100644
--- a/packages/cells/src/cells/multi-select-cell.tsx
+++ b/packages/cells/src/cells/multi-select-cell.tsx
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import {
 } from "@glideapps/glide-data-grid";
 
 import { styled } from "@linaria/react";
-import Select, { type MenuProps, components, type StylesConfig } from "react-select";
+import Select, { type MenuProps, type MultiValueGenericProps, components, type StylesConfig } from "react-select";
 import CreatableSelect from "react-select/creatable";
 
 type SelectOption = { value: string; label?: string; color?: string };
@@ -128,6 +128,48 @@ const CustomMenu: React.FC<CustomMenuProps> = p => {
     return <Menu {...rest}>{children}</Menu>;
 };
 
+/**
+ * Custom MultiValueLabel component that allows text selection within pills.
+ * By default, react-select prevents text selection via onMouseDown preventDefault.
+ * We override this to allow users to select and copy text from the pills.
+ *
+ * Side effects:
+ * - Clicking on the pill label text won't focus the select input (click elsewhere to focus)
+ * - Clicking on the pill label text won't open the dropdown menu (click input area to open)
+ * - Removing pills via the X button still works normally (separate component)
+ * - Keyboard navigation still works normally
+ *
+ * Note on type assertions: react-select's MultiValueGenericProps.innerProps type is
+ * { className?: string }, but the underlying div element accepts all standard div props.
+ * The type assertion to React.ComponentPropsWithoutRef<"div"> is necessary to add
+ * event handlers that the actual DOM element supports.
+ */
+const SelectableMultiValueLabel: React.FC<MultiValueGenericProps<SelectOption>> = props => {
+    // Cast innerProps to the full div props type since react-select's types are overly restrictive
+    // (they only type { className?: string } but the div accepts all standard props)
+    const existingInnerProps = props.innerProps as React.ComponentPropsWithoutRef<"div"> | undefined;
+
+    const enhancedInnerProps: React.ComponentPropsWithoutRef<"div"> = {
+        ...existingInnerProps,
+        // Allow text selection by stopping propagation but not preventing default
+        onMouseDown: (e: React.MouseEvent<HTMLDivElement>) => {
+            e.stopPropagation(); // Prevents react-select from treating it as a control click
+            existingInnerProps?.onMouseDown?.(e);
+        },
+        onTouchEnd: (e: React.TouchEvent<HTMLDivElement>) => {
+            e.stopPropagation();
+            existingInnerProps?.onTouchEnd?.(e);
+        },
+    };
+
+    return (
+        <components.MultiValueLabel
+            {...props}
+            innerProps={enhancedInnerProps as typeof props.innerProps}
+        />
+    );
+};
+
 export type MultiSelectCell = CustomCell<MultiSelectCellProps>;
 
 const Editor: ReturnType<ProvideEditorCallback<MultiSelectCell>> = p => {
@@ -367,6 +409,7 @@ const Editor: ReturnType<ProvideEditorCallback<MultiSelectCell>> = p => {
                 components={{
                     DropdownIndicator: () => null,
                     IndicatorSeparator: () => null,
+                    MultiValueLabel: SelectableMultiValueLabel,
                     Menu: props => {
                         if (menuDisabled) {
                             return null;
@@ -379,10 +422,10 @@ const Editor: ReturnType<ProvideEditorCallback<MultiSelectCell>> = p => {
                     },
                 }}
                 onChange={async e => {
-                    if (e === null) {
+                    if (e === null || !Array.isArray(e)) {
                         return;
                     }
-                    submitValues(e.map(x => x.value));
+                    submitValues(e.map((x: SelectOption) => x.value));
                 }}
             />
         </Wrap>
diff --git a/packages/cells/test/multi-select-cell.test.tsx b/packages/cells/test/multi-select-cell.test.tsx
index c9c0a06db..524b9fd75 100644
--- a/packages/cells/test/multi-select-cell.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/cells/test/multi-select-cell.test.tsx
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ describe("Multi Select Editor", () => {
         const Editor = renderer.provideEditor?.({
             ...getMockCell(),
             location: [0, 0],
-        }).editor;        
+        }).editor;
         if (Editor === undefined) {
             throw new Error("Editor is invalid");
         }
@@ -377,4 +377,97 @@ describe("Multi Select Editor", () => {
     });
 
     // TODO: Add test for creating new options
+
+    it("allows text selection in pill labels (onMouseDown does not prevent default)", async () => {
+        const mockCell = getMockCell({
+            data: {
+                kind: "multi-select-cell",
+                options: [
+                    { value: "option1", label: "Option 1", color: "red" },
+                    { value: "option2", label: "Option 2", color: "blue" },
+                ],
+                values: ["option1", "option2"],
+            },
+        });
+        // @ts-ignore
+        const Editor = renderer.provideEditor?.({
+            ...mockCell,
+            location: [0, 0],
+        }).editor;
+        if (Editor === undefined) {
+            throw new Error("Editor is invalid");
+        }
+
+        const mockCellOnChange = vi.fn();
+        const result = render(<Editor isHighlighted={false} value={mockCell} onChange={mockCellOnChange} />);
+        const cellEditor = result.getByTestId("multi-select-cell");
+
+        // Find the pill labels (MultiValueLabel components render with the label text)
+        const pillLabel = getByText(cellEditor, "Option 1");
+        expect(pillLabel).toBeDefined();
+
+        // Simulate mousedown on the pill label - it should not prevent default (allowing text selection)
+        // We verify this by checking that the event's defaultPrevented is false after the handler runs
+        const mouseDownEvent = new MouseEvent("mousedown", {
+            bubbles: true,
+            cancelable: true,
+        });
+
+        // The event should not be prevented (allowing text selection)
+        pillLabel.dispatchEvent(mouseDownEvent);
+        expect(mouseDownEvent.defaultPrevented).toBe(false);
+
+        // The onChange should NOT have been called just from clicking the label
+        // (stopPropagation prevents the control from receiving the click)
+        expect(mockCellOnChange).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it("still allows removing pills via the remove button after text selection enhancement", async () => {
+        const mockCell = getMockCell({
+            data: {
+                kind: "multi-select-cell",
+                options: [
+                    { value: "option1", label: "Option 1", color: "red" },
+                    { value: "option2", label: "Option 2", color: "blue" },
+                ],
+                values: ["option1"],
+            },
+        });
+        // @ts-ignore
+        const Editor = renderer.provideEditor?.({
+            ...mockCell,
+            location: [0, 0],
+        }).editor;
+        if (Editor === undefined) {
+            throw new Error("Editor is invalid");
+        }
+
+        const mockCellOnChange = vi.fn();
+        const result = render(<Editor isHighlighted={false} value={mockCell} onChange={mockCellOnChange} />);
+        const cellEditor = result.getByTestId("multi-select-cell");
+
+        // Find the pill label first
+        const pillLabel = getByText(cellEditor, "Option 1");
+        expect(pillLabel).toBeDefined();
+
+        // The remove button is a sibling of the label within the multi-value container
+        // react-select renders: <div class="...multi-value"><div class="...label">text</div><div class="...remove">X</div></div>
+        const multiValueContainer = pillLabel.parentElement;
+        expect(multiValueContainer).not.toBeNull();
+
+        // Find the remove button (it's the element with the SVG/X icon, typically the last child or has a specific role)
+        // react-select's remove button contains an SVG with a path
+        const removeButton = multiValueContainer?.querySelector("svg")?.parentElement;
+        expect(removeButton).not.toBeNull();
+
+        // Click the remove button
+        fireEvent.click(removeButton!);
+
+        // The onChange should have been called to remove the value
+        expect(mockCellOnChange).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+        expect(mockCellOnChange).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+            ...mockCell,
+            data: { ...mockCell.data, values: [] },
+        });
+    });
 });