diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/browser/media/style.css b/src/vs/workbench/browser/media/style.css
index 2f3c95378c85de1526b326732ff4409c6c5d9d5b..84cd3fb94441e4a2774393bc5b752773163553b3 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/browser/media/style.css
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/browser/media/style.css
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ body {
 	overflow: hidden;
 	font-size: 11px;
 	user-select: none;
+	-webkit-user-select: none;
 }
 
 body.web {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/browser/style.ts b/src/vs/workbench/browser/style.ts
index fb298026ba47c263ccff42af5f4d889120b2d8f0..23b39b5f4f37ec26705f07f42a9f393e05086c93 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/browser/style.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/browser/style.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import { iconForeground, foreground, selectionBackground, focusBorder, scrollbar
 import { WORKBENCH_BACKGROUND, TITLE_BAR_ACTIVE_BACKGROUND } from 'vs/workbench/common/theme';
 import { isWeb } from 'vs/base/common/platform';
 import { createMetaElement } from 'vs/base/browser/dom';
+import { isSafari } from 'vs/base/browser/browser';
 
 registerThemingParticipant((theme: ITheme, collector: ICssStyleCollector) => {
 
@@ -168,4 +169,16 @@ registerThemingParticipant((theme: ITheme, collector: ICssStyleCollector) => {
 			metaElement.content = titleBackground.toString();
 		}
 	}
+
+	// We disable user select on the root element, however on Safari this seems
+	// to prevent any text selection in the monaco editor. As a workaround we
+	// allow to select text in monaco editor instances.
+	if (isSafari) {
+		collector.addRule(`
+			.monaco-workbench .monaco-editor .view-lines {
+				user-select: text;
+				-webkit-user-select: text;
+			}
+		`);
+	}
 });