diff --git a/src/vs/platform/theme/common/colorRegistry.ts b/src/vs/platform/theme/common/colorRegistry.ts
index d790e964b0cf8bd100d0dab3ac85b8dfb54c10de..2cd9b78d5ec6c6e263452e8a8f70c09856a95be2 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/theme/common/colorRegistry.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/theme/common/colorRegistry.ts
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ export const focusBorder = registerColor('focusBorder', { dark: Color.fromHex('#
 export const contrastBorder = registerColor('contrastBorder', { light: null, dark: null, hc: '#6FC3DF' }, nls.localize('contrastBorder', "An extra border around elements to separate them from others for greater contrast."));
 export const activeContrastBorder = registerColor('contrastActiveBorder', { light: null, dark: null, hc: focusBorder }, nls.localize('activeContrastBorder', "An extra border around active elements to separate them from others for greater contrast."));
 
-export const selectionBackground = registerColor('selection.background', { light: null, dark: null, hc: null }, nls.localize('selectionBackground', "The background color of text selections in the workbench (e.g. for input fields or text areas). Note that this does not apply to selections within the editor and the terminal."));
+export const selectionBackground = registerColor('selection.background', { light: null, dark: null, hc: null }, nls.localize('selectionBackground', "The background color of text selections in the workbench (e.g. for input fields or text areas). Note that this does not apply to selections within the editor."));
 
 // ------ text colors
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/terminal/electron-browser/media/xterm.css b/src/vs/workbench/parts/terminal/electron-browser/media/xterm.css
index e30500606de784f167907f16ac54e59be24d56b4..fe96994dcc95edb18c3f7bbf5f835f52eda96f78 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/terminal/electron-browser/media/xterm.css
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/terminal/electron-browser/media/xterm.css
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@
 
 .monaco-workbench .panel.integrated-terminal .xterm .xterm-selection div {
 	position: absolute;
-	background-color: #555;
+	opacity: 0.5;
 }
 
 .monaco-workbench .panel.integrated-terminal .xterm .xterm-bold {
@@ -174,23 +174,6 @@
 	display: block;
 }
 
-/* Base selection colors */
-
-.monaco-workbench .panel.integrated-terminal .xterm ::selection {
-	color: #FFF;
-	background-color: rgba(51, 51, 51, 0.996);
-}
-
-.vs-dark .monaco-workbench .panel.integrated-terminal .xterm ::selection {
-	color: #1e1e1e;
-	background-color: rgba(204, 204, 204, 0.996);
-}
-
-.hc-black .monaco-workbench .panel.integrated-terminal .xterm ::selection {
-	color: #000;
-	background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.996);
-}
-
 /* Terminal colors 16-255 */
 
 .monaco-workbench .panel.integrated-terminal .xterm .xterm-color-16 {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/terminal/electron-browser/terminalPanel.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/terminal/electron-browser/terminalPanel.ts
index 1a7238730c13060d525331fe7252538ae9618660..dc7558d33e91c9ef7f8f2c5a17f5fc0598a24b7f 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/terminal/electron-browser/terminalPanel.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/terminal/electron-browser/terminalPanel.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import { ITelemetryService } from 'vs/platform/telemetry/common/telemetry';
 import { ITerminalService, ITerminalFont, TERMINAL_PANEL_ID } from 'vs/workbench/parts/terminal/common/terminal';
 import { IThemeService, ITheme } from 'vs/platform/theme/common/themeService';
 import { ansiColorIdentifiers, TERMINAL_BACKGROUND_COLOR, TERMINAL_FOREGROUND_COLOR } from './terminalColorRegistry';
-import { ColorIdentifier } from 'vs/platform/theme/common/colorRegistry';
+import { ColorIdentifier, selectionBackground } from 'vs/platform/theme/common/colorRegistry';
 import { KillTerminalAction, CreateNewTerminalAction, SwitchTerminalInstanceAction, SwitchTerminalInstanceActionItem, CopyTerminalSelectionAction, TerminalPasteAction, ClearTerminalAction } from 'vs/workbench/parts/terminal/electron-browser/terminalActions';
 import { Panel } from 'vs/workbench/browser/panel';
 import { StandardMouseEvent } from 'vs/base/browser/mouseEvent';
@@ -262,6 +262,12 @@ export class TerminalPanel extends Panel {
 				`.monaco-workbench .panel.integrated-terminal .xterm.xterm-cursor-style-bar.focus.xterm-cursor-blink .terminal-cursor::before,` +
 				`.monaco-workbench .panel.integrated-terminal .xterm.xterm-cursor-style-underline.focus.xterm-cursor-blink .terminal-cursor::before { background-color: ${fgColor}; }`;
 		}
+		// Use selection.background as the terminal selection, this is temporary
+		// until proper color inverting is implemented to ensure contrast.
+		const selectionColor = theme.getColor(selectionBackground);
+		if (selectionColor) {
+			css += `.monaco-workbench .panel.integrated-terminal .xterm .xterm-selection div { background-color: ${selectionColor}; }`;
+		}
 
 		this._themeStyleElement.innerHTML = css;
 	}