diff --git a/source/blender/blenlib/BLI_string_cursor_utf8.h b/source/blender/blenlib/BLI_string_cursor_utf8.h
index 8fa0c4ec83f..9a0820b428e 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenlib/BLI_string_cursor_utf8.h
+++ b/source/blender/blenlib/BLI_string_cursor_utf8.h
@@ -42,6 +42,24 @@ void BLI_str_cursor_step_utf32(const char32_t *str,
                                eStrCursorJumpType jump,
                                bool use_init_step);
 
+
+/**
+ * Word/Sequence Selection. Given a position within a string, return the start and end of the
+ * closest sequence of delimited characters. Generally a word, but could be a sequence of spaces.
+ *
+ * \param str: The string with a cursor position
+ * \param str_maxlen: The maximum characters to consider
+ * \param pos: The starting cursor position (probably moved on completion)
+ * \param r_start: returned start of word/sequence boundary (0-based)
+ * \param r_end: returned end of word/sequence boundary (0-based)
+ */
+
+void BLI_str_cursor_step_bounds_utf8(
+    const char *str, const size_t str_maxlen, int *pos, int *r_start, int *r_end);
+
+void BLI_str_cursor_step_bounds_utf32(
+    const char32_t *str, const size_t str_maxlen, int *pos, int *r_start, int *r_end);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/source/blender/blenlib/intern/string_cursor_utf8.c b/source/blender/blenlib/intern/string_cursor_utf8.c
index 95442caa655..31119187536 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenlib/intern/string_cursor_utf8.c
+++ b/source/blender/blenlib/intern/string_cursor_utf8.c
@@ -314,3 +314,52 @@ void BLI_str_cursor_step_utf32(const char32_t *str,
     BLI_assert_unreachable();
   }
 }
+
+void BLI_str_cursor_step_bounds_utf8(
+    const char *str, const size_t str_maxlen, int *pos, int *start, int *end)
+{
+  /* What type of characters are on either side of the current cursor position? */
+  const eStrCursorDelimType prev = (*pos > 0) ? cursor_delim_type_utf8(str, str_maxlen, *pos - 1) :
+                                                STRCUR_DELIM_NONE;
+  const eStrCursorDelimType next = (*pos < str_maxlen) ?
+                                       cursor_delim_type_utf8(str, str_maxlen, *pos) :
+                                       STRCUR_DELIM_NONE;
+  *start = *pos;
+  *end = *pos;
+
+  if (prev == next || ELEM(next, STRCUR_DELIM_WHITESPACE, STRCUR_DELIM_NONE)) {
+    /* Expand backward if we are between similar content, before whitespace, or at end. */
+    BLI_str_cursor_step_utf8(str, str_maxlen, start, STRCUR_DIR_PREV, STRCUR_JUMP_DELIM, false);
+  }
+  if (prev == next || ELEM(prev, STRCUR_DELIM_WHITESPACE, STRCUR_DELIM_NONE)) {
+    /* Expand forward if we are between similar content, after whitespace, or at beginning. */
+    BLI_str_cursor_step_utf8(str, str_maxlen, end, STRCUR_DIR_NEXT, STRCUR_JUMP_DELIM, false);
+  }
+
+  /* Move cursor position to the end of selection. */
+  *pos = *end;
+}
+
+void BLI_str_cursor_step_bounds_utf32(
+    const char32_t *str, const size_t str_maxlen, int *pos, int *start, int *end)
+{
+  /* What type of characters are on either side of the current cursor position? */
+  const eStrCursorDelimType prev = (*pos > 0) ? cursor_delim_type_unicode(str[*pos - 1]) :
+                                                STRCUR_DELIM_NONE;
+  const eStrCursorDelimType next = (*pos < str_maxlen) ? cursor_delim_type_unicode(str[*pos]) :
+                                                         STRCUR_DELIM_NONE;
+  *start = *pos;
+  *end = *pos;
+
+  if (prev == next || ELEM(next, STRCUR_DELIM_WHITESPACE, STRCUR_DELIM_NONE)) {
+    /* Expand backward if we are between similar content, before whitespace, or at end. */
+    BLI_str_cursor_step_utf32(str, str_maxlen, start, STRCUR_DIR_PREV, STRCUR_JUMP_DELIM, false);
+  }
+  if (prev == next || ELEM(prev, STRCUR_DELIM_WHITESPACE, STRCUR_DELIM_NONE)) {
+    /* Expand forward if we are between similar content, after whitespace, or at beginning. */
+    BLI_str_cursor_step_utf32(str, str_maxlen, end, STRCUR_DIR_NEXT, STRCUR_JUMP_DELIM, false);
+  }
+
+  /* Move cursor position to the end of selection. */
+  *pos = *end;
+}
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/curve/editfont.c b/source/blender/editors/curve/editfont.c
index 6d786fedf46..227d158497a 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/curve/editfont.c
+++ b/source/blender/editors/curve/editfont.c
@@ -1920,9 +1920,18 @@ void FONT_OT_selection_set(struct wmOperatorType *ot)
 
 static int font_select_word_exec(bContext *C, wmOperator *UNUSED(op))
 {
-  move_cursor(C, NEXT_CHAR, false);
-  move_cursor(C, PREV_WORD, false);
-  move_cursor(C, NEXT_WORD, true);
+  Object *obedit = CTX_data_edit_object(C);
+  Curve *cu = obedit->data;
+  EditFont *ef = cu->editfont;
+
+  BLI_str_cursor_step_bounds_utf32(ef->textbuf, ef->len, &ef->pos, &ef->selstart, &ef->selend);
+
+  /* XXX: Text object selection start is 1-based, unlike text processing elsewhere in Blender. */
+  ef->selstart += 1;
+
+  font_select_update_primary_clipboard(obedit);
+  text_update_edited(C, obedit, FO_CURS);
+
   return OPERATOR_FINISHED;
 }
 
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/interface/interface_handlers.cc b/source/blender/editors/interface/interface_handlers.cc
index 9ba6b3247e7..0bec095455a 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/interface/interface_handlers.cc
+++ b/source/blender/editors/interface/interface_handlers.cc
@@ -3730,8 +3730,12 @@ static void ui_do_but_textedit(
 
       /* only select a word in button if there was no selection before */
       if (event->val == KM_DBL_CLICK && had_selection == false) {
-        ui_textedit_move(but, data, STRCUR_DIR_PREV, false, STRCUR_JUMP_DELIM);
-        ui_textedit_move(but, data, STRCUR_DIR_NEXT, true, STRCUR_JUMP_DELIM);
+        int pos = (int)but->pos;
+        int selsta, selend;
+        BLI_str_cursor_step_bounds_utf8(data->str, strlen(data->str), &pos, &selsta, &selend);
+        but->pos = (short)pos;
+        but->selsta = (short)selsta;
+        but->selend = (short)selend;
         retval = WM_UI_HANDLER_BREAK;
         changed = true;
       }
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/space_console/console_ops.c b/source/blender/editors/space_console/console_ops.c
index 489562f0736..2654877c968 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/space_console/console_ops.c
+++ b/source/blender/editors/space_console/console_ops.c
@@ -1258,9 +1258,7 @@ static int console_selectword_invoke(bContext *C, wmOperator *UNUSED(op), const
   if (console_line_column_from_index(sc, pos, &cl, &offset, &n)) {
     int sel[2] = {n, n};
 
-    BLI_str_cursor_step_utf8(cl->line, cl->len, &sel[0], STRCUR_DIR_NEXT, STRCUR_JUMP_DELIM, true);
-
-    BLI_str_cursor_step_utf8(cl->line, cl->len, &sel[1], STRCUR_DIR_PREV, STRCUR_JUMP_DELIM, true);
+    BLI_str_cursor_step_bounds_utf8(cl->line, cl->len, &n, &sel[0], &sel[1]);
 
     sel[0] = offset - sel[0];
     sel[1] = offset - sel[1];
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/space_text/text_ops.c b/source/blender/editors/space_text/text_ops.c
index a44789e442f..94e861ccfb0 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/space_text/text_ops.c
+++ b/source/blender/editors/space_text/text_ops.c
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include "BLI_blenlib.h"
 #include "BLI_math.h"
 #include "BLI_math_base.h"
+#include "BLI_string_cursor_utf8.h"
 
 #include "BLT_translation.h"
 
@@ -1577,11 +1578,9 @@ void TEXT_OT_select_line(wmOperatorType *ot)
 static int text_select_word_exec(bContext *C, wmOperator *UNUSED(op))
 {
   Text *text = CTX_data_edit_text(C);
-  /* don't advance cursor before stepping */
-  const bool use_init_step = false;
 
-  txt_jump_left(text, false, use_init_step);
-  txt_jump_right(text, true, use_init_step);
+  BLI_str_cursor_step_bounds_utf8(
+      text->curl->line, text->curl->len, &text->selc, &text->curc, &text->selc);
 
   text_update_cursor_moved(C);
   text_select_update_primary_clipboard(text);