diff --git a/src/dialogs/katedialogs.cpp b/src/dialogs/katedialogs.cpp
--- a/src/dialogs/katedialogs.cpp
+++ b/src/dialogs/katedialogs.cpp
@@ -392,6 +392,7 @@
     connect(ui->sbAutoCenterCursor, SIGNAL(valueChanged(int)), this, SLOT(slotChanged()));
     connect(ui->chkScrollPastEnd, SIGNAL(toggled(bool)), this, SLOT(slotChanged()));
     connect(ui->chkBackspaceRemoveComposed, SIGNAL(toggled(bool)), this, SLOT(slotChanged()));
+    connect(ui->chkClickLineNumberSelectsLine, SIGNAL(toggled(bool)), this, SLOT(slotChanged()));
 
     layout->addWidget(newWidget);
     setLayout(layout);
@@ -423,6 +424,7 @@
     KateViewConfig::global()->setScrollPastEnd(ui->chkScrollPastEnd->isChecked());
 
     KateViewConfig::global()->setBackspaceRemoveComposed(ui->chkBackspaceRemoveComposed->isChecked());
+    KateViewConfig::global()->setClickLineNumberSelectsLine(ui->chkClickLineNumberSelectsLine->isChecked());
 
     KateDocumentConfig::global()->configEnd();
     KateViewConfig::global()->configEnd();
@@ -437,6 +439,7 @@
     ui->sbAutoCenterCursor->setValue(KateViewConfig::global()->autoCenterLines());
     ui->chkScrollPastEnd->setChecked(KateViewConfig::global()->scrollPastEnd());
     ui->chkBackspaceRemoveComposed->setChecked(KateViewConfig::global()->backspaceRemoveComposed());
+    ui->chkClickLineNumberSelectsLine->setChecked(KateViewConfig::global()->clickLineNumberSelectsLine());
 }
 
 QString KateNavigationConfigTab::name() const
diff --git a/src/dialogs/navigationconfigwidget.ui b/src/dialogs/navigationconfigwidget.ui
--- a/src/dialogs/navigationconfigwidget.ui
+++ b/src/dialogs/navigationconfigwidget.ui
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
         <item>
          <widget class="QLabel" name="lblAutoCenterCursor">
           <property name="text">
-           <string>&amp;Autocenter cursor:</string>
+           <string>A&amp;utocenter cursor:</string>
           </property>
           <property name="buddy">
            <cstring>sbAutoCenterCursor</cstring>
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
         <item>
          <widget class="QLabel" name="lblTextSelectionMode">
           <property name="text">
-           <string>Text selection mode:</string>
+           <string>&amp;Text selection mode:</string>
           </property>
           <property name="buddy">
            <cstring>cbTextSelectionMode</cstring>
@@ -142,6 +142,16 @@
         </property>
        </widget>
       </item>
+      <item>
+       <widget class="QCheckBox" name="chkClickLineNumberSelectsLine">
+        <property name="whatsThis">
+         <string>When selected, single clicking a line number will select the entire line of text.</string>
+        </property>
+        <property name="text">
+         <string>Single click on line number selects line</string>
+        </property>
+       </widget>
+      </item>
      </layout>
     </widget>
    </item>
@@ -160,6 +170,15 @@
    </item>
   </layout>
  </widget>
+ <tabstops>
+  <tabstop>chkSmartHome</tabstop>
+  <tabstop>chkPagingMovesCursor</tabstop>
+  <tabstop>sbAutoCenterCursor</tabstop>
+  <tabstop>cbTextSelectionMode</tabstop>
+  <tabstop>chkScrollPastEnd</tabstop>
+  <tabstop>chkBackspaceRemoveComposed</tabstop>
+  <tabstop>chkClickLineNumberSelectsLine</tabstop>
+ </tabstops>
  <resources/>
  <connections/>
 </ui>
diff --git a/src/utils/kateconfig.h b/src/utils/kateconfig.h
--- a/src/utils/kateconfig.h
+++ b/src/utils/kateconfig.h
@@ -578,6 +578,9 @@
     bool backspaceRemoveComposed() const;
     void setBackspaceRemoveComposed(bool on);
 
+    bool clickLineNumberSelectsLine() const;
+    void setClickLineNumberSelectsLine(bool on);
+
 private:
     bool m_dynWordWrap;
     int m_dynWordWrapIndicators;
@@ -613,6 +616,7 @@
     bool m_showWordCount;
     bool m_autoBrackets;
     bool m_backspaceRemoveComposed;
+    bool m_clickLineNumberSelectsLine;
 
     bool m_dynWordWrapSet : 1;
     bool m_dynWordWrapIndicatorsSet : 1;
@@ -647,6 +651,7 @@
     bool m_foldFirstLineSet : 1;
     bool m_autoBracketsSet : 1;
     bool m_backspaceRemoveComposedSet : 1;
+    bool m_clickLineNumberSelectsLineSet : 1;
 
 private:
     static KateViewConfig *s_global;
diff --git a/src/utils/kateconfig.cpp b/src/utils/kateconfig.cpp
--- a/src/utils/kateconfig.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/kateconfig.cpp
@@ -1267,6 +1267,7 @@
     m_foldFirstLineSet (false),
     m_autoBracketsSet(false),
     m_backspaceRemoveComposedSet(false),
+    m_clickLineNumberSelectsLineSet(false),
     m_view(nullptr)
 {
     s_global = this;
@@ -1314,6 +1315,7 @@
     m_foldFirstLineSet(false),
     m_autoBracketsSet(false),
     m_backspaceRemoveComposedSet(false),
+    m_clickLineNumberSelectsLineSet(false),
     m_view(view)
 {
 }
@@ -1359,6 +1361,7 @@
 const char KEY_SHOW_WORD_COUNT[] = "Show Word Count";
 const char KEY_AUTO_BRACKETS[] = "Auto Brackets";
 const char KEY_BACKSPACE_REMOVE_COMPOSED[] = "Backspace Remove Composed Characters";
+const char KEY_CLICK_LINE_NUMBER_SELECTS_LINE[] = "Click Line Number Selects Line";
 }
 
 void KateViewConfig::readConfig(const KConfigGroup &config)
@@ -1422,6 +1425,7 @@
     setAutoBrackets(config.readEntry(KEY_AUTO_BRACKETS, false));
 
     setBackspaceRemoveComposed(config.readEntry(KEY_BACKSPACE_REMOVE_COMPOSED, false));
+    setClickLineNumberSelectsLine(config.readEntry(KEY_CLICK_LINE_NUMBER_SELECTS_LINE, false));
 
     configEnd();
 }
@@ -1486,6 +1490,7 @@
     config.writeEntry(KEY_AUTO_BRACKETS, autoBrackets());
 
     config.writeEntry(KEY_BACKSPACE_REMOVE_COMPOSED, backspaceRemoveComposed());
+    config.writeEntry(KEY_CLICK_LINE_NUMBER_SELECTS_LINE, clickLineNumberSelectsLine());
 }
 
 void KateViewConfig::updateConfig()
@@ -2267,6 +2272,29 @@
     configEnd();
 }
 
+bool KateViewConfig::clickLineNumberSelectsLine() const
+{
+    if (m_clickLineNumberSelectsLineSet || isGlobal()) {
+        return m_clickLineNumberSelectsLine;
+    }
+
+    return s_global->clickLineNumberSelectsLine();
+}
+
+void KateViewConfig::setClickLineNumberSelectsLine(bool on)
+{
+    if (m_clickLineNumberSelectsLineSet && m_clickLineNumberSelectsLine == on) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    configStart();
+
+    m_clickLineNumberSelectsLineSet = true;
+    m_clickLineNumberSelectsLine = on;
+
+    configEnd();
+}
+
 //END
 
 //BEGIN KateRendererConfig
diff --git a/src/view/kateviewhelpers.cpp b/src/view/kateviewhelpers.cpp
--- a/src/view/kateviewhelpers.cpp
+++ b/src/view/kateviewhelpers.cpp
@@ -2015,9 +2015,14 @@
     const KateTextLayout &t = m_viewInternal->yToKateTextLayout(e->y());
     if (t.isValid()) {
         m_lastClickedLine = t.line();
-        if (positionToArea(e->pos()) != IconBorder && positionToArea(e->pos()) != AnnotationBorder) {
+        auto area = positionToArea(e->pos());
+        if (area != IconBorder && area != AnnotationBorder) {
+            auto pos = QPoint(0, e->y());
+            if (area == LineNumbers && e->button() == Qt::LeftButton && !(e->modifiers() & Qt::ShiftModifier)) {
+                m_viewInternal->beginSelectLine(pos);
+            }
             QMouseEvent forward(QEvent::MouseButtonPress,
-                                QPoint(0, e->y()), e->button(), e->buttons(), e->modifiers());
+                                pos, e->button(), e->buttons(), e->modifiers());
             m_viewInternal->mousePressEvent(&forward);
         }
         return e->accept();
@@ -2175,13 +2180,14 @@
 void KateIconBorder::mouseMoveEvent(QMouseEvent *e)
 {
     const KateTextLayout &t = m_viewInternal->yToKateTextLayout(e->y());
+    auto area = positionToArea(e->pos());
     if (t.isValid()) {
-        if (positionToArea(e->pos()) == FoldingMarkers) {
+        if (area == FoldingMarkers) {
             showDelayedBlock(t.line());
         } else {
             hideBlock();
         }
-        if (positionToArea(e->pos()) == AnnotationBorder) {
+        if (area == AnnotationBorder) {
             KTextEditor::AnnotationModel *model = m_view->annotationModel() ?
                                                   m_view->annotationModel() : m_doc->annotationModel();
             if (model) {
@@ -2191,23 +2197,24 @@
                 QTimer::singleShot(0, this, SLOT(update()));
             }
         } else {
-            if (positionToArea(e->pos()) == IconBorder) {
+            if (area == IconBorder) {
                 m_doc->requestMarkTooltip(t.line(), e->globalPos());
             }
 
             m_hoveredAnnotationGroupIdentifier.clear();
             hideAnnotationTooltip();
             QTimer::singleShot(0, this, SLOT(update()));
         }
-        if (positionToArea(e->pos()) != IconBorder) {
-            QPoint p = m_viewInternal->mapFromGlobal(e->globalPos());
-            QMouseEvent forward(QEvent::MouseMove, p, e->button(), e->buttons(), e->modifiers());
-            m_viewInternal->mouseMoveEvent(&forward);
-        }
     } else {
         // remove hovering if it's still there
         removeAnnotationHovering();
     }
+    // always forward event so dragging on border to select lines will scroll down when at top
+    if (area != IconBorder) {
+        QPoint p = m_viewInternal->mapFromGlobal(e->globalPos());
+        QMouseEvent forward(QEvent::MouseMove, p, e->button(), e->buttons(), e->modifiers());
+        m_viewInternal->mouseMoveEvent(&forward);
+    }
 
     QWidget::mouseMoveEvent(e);
 }
diff --git a/src/view/kateviewinternal.h b/src/view/kateviewinternal.h
--- a/src/view/kateviewinternal.h
+++ b/src/view/kateviewinternal.h
@@ -269,6 +269,7 @@
     void moveCursorToSelectionEdge();
     void updateCursor(const KTextEditor::Cursor &newCursor, bool force = false, bool center = false, bool calledExternally = false);
     void updateBracketMarks();
+    void beginSelectLine(const QPoint &pos);
 
     void placeCursor(const QPoint &p, bool keepSelection = false, bool updateSelection = true);
     bool isTargetSelected(const QPoint &p);
diff --git a/src/view/kateviewinternal.cpp b/src/view/kateviewinternal.cpp
--- a/src/view/kateviewinternal.cpp
+++ b/src/view/kateviewinternal.cpp
@@ -2781,6 +2781,16 @@
     m_possibleTripleClick = false;
 }
 
+void KateViewInternal::beginSelectLine(const QPoint &pos)
+{
+    if (m_view->config()->clickLineNumberSelectsLine()) {
+        placeCursor(pos);
+        m_possibleTripleClick = true;
+        m_scrollX = 0;
+        m_scrollY = 0;
+    }
+}
+
 void KateViewInternal::mouseReleaseEvent(QMouseEvent *e)
 {
     switch (e->button()) {