diff --git a/src/view/kateviewhelpers.cpp b/src/view/kateviewhelpers.cpp
--- a/src/view/kateviewhelpers.cpp
+++ b/src/view/kateviewhelpers.cpp
@@ -2015,9 +2015,16 @@
     const KateTextLayout &t = m_viewInternal->yToKateTextLayout(e->y());
     if (t.isValid()) {
         m_lastClickedLine = t.line();
-        if (positionToArea(e->pos()) != IconBorder && positionToArea(e->pos()) != AnnotationBorder) {
+        const auto area = positionToArea(e->pos());
+        // IconBorder and AnnotationBorder have their own behavior; don't forward to view
+        if (area != IconBorder && area != AnnotationBorder) {
+            const auto pos = QPoint(0, e->y());
+            if (area == LineNumbers && e->button() == Qt::LeftButton && !(e->modifiers() & Qt::ShiftModifier)) {
+                // setup view so the following mousePressEvent will select the line
+                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();
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 +2781,12 @@
     m_possibleTripleClick = false;
 }
 
+void KateViewInternal::beginSelectLine(const QPoint &pos)
+{
+    placeCursor(pos);
+    m_possibleTripleClick = true; // set so subsequent mousePressEvent will select line
+}
+
 void KateViewInternal::mouseReleaseEvent(QMouseEvent *e)
 {
     switch (e->button()) {