diff --git a/ui/presentationwidget.h b/ui/presentationwidget.h
--- a/ui/presentationwidget.h
+++ b/ui/presentationwidget.h
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@
         bool m_inBlackScreenMode;
         bool m_showSummaryView;
         bool m_advanceSlides;
+        bool m_goToPreviousPageOnRelease;
         bool m_goToNextPageOnRelease;
 
     private Q_SLOTS:
diff --git a/ui/presentationwidget.cpp b/ui/presentationwidget.cpp
--- a/ui/presentationwidget.cpp
+++ b/ui/presentationwidget.cpp
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@
     m_ac( collection ), m_screenSelect( nullptr ), m_isSetup( false ), m_blockNotifications( false ), m_inBlackScreenMode( false ),
     m_showSummaryView( Okular::Settings::slidesShowSummary() ),
     m_advanceSlides( Okular::SettingsCore::slidesAdvance() ),
+    m_goToPreviousPageOnRelease( false ),
     m_goToNextPageOnRelease( false )
 {
     Q_UNUSED( parent )
@@ -702,7 +703,14 @@
             return;
         }
 
-        m_goToNextPageOnRelease = true;
+        if ( e->x() < ( geometry().width()/2 ) )
+        {
+            m_goToPreviousPageOnRelease = true;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            m_goToNextPageOnRelease = true;
+        }
     }
     // pressing the "move forward" mouse button: unlike the left button this
     // always means "show next page", so we unconditionally delegate to that
@@ -732,6 +740,11 @@
         m_pressedLink = nullptr;
     }
 
+    if ( m_goToPreviousPageOnRelease ) {
+        slotPrevPage();
+        m_goToPreviousPageOnRelease = false;
+    }
+
     if ( m_goToNextPageOnRelease ) {
         slotNextPage();
         m_goToNextPageOnRelease = false;