diff --git a/autotests/src/kateview_test.h b/autotests/src/kateview_test.h
--- a/autotests/src/kateview_test.h
+++ b/autotests/src/kateview_test.h
@@ -33,18 +33,15 @@
 private Q_SLOTS:
     void testReloadMultipleViews();
     void testTabCursorOnReload();
-
     void testLowerCaseBlockSelection();
-
     void testCoordinatesToCursor();
     void testCursorToCoordinates();
-
     void testSelection();
+    void testDeselectByArrowKeys_data();
+    void testDeselectByArrowKeys();
     void testKillline();
     void testScrollPastEndOfDocument();
-
     void testFoldFirstLine();
-
     void testDragAndDrop();
     void testGotoMatchingBracket();
 };
diff --git a/autotests/src/kateview_test.cpp b/autotests/src/kateview_test.cpp
--- a/autotests/src/kateview_test.cpp
+++ b/autotests/src/kateview_test.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@
 #include <QtTestWidgets>
 #include <QTemporaryFile>
 
+#define testNewRow() (QTest::newRow(QString("line %1").arg(__LINE__).toLatin1().data()))
+
 using namespace KTextEditor;
 
 QTEST_MAIN(KateViewTest)
@@ -267,6 +269,65 @@
     QCOMPARE(view->selectionRange(), Range(1, 1, 2, 1));
 }
 
+void KateViewTest::testDeselectByArrowKeys_data()
+{
+    QTest::addColumn<QString>("text");
+
+    testNewRow() << "foobarhaz";
+    testNewRow() << "كلسشمن يتبكسب"; // We all win, translates Google
+}
+
+void KateViewTest::testDeselectByArrowKeys()
+{
+    QFETCH(QString, text);
+
+    KTextEditor::DocumentPrivate doc;
+    doc.setText(text);
+    KTextEditor::ViewPrivate *view = new KTextEditor::ViewPrivate(&doc, nullptr);
+    KTextEditor::Cursor cur1(0, 3); // Start of bar: foo|barhaz
+    KTextEditor::Cursor cur2(0, 6); //   End of bar: foobar|haz
+    KTextEditor::Cursor curDelta(0, 1);
+    Range range(cur1, cur2); // Select "bar"
+
+    // RTL drives me nuts!
+    KTextEditor::Cursor help;
+    if (text.isRightToLeft()) {
+        help = cur1;
+        cur1 = cur2;
+        cur2 = help;
+    }
+
+    view->setSelection(range);
+    view->setCursorPositionInternal(cur1);
+    view->cursorLeft();
+    QCOMPARE(view->cursorPosition(), cur1); // Be at begin: foo|barhaz
+    QCOMPARE(view->selection(), false);
+
+    view->setSelection(range);
+    view->setCursorPositionInternal(cur1);
+    view->cursorRight();
+    QCOMPARE(view->cursorPosition(), cur2);  // Be at end: foobar|haz
+    QCOMPARE(view->selection(), false);
+
+    view->config()->setPersistentSelection(true);
+
+    view->setSelection(range);
+    view->setCursorPositionInternal(cur1);
+    view->cursorLeft();
+    // RTL drives me nuts!
+    help = text.isRightToLeft() ? (cur1 + curDelta): (cur1 - curDelta);
+    QCOMPARE(view->cursorPosition(), help); // Be one left: fo|obarhaz
+    QCOMPARE(view->selection(), true);
+
+    view->setSelection(range);
+    view->setCursorPositionInternal(cur1);
+    view->cursorRight();
+    // RTL drives me nuts!
+    help = text.isRightToLeft() ? (cur1 - curDelta): (cur1 + curDelta);
+    QCOMPARE(view->cursorPosition(), help); // Be one right: foob|arhaz
+    QCOMPARE(view->selection(), true);
+}
+
 void KateViewTest::testKillline()
 {
     KTextEditor::DocumentPrivate doc;
diff --git a/src/view/kateview.cpp b/src/view/kateview.cpp
--- a/src/view/kateview.cpp
+++ b/src/view/kateview.cpp
@@ -2795,70 +2795,92 @@
 
 void KTextEditor::ViewPrivate::cursorLeft()
 {
-    if (m_viewInternal->m_view->currentTextLine().isRightToLeft()) {
-        m_viewInternal->cursorNextChar();
+    if (selection() && !config()->persistentSelection()) {
+        if (currentTextLine().isRightToLeft()) {
+            m_viewInternal->updateCursor(selectionRange().end());
+            setSelection(KTextEditor::Range::invalid());
+        } else {
+            m_viewInternal->updateCursor(selectionRange().start());
+            setSelection(KTextEditor::Range::invalid());
+        }
+
     } else {
-        m_viewInternal->cursorPrevChar();
+        if (currentTextLine().isRightToLeft()) {
+            m_viewInternal->cursorNextChar();
+        } else {
+            m_viewInternal->cursorPrevChar();
+        }
     }
 }
 
 void KTextEditor::ViewPrivate::shiftCursorLeft()
 {
-    if (m_viewInternal->m_view->currentTextLine().isRightToLeft()) {
+    if (currentTextLine().isRightToLeft()) {
         m_viewInternal->cursorNextChar(true);
     } else {
         m_viewInternal->cursorPrevChar(true);
     }
 }
 
 void KTextEditor::ViewPrivate::cursorRight()
 {
-    if (m_viewInternal->m_view->currentTextLine().isRightToLeft()) {
-        m_viewInternal->cursorPrevChar();
+    if (selection() && !config()->persistentSelection()) {
+        if (currentTextLine().isRightToLeft()) {
+            m_viewInternal->updateCursor(selectionRange().start());
+            setSelection(KTextEditor::Range::invalid());
+        } else {
+            m_viewInternal->updateCursor(selectionRange().end());
+            setSelection(KTextEditor::Range::invalid());
+        }
+
     } else {
-        m_viewInternal->cursorNextChar();
+        if (currentTextLine().isRightToLeft()) {
+            m_viewInternal->cursorPrevChar();
+        } else {
+            m_viewInternal->cursorNextChar();
+        }
     }
 }
 
 void KTextEditor::ViewPrivate::shiftCursorRight()
 {
-    if (m_viewInternal->m_view->currentTextLine().isRightToLeft()) {
+    if (currentTextLine().isRightToLeft()) {
         m_viewInternal->cursorPrevChar(true);
     } else {
         m_viewInternal->cursorNextChar(true);
     }
 }
 
 void KTextEditor::ViewPrivate::wordLeft()
 {
-    if (m_viewInternal->m_view->currentTextLine().isRightToLeft()) {
+    if (currentTextLine().isRightToLeft()) {
         m_viewInternal->wordNext();
     } else {
         m_viewInternal->wordPrev();
     }
 }
 
 void KTextEditor::ViewPrivate::shiftWordLeft()
 {
-    if (m_viewInternal->m_view->currentTextLine().isRightToLeft()) {
+    if (currentTextLine().isRightToLeft()) {
         m_viewInternal->wordNext(true);
     } else {
         m_viewInternal->wordPrev(true);
     }
 }
 
 void KTextEditor::ViewPrivate::wordRight()
 {
-    if (m_viewInternal->m_view->currentTextLine().isRightToLeft()) {
+    if (currentTextLine().isRightToLeft()) {
         m_viewInternal->wordPrev();
     } else {
         m_viewInternal->wordNext();
     }
 }
 
 void KTextEditor::ViewPrivate::shiftWordRight()
 {
-    if (m_viewInternal->m_view->currentTextLine().isRightToLeft()) {
+    if (currentTextLine().isRightToLeft()) {
         m_viewInternal->wordPrev(true);
     } else {
         m_viewInternal->wordNext(true);