diff --git a/PowerEditor/src/Notepad_plus.cpp b/PowerEditor/src/Notepad_plus.cpp
index a87477fe..393b4919 100644
--- a/PowerEditor/src/Notepad_plus.cpp
+++ b/PowerEditor/src/Notepad_plus.cpp
@@ -323,6 +323,10 @@ LRESULT Notepad_plus::init(HWND hwnd)
 	_mainEditView.execute(SCI_SETMULTIPASTE, SC_MULTIPASTE_EACH);
 	_subEditView.execute(SCI_SETMULTIPASTE, SC_MULTIPASTE_EACH);
 
+	// allow user to start selecting as a stream block, then switch to a column block by adding Alt keypress
+	_mainEditView.execute(SCI_SETMOUSESELECTIONRECTANGULARSWITCH, true);
+	_subEditView.execute(SCI_SETMOUSESELECTIONRECTANGULARSWITCH, true);
+
 	// Let Scintilla deal with some of the folding functionality
 	_mainEditView.execute(SCI_SETAUTOMATICFOLD, SC_AUTOMATICFOLD_SHOW);
 	_subEditView.execute(SCI_SETAUTOMATICFOLD, SC_AUTOMATICFOLD_SHOW);
diff --git a/PowerEditor/src/ScitillaComponent/FindReplaceDlg.cpp b/PowerEditor/src/ScitillaComponent/FindReplaceDlg.cpp
index 266ed076..98ff523b 100644
--- a/PowerEditor/src/ScitillaComponent/FindReplaceDlg.cpp
+++ b/PowerEditor/src/ScitillaComponent/FindReplaceDlg.cpp
@@ -2341,6 +2341,9 @@ void FindReplaceDlg::findAllIn(InWhat op)
 		_pFinder->_scintView.execute(SCI_SETUSETABS, true);
 		_pFinder->_scintView.execute(SCI_SETTABWIDTH, 4);
 
+		// allow user to start selecting as a stream block, then switch to a column block by adding Alt keypress
+		_pFinder->_scintView.execute(SCI_SETMOUSESELECTIONRECTANGULARSWITCH, true);
+
 		// get the width of FindDlg
 		RECT findRect;
 		::GetWindowRect(_pFinder->getHSelf(), &findRect);
@@ -2446,6 +2449,9 @@ Finder * FindReplaceDlg::createFinder()
 	pFinder->_scintView.execute(SCI_SETUSETABS, true);
 	pFinder->_scintView.execute(SCI_SETTABWIDTH, 4);
 
+	// allow user to start selecting as a stream block, then switch to a column block by adding Alt keypress
+	pFinder->_scintView.execute(SCI_SETMOUSESELECTIONRECTANGULARSWITCH, true);
+
 	// get the width of FindDlg
 	RECT findRect;
 	::GetWindowRect(pFinder->getHSelf(), &findRect);