diff --git a/.agents/DECISIONS.md b/.agents/DECISIONS.md
index 7a01132..ce515df 100644
--- a/.agents/DECISIONS.md
+++ b/.agents/DECISIONS.md
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ The choices that the code does not explain, with the options that were rejected.
 - **Annotations and footnotes share two note styles, `filled` and `outline`**, set apart for each feature and each block. Annotations default to `filled`, footnotes to `outline`. The block's `data-scb-annotations` or `data-scb-footnotes` holds its style, and sets CSS variables that the rules read, so both styles can share a page. Each style has its own style settings, so a site can recolour one without the other. *Rejected:* one shared option for both features (a site may want them to differ).
 - **One `startNoteNumber` attribute for annotations and footnotes**, named after EC's `startLineNumber`, since a block uses one note style. *Rejected:* `annotations.start` and `footnotes.start`, whose dotted names read as site options.
 - **A callout is a sibling of its line**, so line tints and blur do not cover it. It takes the highlight of the lines around it when both sides match. Its width uses `cqi` of the `pre`, except in a side annotation grid, where containment would collapse the code column.
+- **A callout's text is selectable only in a selection that starts in its bubble.** A `pointerdown` in a bubble turns on `user-select: text` for that bubble until the next `pointerdown`, so a drag across the code still leaves every bubble out, and what readers see selected is what they copy. *Rejected:* `user-select: contain` (no browser support); a selectable bubble with a `copy` handler that removes callout text (the paste would differ from the selection, as for hidden lines).
 
 ### Hidden lines, expandable blocks
 
diff --git a/docs/e2e/callouts.test.ts b/docs/e2e/callouts.test.ts
index bf7ed72..9011066 100644
--- a/docs/e2e/callouts.test.ts
+++ b/docs/e2e/callouts.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-import { expect, type Page, test } from '@playwright/test';
+import { expect, type Locator, type Page, test } from '@playwright/test';
 import { render } from '../../packages/starlight-codeblocks/test/render.ts';
-import { css, example } from './helpers.ts';
+import { clipboard, css, example } from './helpers.ts';
 
 /** The bubble's box, and the x of the middle of its arrow. */
 const arrow = (el: Element) => {
@@ -52,6 +52,37 @@ test('shows the note in a bubble above its line, inside the block, with its arro
   expect(await css(chip, 'borderTopLeftRadius')).toBe('3px');
 });
 
+test('a drag in a bubble selects and copies its text, and a drag across the code leaves the bubble out', async ({
+  page,
+}) => {
+  const block = example(page);
+  const drag = async (from: Locator, to: Locator) => {
+    const a = await from.boundingBox();
+    const b = await to.boundingBox();
+    if (!a || !b) throw new Error('No box');
+    // The first line of text, and inside the viewport on a phone, where the bubble wraps and the code scrolls.
+    await page.mouse.move(a.x + 2, a.y + Math.min(8, a.height / 2));
+    await page.mouse.down();
+    await page.mouse.move(b.x + Math.min(b.width, 250) - 2, b.y + Math.min(8, b.height / 2), { steps: 5 });
+    await page.mouse.up();
+    await page.keyboard.press('ControlOrMeta+c');
+    return page.evaluate(() => getSelection()?.toString() ?? '');
+  };
+
+  const bubble = block.locator('.scb-callout-text');
+  expect(await drag(bubble, bubble)).toContain('Lets controller');
+  expect(await clipboard(page)).toContain('Lets controller');
+
+  const lines = block.locator('.ec-line');
+  const selected = await drag(lines.first(), lines.nth(1));
+  expect(selected).toContain('AbortController');
+  expect(selected).toContain('const res');
+  expect(selected).not.toContain('cancel');
+  const copied = await clipboard(page);
+  expect(copied).toContain('AbortController');
+  expect(copied).not.toContain('cancel');
+});
+
 test('on a desktop, the arrow points at its text, and a bubble moves left instead of wrapping', async ({
   page,
   isMobile,
diff --git a/docs/src/content/docs/features/inline-callouts.mdx b/docs/src/content/docs/features/inline-callouts.mdx
index 7a0c5b1..452bf74 100644
--- a/docs/src/content/docs/features/inline-callouts.mdx
+++ b/docs/src/content/docs/features/inline-callouts.mdx
@@ -80,8 +80,9 @@ const client = createClient({ retries: 3, backoffMs: 250 });
   - Screen readers read the bubble before its line. The bubble has the `note` role.
 - Copy:
   - The copy button leaves callouts out. A manual selection of the code leaves them out too.
+  - To select the text of a bubble, start the selection in the bubble.
 - Without JavaScript:
-  - Callouts are plain HTML and CSS. They work without JavaScript, and they have no animation.
+  - Callouts are plain HTML and CSS. They work without JavaScript, and they have no animation. Without JavaScript, the text of a bubble cannot be selected.
 
 ## Options
 
diff --git a/packages/starlight-codeblocks/src/client/callouts.ts b/packages/starlight-codeblocks/src/client/callouts.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5c24e24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/starlight-codeblocks/src/client/callouts.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+const SELECT = 'data-scb-callout-select';
+
+let selectable: Element | undefined;
+let listening = false;
+
+/**
+ * Makes a bubble's text selectable for a selection that starts in it, so that a drag across the code
+ * still leaves the bubbles out.
+ */
+export default function initCallouts() {
+  if (listening) return;
+  listening = true;
+  document.addEventListener('pointerdown', (event) => {
+    selectable?.removeAttribute(SELECT);
+    selectable = (event.target as Element).closest?.('.scb-callout-bubble') ?? undefined;
+    selectable?.setAttribute(SELECT, '');
+  });
+}
diff --git a/packages/starlight-codeblocks/src/client/placeholders.ts b/packages/starlight-codeblocks/src/client/placeholders.ts
index b0b0445..232baf3 100644
--- a/packages/starlight-codeblocks/src/client/placeholders.ts
+++ b/packages/starlight-codeblocks/src/client/placeholders.ts
@@ -123,8 +123,10 @@ function change(text: string, value: string) {
 function selectedText(pre: HTMLElement, range: Range) {
   const hidden = (el: Element) => {
     if (!el.checkVisibility()) return true;
+    // The nearest element that sets user-select decides, so a selectable callout bubble counts.
     for (let e: Element | null = el; e && e !== pre; e = e.parentElement) {
-      if (getComputedStyle(e).userSelect === 'none') return true;
+      const select = getComputedStyle(e).userSelect;
+      if (select !== 'auto') return select === 'none';
     }
     return false;
   };
@@ -157,7 +159,7 @@ function copy(event: ClipboardEvent) {
   const common = range.commonAncestorContainer;
   const el = common instanceof Element ? common : common.parentElement;
   const pre = el?.closest('[data-scb-placeholders]')?.querySelector<HTMLElement>('pre');
-  if (!pre?.contains(common) || !pre.querySelector(FIELD)) return;
+  if (!pre?.contains(common) || !pre.querySelector(FIELD) || el?.closest('.scb-callout')) return;
   event.clipboardData.setData('text/plain', selectedText(pre, range));
   event.preventDefault();
 }
diff --git a/packages/starlight-codeblocks/src/expressive-code/callouts.ts b/packages/starlight-codeblocks/src/expressive-code/callouts.ts
index 3435737..c7be181 100644
--- a/packages/starlight-codeblocks/src/expressive-code/callouts.ts
+++ b/packages/starlight-codeblocks/src/expressive-code/callouts.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { type ExpressiveCodeLine, PluginStyleSettings, type UnresolvedStyleValue } from '@expressive-code/core';
 import { type Element, h, select, selectAll, toText } from '@expressive-code/core/hast';
+import { clientJsModules } from '../client-modules.ts';
 import { type CodeblocksPlugin, insertBefore, lineElement } from './core.ts';
 import { inlineMarkdown } from './inline-markdown.ts';
 import { getRenderedDirectives } from './notation.ts';
@@ -73,6 +74,7 @@ export function pluginCallouts(): CodeblocksPlugin {
       },
     },
     styleSettings,
+    jsModules: clientJsModules,
     baseStyles: ({ cssVar }) => {
       const x = `(var(--scb-gutter, 0px) + ${cssVar('codePaddingInline')} + var(--scb-callout-mid) * 1ch)`;
       return `
@@ -97,6 +99,10 @@ pre:has(.${cls()}) { container-type: inline-size; }
   border: 1px solid ${cssVar('codeblocksCallouts.border')};
   border-radius: ${cssVar('codeblocksCallouts.radius')};
 }
+.${cls('-bubble')}[data-scb-callout-select] {
+  user-select: text;
+  -webkit-user-select: text;
+}
 /* On the bubble, so it cannot point past the bubble's end. The bubble keeps the code font size, so 1ch here is the code's. */
 .${cls('-bubble')}::after {
   content: '';
@@ -142,6 +148,7 @@ pre.${PREFIX}-state-all .${cls('-on')} { background: none; }`;
         const callouts = getRenderedDirectives(context, 'callout');
         const code = select('pre > code', context.renderData.blockAst);
         if (callouts.length === 0 || !code) return;
+        (select('pre', context.renderData.blockAst) as Element).properties.dataScbCallouts = '';
         const lines = selectAll('.ec-line', code);
         for (const directive of callouts) {
           const line = directive.lines[0] as ExpressiveCodeLine;
diff --git a/packages/starlight-codeblocks/test/callouts.test.ts b/packages/starlight-codeblocks/test/callouts.test.ts
index 1e400f7..10d6c80 100644
--- a/packages/starlight-codeblocks/test/callouts.test.ts
+++ b/packages/starlight-codeblocks/test/callouts.test.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ test('renders a callout above its line, pointing at the middle of the match', as
   expect(html).not.toContain('[!callout');
   expect(copyText).toBe('const a = 1;\nfetch(url, { signal });');
   expect(warnings).toEqual([]);
+  expect(html).toContain('data-scb-callouts=""');
+  expect((await render(block('js', 'fetch(url);'))).html).not.toContain('data-scb-callouts');
 });
 
 test('calloutMiddle points at the first character that is not whitespace, counting tabs and the shell prompt', async () => {