diff --git a/packages/vscode-extension/src/webviews/modelBackedEditorProvider.ts b/packages/vscode-extension/src/webviews/modelBackedEditorProvider.ts
index 8dfde51c..16c56af5 100644
--- a/packages/vscode-extension/src/webviews/modelBackedEditorProvider.ts
+++ b/packages/vscode-extension/src/webviews/modelBackedEditorProvider.ts
@@ -262,22 +262,17 @@ export abstract class ModelBackedEditorProvider<
 
     private async handleClipboardMessage(webview: vscode.Webview, message: EditorMessage<TModel>): Promise<void> {
         const requestId = typeof message.requestId === 'string' ? message.requestId : undefined;
-        if (!requestId) {
-            return;
-        }
         try {
-            if (message.operation === 'read') {
-                webview.postMessage({ type: 'clipboardResponse', requestId, text: await vscode.env.clipboard.readText() });
-                return;
-            }
             if (message.operation === 'write') {
+                // Fire-and-forget: the webview does not await a response for writes.
                 await vscode.env.clipboard.writeText(typeof message.text === 'string' ? message.text : '');
-                webview.postMessage({ type: 'clipboardResponse', requestId });
-                return;
+            } else if (message.operation === 'read' && requestId) {
+                webview.postMessage({ type: 'clipboardResponse', requestId, text: await vscode.env.clipboard.readText() });
             }
-            webview.postMessage({ type: 'clipboardResponse', requestId, error: 'Unsupported clipboard operation.' });
         } catch (error) {
-            webview.postMessage({ type: 'clipboardResponse', requestId, error: getErrorMessage(error) });
+            if (requestId) {
+                webview.postMessage({ type: 'clipboardResponse', requestId, error: getErrorMessage(error) });
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/vscode-webviews/src/shared/components/monaco-editor/monaco-editor.component.ts b/packages/vscode-webviews/src/shared/components/monaco-editor/monaco-editor.component.ts
index 80cb18ee..925b2086 100644
--- a/packages/vscode-webviews/src/shared/components/monaco-editor/monaco-editor.component.ts
+++ b/packages/vscode-webviews/src/shared/components/monaco-editor/monaco-editor.component.ts
@@ -197,19 +197,17 @@ export class VlocodeMonacoEditorComponent implements AfterViewInit {
 
     private async handleClipboardShortcut(event: monaco.IKeyboardEvent) {
         const editor = this.editor;
-        if (!editor || !usesPrimaryModifier(event) || event.altKey) {
+        if (!editor || !(event.ctrlKey || event.metaKey) || event.altKey) {
             return;
         }
-
-        const key = event.browserEvent.key.toLowerCase();
-        if (key === 'c' || key === 'x') {
-            await this.copySelection(editor, event, key === 'x');
-        } else if (key === 'v') {
+        if (event.keyCode === monaco.KeyCode.KeyC || event.keyCode === monaco.KeyCode.KeyX) {
+            this.copySelection(editor, event, event.keyCode === monaco.KeyCode.KeyX);
+        } else if (event.keyCode === monaco.KeyCode.KeyV) {
             await this.pasteClipboardText(editor, event);
         }
     }
 
-    private async copySelection(editor: monaco.editor.IStandaloneCodeEditor, event: monaco.IKeyboardEvent, cut: boolean) {
+    private copySelection(editor: monaco.editor.IStandaloneCodeEditor, event: monaco.IKeyboardEvent, cut: boolean) {
         const model = editor.getModel();
         const selections = editor.getSelections() ?? [];
         if (!model || selections.length === 0) {
@@ -223,12 +221,11 @@ export class VlocodeMonacoEditorComponent implements AfterViewInit {
         event.preventDefault();
         event.stopPropagation();
 
-        await writeClipboardText(ranges.map(range => model.getValueInRange(range)).join(hasSelection ? '\n' : ''));
-        if (!cut || this.readOnly()) {
-            return;
+        // The clipboard text is read from the model before the cut edit, so the write can be fire-and-forget.
+        writeClipboardText(ranges.map(range => model.getValueInRange(range)).join(hasSelection ? '\n' : ''));
+        if (cut && !this.readOnly()) {
+            editor.executeEdits('clipboard', ranges.map(range => ({ range, text: '' })));
         }
-
-        editor.executeEdits('clipboard', ranges.map(range => ({ range, text: '' })));
     }
 
     private async pasteClipboardText(editor: monaco.editor.IStandaloneCodeEditor, event: monaco.IKeyboardEvent) {
@@ -241,15 +238,12 @@ export class VlocodeMonacoEditorComponent implements AfterViewInit {
 
         const text = await readClipboardText();
         if (text) {
+            // Route through Monaco's paste handler to preserve multi-cursor spread and paste-on-new-line.
             editor.trigger('keyboard', 'paste', { text });
         }
     }
 }
 
-function usesPrimaryModifier(event: monaco.IKeyboardEvent) {
-    return event.metaKey || event.ctrlKey;
-}
-
 function getFullLineRanges(model: monaco.editor.ITextModel, selections: readonly monaco.Selection[]) {
     const lineNumbers = [...new Set(selections.map(selection => selection.positionLineNumber))]
         .sort((left, right) => left - right);
diff --git a/packages/vscode-webviews/src/shared/utils/webview-clipboard.ts b/packages/vscode-webviews/src/shared/utils/webview-clipboard.ts
index a32cf810..ea2a6e43 100644
--- a/packages/vscode-webviews/src/shared/utils/webview-clipboard.ts
+++ b/packages/vscode-webviews/src/shared/utils/webview-clipboard.ts
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ export interface WebviewApi {
     postMessage(message: unknown): void;
 }
 
-type ClipboardOperation = 'read' | 'write';
-
 interface ClipboardResponse {
     error?: string;
     requestId: string;
@@ -11,7 +9,7 @@ interface ClipboardResponse {
     type: 'clipboardResponse';
 }
 
-interface PendingRequest {
+interface PendingRead {
     reject(error: Error): void;
     resolve(text: string): void;
     timeout: number;
@@ -20,7 +18,7 @@ interface PendingRequest {
 let vscodeApi: WebviewApi | undefined;
 let nextRequestId = 0;
 let listening = false;
-const pending = new Map<string, PendingRequest>();
+const pendingReads = new Map<string, PendingRead>();
 
 export function registerWebviewApi(api: WebviewApi | undefined) {
     vscodeApi = api;
@@ -30,55 +28,47 @@ export function registerWebviewApi(api: WebviewApi | undefined) {
     }
 }
 
-export async function readClipboardText(): Promise<string> {
-    return requestClipboard('read');
-}
-
-export async function writeClipboardText(text: string): Promise<void> {
-    await requestClipboard('write', text);
-}
-
-async function requestClipboard(operation: 'read'): Promise<string>;
-async function requestClipboard(operation: 'write', text: string): Promise<string>;
-async function requestClipboard(operation: ClipboardOperation, text = ''): Promise<string> {
+/**
+ * Write text to the clipboard. Fire-and-forget: the caller never needs the host
+ * to confirm the write, so no response is awaited. `navigator.clipboard` is used
+ * as a fallback when running outside a VS Code webview (e.g. the browser preview).
+ */
+export function writeClipboardText(text: string): void {
     if (vscodeApi) {
-        return requestVsCodeClipboard(operation, text);
+        vscodeApi.postMessage({ type: 'clipboard', operation: 'write', text });
+    } else {
+        void navigator.clipboard?.writeText(text);
     }
-    return requestBrowserClipboard(operation, text);
 }
 
-function requestVsCodeClipboard(operation: ClipboardOperation, text: string): Promise<string> {
+/**
+ * Read text from the clipboard. Inside a VS Code webview this must round-trip to
+ * the extension host because `navigator.clipboard.readText()` is blocked there.
+ */
+export async function readClipboardText(): Promise<string> {
+    if (!vscodeApi) {
+        return navigator.clipboard ? navigator.clipboard.readText() : '';
+    }
     const requestId = `clipboard-${Date.now()}-${++nextRequestId}`;
     return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
         const timeout = window.setTimeout(() => {
-            pending.delete(requestId);
+            pendingReads.delete(requestId);
             reject(new Error('Timed out waiting for VS Code clipboard response.'));
         }, 3000);
-        pending.set(requestId, { reject, resolve, timeout });
-        vscodeApi?.postMessage({ type: 'clipboard', requestId, operation, text });
+        pendingReads.set(requestId, { reject, resolve, timeout });
+        vscodeApi?.postMessage({ type: 'clipboard', operation: 'read', requestId });
     });
 }
 
-async function requestBrowserClipboard(operation: ClipboardOperation, text: string): Promise<string> {
-    if (!navigator.clipboard) {
-        throw new Error('Clipboard API is not available.');
-    }
-    if (operation === 'read') {
-        return navigator.clipboard.readText();
-    }
-    await navigator.clipboard.writeText(text);
-    return '';
-}
-
 function handleClipboardResponse(message: unknown) {
     if (!isClipboardResponse(message)) {
         return;
     }
-    const request = pending.get(message.requestId);
+    const request = pendingReads.get(message.requestId);
     if (!request) {
         return;
     }
-    pending.delete(message.requestId);
+    pendingReads.delete(message.requestId);
     window.clearTimeout(request.timeout);
     if (message.error) {
         request.reject(new Error(message.error));