diff --git a/runtime/defaults.vim b/runtime/defaults.vim
index 255b67b..e7929ea 100644
--- a/runtime/defaults.vim
+++ b/runtime/defaults.vim
@@ -75,8 +75,14 @@
 
 " In many terminal emulators the mouse works just fine.  By enabling it you
 " can position the cursor, Visually select and scroll with the mouse.
+" Only xterm can grab the mouse events when using the shift key, for other
+" terminals use ":", select text and press Esc.
 if has('mouse')
-  set mouse=a
+  if &term =~ 'xterm'
+    set mouse=a
+  else
+    set mouse=nvi
+  endif
 endif
 
 " Switch syntax highlighting on when the terminal has colors or when using the
diff --git a/runtime/doc/options.txt b/runtime/doc/options.txt
index 6e4ff1d..82cac9d 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/options.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/options.txt
@@ -5191,12 +5191,11 @@
 
 						*'mouse'* *E538*
 'mouse'			string	(default "", "a" for GUI, MS-DOS and Win32,
-						 set to "a" in |defaults.vim|)
+					set to "a" or "nvi" in |defaults.vim|)
 			global
-	Enable the use of the mouse.  Only works for certain terminals
-	(xterm, MS-DOS, Win32 |win32-mouse|, QNX pterm, *BSD console with
-	sysmouse and Linux console with gpm).  For using the mouse in the
-	GUI, see |gui-mouse|.
+	Enable the use of the mouse.  Works for most terminals (xterm, MS-DOS,
+	Win32 |win32-mouse|, QNX pterm, *BSD console with sysmouse and Linux
+	console with gpm).  For using the mouse in the GUI, see |gui-mouse|.
 	The mouse can be enabled for different modes:
 		n	Normal mode and Terminal modes
 		v	Visual mode
@@ -5207,7 +5206,15 @@
 		r	for |hit-enter| and |more-prompt| prompt
 	Normally you would enable the mouse in all five modes with: >
 		:set mouse=a
-<	When the mouse is not enabled, the GUI will still use the mouse for
+<	If your terminal can't overrule the mouse events going to the
+	application, use: >
+		:set mouse=nvi
+<	The you can press ":", select text for the system, and press Esc to go
+	back to Vim using the mouse events.
+	In |defaults.vim| "nvi" is used if the 'term' option is not matching
+	"xterm".
+
+	When the mouse is not enabled, the GUI will still use the mouse for
 	modeless selection.  This doesn't move the text cursor.
 
 	See |mouse-using|.  Also see |'clipboard'|.
diff --git a/runtime/doc/term.txt b/runtime/doc/term.txt
index 133d0e9..0a0f647 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/term.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/term.txt
@@ -746,12 +746,21 @@
 Whether the selection that is started with the mouse is in Visual mode or
 Select mode depends on whether "mouse" is included in the 'selectmode'
 option.
-
+							*terminal-mouse*
 In an xterm, with the currently active mode included in the 'mouse' option,
 normal mouse clicks are used by Vim, mouse clicks with the shift or ctrl key
 pressed go to the xterm.  With the currently active mode not included in
 'mouse' all mouse clicks go to the xterm.
 
+For terminals where it is not possible to have the mouse events be used by the
+terminal itself by using a modifier, a workaround is to not use mouse events
+for Vim in command-line mode: >
+	:set mouse=nvi
+Then to select text with the terminal, use ":" to go to command-line mode,
+select and copy the text to the system, then press Esc.
+
+Another way is to temporarily use ":sh" to run a shell, copy the text, then
+exit the shell.  'mouse' can remain set to "a" then.
 							*xterm-clipboard*
 In the Athena and Motif GUI versions, when running in a terminal and there is
 access to the X-server (DISPLAY is set), the copy and paste will behave like