diff --git a/ui/vdagent.c b/ui/vdagent.c
index cd49da1ffa..7d8cb963ff 100644
--- a/ui/vdagent.c
+++ b/ui/vdagent.c
@@ -345,6 +345,24 @@ static void vdagent_send_clipboard_grab(VDAgentChardev *vd,
     vdagent_send_msg(vd, msg);
 }
 
+static void vdagent_send_clipboard_release(VDAgentChardev *vd,
+                                           QemuClipboardInfo *info)
+{
+    g_autofree VDAgentMessage *msg = g_malloc0(sizeof(VDAgentMessage) +
+                                               sizeof(uint32_t));
+
+    if (have_selection(vd)) {
+        uint8_t *s = msg->data;
+        *s = info->selection;
+        msg->size += sizeof(uint32_t);
+    } else if (info->selection != QEMU_CLIPBOARD_SELECTION_CLIPBOARD) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    msg->type = VD_AGENT_CLIPBOARD_RELEASE;
+    vdagent_send_msg(vd, msg);
+}
+
 static void vdagent_send_clipboard_data(VDAgentChardev *vd,
                                         QemuClipboardInfo *info,
                                         QemuClipboardType type)
@@ -396,7 +414,11 @@ static void vdagent_clipboard_notify(Notifier *notifier, void *data)
     if (info != qemu_clipboard_info(s)) {
         vd->cbpending[s] = 0;
         if (!self_update) {
-            vdagent_send_clipboard_grab(vd, info);
+            if (info->owner) {
+                vdagent_send_clipboard_grab(vd, info);
+            } else {
+                vdagent_send_clipboard_release(vd, info);
+            }
         }
         return;
     }