diff --git a/src/vs/editor/browser/controller/mouseHandler.ts b/src/vs/editor/browser/controller/mouseHandler.ts
index 6657158e914..0b385bd1181 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/browser/controller/mouseHandler.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/browser/controller/mouseHandler.ts
@@ -353,6 +353,7 @@ class MouseDownOperation extends Disposable {
 			&& e.detail < 2 // only single click on a selection can work
 			&& !this._isActive // the mouse is not down yet
 			&& !this._currentSelection.isEmpty() // we don't drag single cursor
+			&& (position.type === editorBrowser.MouseTargetType.CONTENT_TEXT) // single click on text
 			&& this._currentSelection.containsPosition(position.position) // single click on a selection
 		) {
 			this._mouseState.isDragAndDrop = true;
diff --git a/src/vs/editor/contrib/dnd/dnd.ts b/src/vs/editor/contrib/dnd/dnd.ts
index 4b00279afa0..2e374330900 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/contrib/dnd/dnd.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/contrib/dnd/dnd.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ import { DragAndDropCommand } from 'vs/editor/contrib/dnd/dragAndDropCommand';
 import { ModelDecorationOptions } from 'vs/editor/common/model/textModel';
 import { IModelDeltaDecoration } from 'vs/editor/common/model';
 import { IMouseEvent } from 'vs/base/browser/mouseEvent';
-import { IEmptyContentData } from 'vs/editor/browser/controller/mouseTarget';
 import { CodeEditorWidget } from 'vs/editor/browser/widget/codeEditorWidget';
 
 function hasTriggerModifier(e: IKeyboardEvent | IMouseEvent): boolean {
@@ -40,7 +39,6 @@ export class DragAndDropController implements editorCommon.IEditorContribution {
 	private _dragSelection: Selection;
 	private _dndDecorationIds: string[];
 	private _mouseDown: boolean;
-	private _mouseDownInfo: IEditorMouseEvent;
 	private _modiferPressed: boolean;
 	static TRIGGER_KEY_VALUE = isMacintosh ? KeyCode.Alt : KeyCode.Ctrl;
 
@@ -60,7 +58,6 @@ export class DragAndDropController implements editorCommon.IEditorContribution {
 		this._toUnhook.push(this._editor.onDidBlurEditorWidget(() => this.onEditorBlur()));
 		this._dndDecorationIds = [];
 		this._mouseDown = false;
-		this._mouseDownInfo = null;
 		this._modiferPressed = false;
 		this._dragSelection = null;
 	}
@@ -106,12 +103,10 @@ export class DragAndDropController implements editorCommon.IEditorContribution {
 
 	private _onEditorMouseDown(mouseEvent: IEditorMouseEvent): void {
 		this._mouseDown = true;
-		this._mouseDownInfo = mouseEvent;
 	}
 
 	private _onEditorMouseUp(mouseEvent: IEditorMouseEvent): void {
 		this._mouseDown = false;
-		this._mouseDownInfo = null;
 		// Whenever users release the mouse, the drag and drop operation should finish and the cursor should revert to text.
 		this._editor.updateOptions({
 			mouseStyle: 'text'
@@ -119,19 +114,6 @@ export class DragAndDropController implements editorCommon.IEditorContribution {
 	}
 
 	private _onEditorMouseDrag(mouseEvent: IEditorMouseEvent): void {
-		if (!this._mouseDownInfo) {
-			return;
-		}
-
-		if (this._mouseDownInfo.target.type === MouseTargetType.CONTENT_EMPTY) {
-			const epsilon = this._editor.getConfiguration().fontInfo.typicalHalfwidthCharacterWidth / 2;
-			const data = <IEmptyContentData>mouseEvent.target.detail;
-			if (!data || data.isAfterLines || typeof data.horizontalDistanceToText !== 'number' || data.horizontalDistanceToText >= epsilon) {
-				this._mouseDownInfo = null; // clear the mousedown info then we can early exit for this drag listener.
-				return;
-			}
-		}
-
 		let target = mouseEvent.target;
 
 		if (this._dragSelection === null) {