diff --git a/pkg/gui/context/commit_files_context.go b/pkg/gui/context/commit_files_context.go
index f819a2eb4..9689df29b 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/context/commit_files_context.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/context/commit_files_context.go
@@ -19,11 +19,16 @@ type CommitFilesContext struct {
 }
 
 var (
-	_ types.IListContext       = (*CommitFilesContext)(nil)
-	_ types.DiffableContext    = (*CommitFilesContext)(nil)
-	_ types.IFilterableContext = (*CommitFilesContext)(nil)
+	_ types.IListContext        = (*CommitFilesContext)(nil)
+	_ types.DiffableContext     = (*CommitFilesContext)(nil)
+	_ types.IFilterableContext  = (*CommitFilesContext)(nil)
+	_ types.DiffMainViewContext = (*CommitFilesContext)(nil)
 )
 
+func (self *CommitFilesContext) GetDiffMainViewType() types.DiffMainViewType {
+	return types.DiffMainViewTypePatchBuilding
+}
+
 func NewCommitFilesContext(c *ContextCommon) *CommitFilesContext {
 	viewModel := filetree.NewCommitFileTreeViewModel(
 		func() []*models.CommitFile { return c.Model().CommitFiles },
diff --git a/pkg/gui/context/local_commits_context.go b/pkg/gui/context/local_commits_context.go
index 4a99259fd..8bab33801 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/context/local_commits_context.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/context/local_commits_context.go
@@ -31,11 +31,16 @@ type commitDropIndicator struct {
 }
 
 var (
-	_ types.IListContext       = (*LocalCommitsContext)(nil)
-	_ types.DiffableContext    = (*LocalCommitsContext)(nil)
-	_ types.ISearchableContext = (*LocalCommitsContext)(nil)
+	_ types.IListContext        = (*LocalCommitsContext)(nil)
+	_ types.DiffableContext     = (*LocalCommitsContext)(nil)
+	_ types.ISearchableContext  = (*LocalCommitsContext)(nil)
+	_ types.DiffMainViewContext = (*LocalCommitsContext)(nil)
 )
 
+func (self *LocalCommitsContext) GetDiffMainViewType() types.DiffMainViewType {
+	return types.DiffMainViewTypePatchBuilding
+}
+
 func NewLocalCommitsContext(c *ContextCommon) *LocalCommitsContext {
 	dropIndicator := &commitDropIndicator{insertionIndex: -1}
 	viewModel := NewLocalCommitsViewModel(
diff --git a/pkg/gui/context/reflog_commits_context.go b/pkg/gui/context/reflog_commits_context.go
index 71314bf66..f7dd1828a 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/context/reflog_commits_context.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/context/reflog_commits_context.go
@@ -14,10 +14,15 @@ type ReflogCommitsContext struct {
 }
 
 var (
-	_ types.IListContext    = (*ReflogCommitsContext)(nil)
-	_ types.DiffableContext = (*ReflogCommitsContext)(nil)
+	_ types.IListContext        = (*ReflogCommitsContext)(nil)
+	_ types.DiffableContext     = (*ReflogCommitsContext)(nil)
+	_ types.DiffMainViewContext = (*ReflogCommitsContext)(nil)
 )
 
+func (self *ReflogCommitsContext) GetDiffMainViewType() types.DiffMainViewType {
+	return types.DiffMainViewTypePatchBuilding
+}
+
 func NewReflogCommitsContext(c *ContextCommon) *ReflogCommitsContext {
 	viewModel := NewFilteredListViewModel(
 		func() []*models.Commit { return c.Model().FilteredReflogCommits },
diff --git a/pkg/gui/context/stash_context.go b/pkg/gui/context/stash_context.go
index 2014de9f3..99919868a 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/context/stash_context.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/context/stash_context.go
@@ -12,10 +12,15 @@ type StashContext struct {
 }
 
 var (
-	_ types.IListContext    = (*StashContext)(nil)
-	_ types.DiffableContext = (*StashContext)(nil)
+	_ types.IListContext        = (*StashContext)(nil)
+	_ types.DiffableContext     = (*StashContext)(nil)
+	_ types.DiffMainViewContext = (*StashContext)(nil)
 )
 
+func (self *StashContext) GetDiffMainViewType() types.DiffMainViewType {
+	return types.DiffMainViewTypePatchBuilding
+}
+
 func NewStashContext(
 	c *ContextCommon,
 ) *StashContext {
diff --git a/pkg/gui/context/sub_commits_context.go b/pkg/gui/context/sub_commits_context.go
index b0bcee30a..14a6e49ca 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/context/sub_commits_context.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/context/sub_commits_context.go
@@ -21,11 +21,16 @@ type SubCommitsContext struct {
 }
 
 var (
-	_ types.IListContext       = (*SubCommitsContext)(nil)
-	_ types.DiffableContext    = (*SubCommitsContext)(nil)
-	_ types.ISearchableContext = (*SubCommitsContext)(nil)
+	_ types.IListContext        = (*SubCommitsContext)(nil)
+	_ types.DiffableContext     = (*SubCommitsContext)(nil)
+	_ types.ISearchableContext  = (*SubCommitsContext)(nil)
+	_ types.DiffMainViewContext = (*SubCommitsContext)(nil)
 )
 
+func (self *SubCommitsContext) GetDiffMainViewType() types.DiffMainViewType {
+	return types.DiffMainViewTypePatchBuilding
+}
+
 func NewSubCommitsContext(
 	c *ContextCommon,
 ) *SubCommitsContext {
diff --git a/pkg/gui/context/working_tree_context.go b/pkg/gui/context/working_tree_context.go
index d82037e44..706bed3b6 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/context/working_tree_context.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/context/working_tree_context.go
@@ -15,10 +15,15 @@ type WorkingTreeContext struct {
 }
 
 var (
-	_ types.IListContext       = (*WorkingTreeContext)(nil)
-	_ types.IFilterableContext = (*WorkingTreeContext)(nil)
+	_ types.IListContext        = (*WorkingTreeContext)(nil)
+	_ types.IFilterableContext  = (*WorkingTreeContext)(nil)
+	_ types.DiffMainViewContext = (*WorkingTreeContext)(nil)
 )
 
+func (self *WorkingTreeContext) GetDiffMainViewType() types.DiffMainViewType {
+	return types.DiffMainViewTypeStaging
+}
+
 func NewWorkingTreeContext(c *ContextCommon) *WorkingTreeContext {
 	viewModel := filetree.NewFileTreeViewModel(
 		func() []*models.File { return c.Model().Files },
diff --git a/pkg/gui/types/context.go b/pkg/gui/types/context.go
index 93b92c70e..3f75f41ea 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/types/context.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/types/context.go
@@ -180,6 +180,39 @@ type DiffableContext interface {
 	RefForAdjustingLineNumberInDiff() string
 }
 
+// DiffMainViewContext is implemented by the side panel contexts whose focused
+// main view shows a unified diff — files, local commits, sub-commits, reflog,
+// stash, and commit files — as opposed to a commit log or other non-diff content
+// (branches, tags, status, …). It is distinct from DiffableContext, which is
+// about producing a diff between two refs for the diff menu. The focused main
+// view shows a selection only for a context that implements this: a selection is
+// only meaningful where there are diff lines to act on (edit one, copy some, jump
+// by hunk or file). The returned type additionally classifies what acting on that
+// selection means.
+type DiffMainViewContext interface {
+	Context
+
+	GetDiffMainViewType() DiffMainViewType
+}
+
+// DiffMainViewType classifies what the focused main view's diff belongs to, which
+// decides what acting on a selection in it means.
+type DiffMainViewType int
+
+const (
+	// DiffMainViewTypeNone: the main view holds no diff, so there is nothing to
+	// select. A side panel that doesn't implement DiffMainViewContext counts as
+	// this; no panel returns it itself.
+	DiffMainViewTypeNone DiffMainViewType = iota
+	// DiffMainViewTypeStaging: the diff is the working tree's, so the selection can
+	// be staged or unstaged (the files panel).
+	DiffMainViewTypeStaging
+	// DiffMainViewTypePatchBuilding: the diff belongs to a commit, so the selection
+	// can be taken into a custom patch (the commit files / commits / sub-commits /
+	// reflog / stash panels).
+	DiffMainViewTypePatchBuilding
+)
+
 type IListContext interface {
 	Context