diff --git a/include/notcurses/notcurses.h b/include/notcurses/notcurses.h
index 30db3c115..3de1814b3 100644
--- a/include/notcurses/notcurses.h
+++ b/include/notcurses/notcurses.h
@@ -2276,6 +2276,12 @@ API bool ncselector_offer_input(struct ncselector* n, const struct ncinput* nc);
 // be strdup()ed and assigned to '*item' (and must be free()d by the caller).
 API void ncselector_destroy(struct ncselector* n, char** item);
 
+struct mselector_item {
+  char* option;
+  char* desc;
+  bool selected;
+};
+
 // multiselection widget -- a selector supporting multiple selections.
 //
 //      ╭────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
@@ -2301,7 +2307,7 @@ typedef struct multiselector_options {
   char* title; // title may be NULL, inhibiting riser, saving two rows.
   char* secondary; // secondary may be NULL
   char* footer; // footer may be NULL
-  struct selector_item* items; // initial items and descriptions
+  struct mselector_item* items; // initial items, descriptions, and statuses
   unsigned itemcount; // number of items and descriptions, can't be 0
   // maximum number of options to display at once, 0 to use all available space
   unsigned maxdisplay;
diff --git a/src/lib/internal.h b/src/lib/internal.h
index d4990d9f1..076b5ff02 100644
--- a/src/lib/internal.h
+++ b/src/lib/internal.h
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ typedef struct ncmultiselector {
   unsigned startdisp;          // index of first option displayed
   unsigned maxdisplay;         // max number of items to display, 0 -> no limit
   int longitem;                // columns occupied by longest item
-  struct selector_item* items; // list of items and descriptions, heap-copied
+  struct mselector_item* items;// items, descriptions, and statuses, heap-copied
   unsigned itemcount;          // number of pairs in 'items'
   char* title;                 // can be NULL, in which case there's no riser
   int titlecols;               // columns occupied by title
diff --git a/src/lib/selector.c b/src/lib/selector.c
index 607bf1e66..b764d0511 100644
--- a/src/lib/selector.c
+++ b/src/lib/selector.c
@@ -491,7 +491,7 @@ ncmultiselector_draw(ncmultiselector* n){
     if(printidx == n->current){
       n->ncp->channels = (uint64_t)channels_bchannel(n->descchannels) << 32u | channels_fchannel(n->descchannels);
     }
-    ncplane_putegc_yx(n->ncp, yoff, bodyoffset, "☐", NULL);
+    ncplane_putegc_yx(n->ncp, yoff, bodyoffset, n->items[printidx].selected ? "☒" : "☐", NULL);
     n->ncp->channels = n->opchannels;
     if(printidx == n->current){
       n->ncp->channels = (uint64_t)channels_bchannel(n->opchannels) << 32u | channels_fchannel(n->opchannels);
@@ -563,8 +563,11 @@ const char* ncmultiselector_nextitem(ncmultiselector* n){
 }
 
 bool ncmultiselector_offer_input(ncmultiselector* n, const ncinput* nc){
-  // FIXME handle space to toggle selection
-  if(nc->id == NCKEY_UP){
+  if(nc->id == ' '){
+    n->items[n->current].selected = !n->items[n->current].selected;
+    ncmultiselector_draw(n);
+    return true;
+  }else if(nc->id == NCKEY_UP){
     ncmultiselector_previtem(n);
     return true;
   }else if(nc->id == NCKEY_DOWN){
@@ -671,19 +674,18 @@ ncmultiselector* ncmultiselector_create(ncplane* n, int y, int x, const multisel
     ns->items = NULL;
   }
   for(ns->itemcount = 0 ; ns->itemcount < opts->itemcount ; ++ns->itemcount){
-    const struct selector_item* src = &opts->items[ns->itemcount];
+    const struct mselector_item* src = &opts->items[ns->itemcount];
     int cols = mbswidth(src->option);
-    ns->items[ns->itemcount].opcolumns = cols;
     if(cols > ns->longitem){
       ns->longitem = cols;
     }
     int cols2 = mbswidth(src->desc);
-    ns->items[ns->itemcount].desccolumns = cols2;
     if(cols + cols2 > ns->longitem){
       ns->longitem = cols + cols2;
     }
     ns->items[ns->itemcount].option = strdup(src->option);
     ns->items[ns->itemcount].desc = strdup(src->desc);
+    ns->items[ns->itemcount].selected = src->selected;
     if(!(ns->items[ns->itemcount].desc && ns->items[ns->itemcount].option)){
       free(ns->items[ns->itemcount].option);
       free(ns->items[ns->itemcount].desc);
diff --git a/src/poc/multiselect.c b/src/poc/multiselect.c
index 61be0b7a4..ecf4be8d9 100644
--- a/src/poc/multiselect.c
+++ b/src/poc/multiselect.c
@@ -5,18 +5,18 @@
 #include <notcurses/notcurses.h>
 
 // http://theboomerbible.com/tbb112.html
-static struct selector_item items[] = {
-  { "1", "Across the Atlantic Ocean, there was a place called North America", },
-  { "2", "Discovered by an Italian in the employ of the queen of Spain", },
-  { "3", "Colonized extensively by the Spanish and the French", },
-  { "4", "Developed into a rich nation by Dutch-supplied African slaves", },
-  { "5", "And thus became the largest English-speaking nation on earth", },
-  { "6", "Namely, the United States of America", },
-  { "7", "The inhabitants of the United States called themselves Yankees", },
-  { "8", "For some reason", },
-  { "9", "And, eventually noticing the rest of the world was there,", },
-  { "10", "Decided to rule it.", },
-  { "11", "This is their story.", },
+static struct mselector_item items[] = {
+  { "1", "Across the Atlantic Ocean, there was a place called North America", .selected = false, },
+  { "2", "Discovered by an Italian in the employ of the queen of Spain", .selected = false, },
+  { "3", "Colonized extensively by the Spanish and the French", .selected = false, },
+  { "4", "Developed into a rich nation by Dutch-supplied African slaves", .selected = false, },
+  { "5", "And thus became the largest English-speaking nation on earth", .selected = false, },
+  { "6", "Namely, the United States of America", .selected = false, },
+  { "7", "The inhabitants of the United States called themselves Yankees", .selected = false, },
+  { "8", "For some reason", .selected = false, },
+  { "9", "And, eventually noticing the rest of the world was there,", .selected = false, },
+  { "10", "Decided to rule it.", .selected = false, },
+  { "11", "This is their story.", .selected = false, },
 };
 
 static void