diff --git a/config.def.h b/config.def.h
index 7cfc07c..0f8b406 100644
--- a/config.def.h
+++ b/config.def.h
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ static unsigned int tripleclicktimeout = 600;
 /* alt screens */
 int allowaltscreen = 1;
 
+/* allow certain non-interactive (insecure) window operations such as:
+   setting the clipboard text */
+int allowwindowops = 0;
+
 /*
  * draw latency range in ms - from new content/keypress/etc until drawing.
  * within this range, st draws when content stops arriving (idle). mostly it's
diff --git a/st.c b/st.c
index b67152e..a0d728f 100644
--- a/st.c
+++ b/st.c
@@ -1861,7 +1861,7 @@ strhandle(void)
 				xsettitle(strescseq.args[1]);
 			return;
 		case 52:
-			if (narg > 2) {
+			if (narg > 2 && allowwindowops) {
 				dec = base64dec(strescseq.args[2]);
 				if (dec) {
 					xsetsel(dec);
diff --git a/st.h b/st.h
index 6e60b78..1e0298a 100644
--- a/st.h
+++ b/st.h
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ extern char *stty_args;
 extern char *vtiden;
 extern wchar_t *worddelimiters;
 extern int allowaltscreen;
+extern int allowwindowops;
 extern char *termname;
 extern unsigned int tabspaces;
 extern unsigned int defaultfg;