diff --git a/app/controllers/maps_controller.rb b/app/controllers/maps_controller.rb
index f253efd5..3d785e91 100644
--- a/app/controllers/maps_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/maps_controller.rb
@@ -116,8 +116,12 @@ class MapsController < ApplicationController
 
   # GET maps/:id/export
   def export
-    exporter = MapExportService.new(current_user, @map, base_url: request.base_url)
-
+    topic_ids = params[:topic_ids].split(',').map(&:to_i)
+    synapse_ids = params[:synapse_ids].split(',').map(&:to_i)
+    exporter = MapExportService.new(current_user, @map,
+                                    topic_ids: topic_ids,
+                                    synapse_ids: synapse_ids,
+                                    base_url: request.base_url)
     respond_to do |format|
       format.json { render json: exporter.json }
       format.csv { send_data exporter.csv }
diff --git a/app/services/map_export_service.rb b/app/services/map_export_service.rb
index 4e180bf2..5bd23b65 100644
--- a/app/services/map_export_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/map_export_service.rb
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ class MapExportService
   def initialize(user, map, opts = {})
     @user = user
     @map = map
+    @topic_ids = opts[:topic_ids] if opts[:topic_ids]
+    @synapse_ids = opts[:synapse_ids] if opts[:synapse_ids]
     @base_url = opts[:base_url] || 'https://metamaps.cc'
   end
 
@@ -61,6 +63,7 @@ class MapExportService
     topic_mappings.map do |mapping|
       topic = mapping.mappable
       next nil if topic.nil?
+      next nil if @topic_ids && !@topic_ids.include?(topic.id)
       OpenStruct.new(
         id: topic.id,
         name: topic.name,
@@ -72,13 +75,14 @@ class MapExportService
         user: topic.user.name,
         permission: topic.permission
       )
-    end.compact
+    end.compact.uniq(&:id)
   end
 
   def exportable_synapses
-    visible_synapses = Pundit.policy_scope!(user, map.synapses)
+    visible_synapses = Pundit.policy_scope!(user, map.synapses).uniq
     visible_synapses.map do |synapse|
       next nil if synapse.nil?
+      next nil if @synapse_ids && !@synapse_ids.include?(synapse.id)
       OpenStruct.new(
         topic1: synapse.topic1_id,
         topic2: synapse.topic2_id,
diff --git a/frontend/src/Metamaps/Export.js b/frontend/src/Metamaps/Export.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b0cf429c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/Metamaps/Export.js
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+/* global $ */
+import Active from './Active'
+import GlobalUI from './GlobalUI'
+import Selected from './Selected'
+
+const Export = {
+  // simple hack to use the existing ruby export code
+  // someday we can build a real export function here
+  copySelection: function() {
+    if (!Active.Map) return // someday we can expand this
+    const topic_ids = Selected.Nodes.map(node => node.id).join(',')
+    const synapse_ids = Selected.Edges.map(edge => {
+      return edge.getData('synapses')[edge.getData('displayIndex')].id
+    }).join(',')
+    const url = `/maps/${Active.Map.id}/export.json`
+    const query = `topic_ids=${topic_ids}&synapse_ids=${synapse_ids}`
+    $.ajax(`${url}?${query}`, {
+      success: data => {
+        $('body').append($('<div id="clipboard-text" style="display: none">" + data + </div>').select())
+        const copied = document.execCommand('copy')
+        $('#clipboard-text').remove()
+        if (copied) {
+          GlobalUI.notifyUser(`${Selected.Nodes.length} topics and ${Selected.Edges.length} synapses were copied to the clipboard`)
+        } else {
+          GlobalUI.notifyUser(`Copy-paste failed, try manually exporting the map at ${url}.`)
+        }
+      }
+    })
+  }
+}
+
+export default Export
diff --git a/frontend/src/Metamaps/Listeners.js b/frontend/src/Metamaps/Listeners.js
index a5dc630f..b5670e1e 100644
--- a/frontend/src/Metamaps/Listeners.js
+++ b/frontend/src/Metamaps/Listeners.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import Active from './Active'
 import Create from './Create'
 import Control from './Control'
 import DataModel from './DataModel'
+import Export from './Export'
 import JIT from './JIT'
 import Realtime from './Realtime'
 import Selected from './Selected'
@@ -72,6 +73,11 @@ const Listeners = {
             Visualize.mGraph.plot()
           }
 
+          break
+        case 67: // if c or C is pressed
+          if (e.ctrlKey && e.target.tagName === 'BODY') {
+            Export.copySelection()
+          }
           break
         case 68: // if d or D is pressed
           if (e.ctrlKey || e.metaKey) {
diff --git a/frontend/src/Metamaps/index.js b/frontend/src/Metamaps/index.js
index 747cb643..2f28ee55 100644
--- a/frontend/src/Metamaps/index.js
+++ b/frontend/src/Metamaps/index.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import Control from './Control'
 import Create from './Create'
 import DataModel from './DataModel'
 import Debug from './Debug'
+import Export from './Export'
 import Filter from './Filter'
 import GlobalUI, {
   Notifications, ReactApp, Search, CreateMap, ImportDialog
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ Metamaps.Control = Control
 Metamaps.Create = Create
 Metamaps.DataModel = DataModel
 Metamaps.Debug = Debug
+Metamaps.Export = Export
 Metamaps.Filter = Filter
 Metamaps.GlobalUI = GlobalUI
 Metamaps.GlobalUI.Notifications = Notifications