diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/browsertab.py b/qutebrowser/browser/browsertab.py
index 1a514f4a3..add08e66f 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/browsertab.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/browsertab.py
@@ -392,9 +392,6 @@ class AbstractCaret(QObject):
     def drop_selection(self):
         raise NotImplementedError
 
-    def has_selection(self):
-        raise NotImplementedError
-
     def selection(self, html=False, callback=None):
         raise NotImplementedError
 
diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py b/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py
index 0ebcf3240..57f6cce47 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py
@@ -853,7 +853,7 @@ class CommandDispatcher:
             what = 'URL'  # For printing
         elif what == 'selection':
             def _selection_callback(s):
-                if not self._current_widget().caret.has_selection() or not s:
+                if not s:
                     message.info("Nothing to yank")
                     return
                 self._yank_to_target(s, sel, what, keep)
@@ -1267,7 +1267,7 @@ class CommandDispatcher:
             env['QUTE_TITLE'] = self._tabbed_browser.page_title(idx)
 
         tab = self._tabbed_browser.currentWidget()
-        if tab is not None and tab.caret.has_selection():
+        if tab is not None:
             env['QUTE_SELECTED_TEXT'] = selection
             try:
                 env['QUTE_SELECTED_HTML'] = tab.caret.selection(html=True)
diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/webengine/webenginetab.py b/qutebrowser/browser/webengine/webenginetab.py
index ecbe81922..c90481c21 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/webengine/webenginetab.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/webengine/webenginetab.py
@@ -289,24 +289,15 @@ class WebEngineCaret(browsertab.AbstractCaret):
     def drop_selection(self):
         self._js_call('dropSelection')
 
-    def has_selection(self):
-        if qtutils.version_check('5.10'):
-            return self._widget.hasSelection()
-        else:
-            # WORKAROUND for
-            # https://bugreports.qt.io/browse/QTBUG-53134
-            return True
-
     def selection(self, html=False, callback=None):
         if html:
             raise browsertab.UnsupportedOperationError
-        if qtutils.version_check('5.10'):
-            callback(self._widget.selectedText())
-        else:
-            # WORKAROUND for
-            # https://bugreports.qt.io/browse/QTBUG-53134
-            self._tab.run_js_async(
-                javascript.assemble('caret', 'getSelection'), callback)
+        # Not using selectedText() as WORKAROUND for
+        # https://bugreports.qt.io/browse/QTBUG-53134
+        # Even on Qt 5.10 selectedText() seems to work poorly, see
+        # https://github.com/qutebrowser/qutebrowser/issues/3523
+        self._tab.run_js_async(javascript.assemble('caret', 'getSelection'),
+                               callback)
 
     def _follow_selected_cb(self, js_elem, tab=False):
         """Callback for javascript which clicks the selected element.
diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/webkittab.py b/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/webkittab.py
index 4ad177a2a..a493ce495 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/webkittab.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/webkittab.py
@@ -360,9 +360,6 @@ class WebKitCaret(browsertab.AbstractCaret):
     def drop_selection(self):
         self._widget.triggerPageAction(QWebPage.MoveToNextChar)
 
-    def has_selection(self):
-        return self._widget.hasSelection()
-
     def selection(self, html=False, callback=False):
         callback(self._selection(html))
 
@@ -373,8 +370,6 @@ class WebKitCaret(browsertab.AbstractCaret):
             return self._widget.selectedText()
 
     def follow_selected(self, *, tab=False):
-        if not self.has_selection():
-            return
         if QWebSettings.globalSettings().testAttribute(
                 QWebSettings.JavascriptEnabled):
             if tab:
@@ -383,6 +378,8 @@ class WebKitCaret(browsertab.AbstractCaret):
                 'window.getSelection().anchorNode.parentNode.click()')
         else:
             selection = self._selection(html=True)
+            if not selection:
+                return
             try:
                 selected_element = xml.etree.ElementTree.fromstring(
                     '<html>{}</html>'.format(selection)).find('a')