diff --git a/app/widgets/gimpwidgets-utils.c b/app/widgets/gimpwidgets-utils.c
index 4cf9b34ab0..bfba43c031 100644
--- a/app/widgets/gimpwidgets-utils.c
+++ b/app/widgets/gimpwidgets-utils.c
@@ -679,6 +679,34 @@ gimp_replace_virtual_modifiers (GdkModifierType modifiers)
   return result;
 }
 
+GdkModifierType
+gimp_get_extend_selection_mask (void)
+{
+  GdkDisplay *display = gdk_display_get_default ();
+
+  return gdk_keymap_get_modifier_mask (gdk_keymap_get_for_display (display),
+                                       GDK_MODIFIER_INTENT_EXTEND_SELECTION);
+}
+
+GdkModifierType
+gimp_get_modify_selection_mask (void)
+{
+  GdkDisplay *display = gdk_display_get_default ();
+
+  return gdk_keymap_get_modifier_mask (gdk_keymap_get_for_display (display),
+                                       GDK_MODIFIER_INTENT_MODIFY_SELECTION);
+}
+
+GdkModifierType
+gimp_get_toggle_behavior_mask (void)
+{
+  GdkDisplay *display = gdk_display_get_default ();
+
+  /* use the modify selection modifier */
+  return gdk_keymap_get_modifier_mask (gdk_keymap_get_for_display (display),
+                                       GDK_MODIFIER_INTENT_MODIFY_SELECTION);
+}
+
 /**
  * gimp_get_screen_resolution:
  * @screen: a #GdkScreen or %NULL
diff --git a/app/widgets/gimpwidgets-utils.h b/app/widgets/gimpwidgets-utils.h
index 7a64523a2b..fb81c2707a 100644
--- a/app/widgets/gimpwidgets-utils.h
+++ b/app/widgets/gimpwidgets-utils.h
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ gchar           * gimp_suggest_modifiers           (const gchar          *messag
 GimpChannelOps    gimp_modifiers_to_channel_op     (GtkWidget            *widget,
                                                     GdkModifierType       modifiers);
 GdkModifierType   gimp_replace_virtual_modifiers   (GdkModifierType       modifiers);
+GdkModifierType   gimp_get_extend_selection_mask   (void);
+GdkModifierType   gimp_get_modify_selection_mask   (void);
+GdkModifierType   gimp_get_toggle_behavior_mask    (void);
 
 void              gimp_get_screen_resolution       (GdkScreen            *screen,
                                                     gdouble              *xres,