diff --git a/caravel/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/actions.js b/caravel/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/actions.js
index 9634a6a83ab5b..6e46ae22851d6 100644
--- a/caravel/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/actions.js
+++ b/caravel/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/actions.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ export const QUERY_EDITOR_SET_SCHEMA = 'QUERY_EDITOR_SET_SCHEMA';
 export const QUERY_EDITOR_SET_TITLE = 'QUERY_EDITOR_SET_TITLE';
 export const QUERY_EDITOR_SET_AUTORUN = 'QUERY_EDITOR_SET_AUTORUN';
 export const QUERY_EDITOR_SET_SQL = 'QUERY_EDITOR_SET_SQL';
+export const QUERY_EDITOR_SET_SELECTED_TEXT = 'QUERY_EDITOR_SET_SELECTED_TEXT';
 export const SET_DATABASES = 'SET_DATABASES';
 export const SET_ACTIVE_QUERY_EDITOR = 'SET_ACTIVE_QUERY_EDITOR';
 export const ADD_ALERT = 'ADD_ALERT';
@@ -193,6 +194,10 @@ export function queryEditorSetSql(queryEditor, sql) {
   return { type: QUERY_EDITOR_SET_SQL, queryEditor, sql };
 }
 
+export function queryEditorSetSelectedText(queryEditor, sql) {
+  return { type: QUERY_EDITOR_SET_SELECTED_TEXT, queryEditor, sql };
+}
+
 export function mergeTable(table) {
   return { type: MERGE_TABLE, table };
 }
diff --git a/caravel/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/components/AceEditorWrapper.jsx b/caravel/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/components/AceEditorWrapper.jsx
index ae2e5af9b726d..cd7069498c9f7 100644
--- a/caravel/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/components/AceEditorWrapper.jsx
+++ b/caravel/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/components/AceEditorWrapper.jsx
@@ -4,13 +4,16 @@ import 'brace/mode/sql';
 import 'brace/theme/github';
 import 'brace/ext/language_tools';
 import ace from 'brace';
+import { areArraysShallowEqual } from '../../reduxUtils';
 
 const langTools = ace.acequire('ace/ext/language_tools');
 
 const propTypes = {
+  actions: React.PropTypes.object.isRequired,
   onBlur: React.PropTypes.func,
   sql: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired,
   tables: React.PropTypes.array,
+  queryEditor: React.PropTypes.object.isRequired,
 };
 
 const defaultProps = {
@@ -25,6 +28,16 @@ class AceEditorWrapper extends React.PureComponent {
       sql: props.sql,
     };
   }
+  componentDidMount() {
+    // Making sure no text is selected from previous mount
+    this.props.actions.queryEditorSetSelectedText(this.props.queryEditor, null);
+    this.setAutoCompleter();
+  }
+  componentWillReceiveProps(nextProps) {
+    if (!areArraysShallowEqual(this.props.tables, nextProps.tables)) {
+      this.setAutoCompleter();
+    }
+  }
   textChange(text) {
     this.setState({ sql: text });
   }
@@ -32,22 +45,31 @@ class AceEditorWrapper extends React.PureComponent {
     this.props.onBlur(this.state.sql);
   }
   getCompletions(aceEditor, session, pos, prefix, callback) {
+    callback(null, this.state.words);
+  }
+  onEditorLoad(editor) {
+    editor.$blockScrolling = Infinity; // eslint-disable-line no-param-reassign
+    editor.selection.on('changeSelection', () => {
+      this.props.actions.queryEditorSetSelectedText(
+        this.props.queryEditor, editor.getSelectedText());
+    });
+  }
+  setAutoCompleter() {
+    // Loading table and column names as auto-completable words
     let words = [];
     const columns = {};
     const tables = this.props.tables || [];
     tables.forEach(t => {
       words.push({ name: t.name, value: t.name, score: 55, meta: 'table' });
-      t.columns.forEach(col => {
+      const cols = t.columns || [];
+      cols.forEach(col => {
         columns[col.name] = null;  // using an object as a unique set
       });
     });
     words = words.concat(Object.keys(columns).map(col => (
       { name: col, value: col, score: 50, meta: 'column' }
     )));
-    callback(null, words);
-  }
-  setAutoCompleter() {
-    // Loading table and column names as auto-completable words
+    this.setState({ words });
     const completer = {
       getCompletions: this.getCompletions.bind(this),
     };
@@ -56,11 +78,11 @@ class AceEditorWrapper extends React.PureComponent {
     }
   }
   render() {
-    this.setAutoCompleter();
     return (
       <AceEditor
         mode="sql"
         theme="github"
+        onLoad={this.onEditorLoad.bind(this)}
         onBlur={this.onBlur.bind(this)}
         minLines={8}
         maxLines={30}
@@ -68,7 +90,7 @@ class AceEditorWrapper extends React.PureComponent {
         height="200px"
         width="100%"
         editorProps={{ $blockScrolling: true }}
-        enableBasicAutocompletion
+        enableLiveAutocompletion
         value={this.state.sql}
       />
     );
diff --git a/caravel/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/components/SqlEditor.jsx b/caravel/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/components/SqlEditor.jsx
index ab91024eb59cf..5ae681e58c572 100644
--- a/caravel/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/components/SqlEditor.jsx
+++ b/caravel/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/components/SqlEditor.jsx
@@ -58,12 +58,13 @@ class SqlEditor extends React.PureComponent {
     this.startQuery(runAsync);
   }
   startQuery(runAsync = false, ctas = false) {
+    const qe = this.props.queryEditor;
     const query = {
-      dbId: this.props.queryEditor.dbId,
-      sql: this.props.queryEditor.sql,
-      sqlEditorId: this.props.queryEditor.id,
-      tab: this.props.queryEditor.title,
-      schema: this.props.queryEditor.schema,
+      dbId: qe.dbId,
+      sql: qe.selectedText ? qe.selectedText : qe.sql,
+      sqlEditorId: qe.id,
+      tab: qe.title,
+      schema: qe.schema,
       tempTableName: this.state.ctas,
       runAsync,
       ctas,
@@ -92,17 +93,23 @@ class SqlEditor extends React.PureComponent {
 
   render() {
     let runButtons = [];
+    let runText = 'Run Query';
+    let btnStyle = 'primary';
+    if (this.props.queryEditor.selectedText) {
+      runText = 'Run Selection';
+      btnStyle = 'warning';
+    }
     if (this.props.database && this.props.database.allow_run_sync) {
       runButtons.push(
         <Button
           bsSize="small"
-          bsStyle="primary"
+          bsStyle={btnStyle}
           style={{ width: '100px' }}
           onClick={this.runQuery.bind(this, false)}
           disabled={!(this.props.queryEditor.dbId)}
           key="run-btn"
         >
-          <i className="fa fa-table" /> Run Query
+          <i className="fa fa-table" /> {runText}
         </Button>
       );
     }
@@ -110,7 +117,7 @@ class SqlEditor extends React.PureComponent {
       runButtons.push(
         <Button
           bsSize="small"
-          bsStyle="primary"
+          bsStyle={btnStyle}
           style={{ width: '100px' }}
           onClick={this.runQuery.bind(this, true)}
           disabled={!(this.props.queryEditor.dbId)}
@@ -209,6 +216,8 @@ class SqlEditor extends React.PureComponent {
           <Col md={9}>
             <AceEditorWrapper
               tables={this.props.tables}
+              actions={this.props.actions}
+              queryEditor={this.props.queryEditor}
               sql={this.props.queryEditor.sql}
               onBlur={this.setQueryEditorSql.bind(this)}
             />
diff --git a/caravel/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/components/TableElement.jsx b/caravel/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/components/TableElement.jsx
index 3bad4b72b8d13..7295a0343e6a2 100644
--- a/caravel/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/components/TableElement.jsx
+++ b/caravel/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/components/TableElement.jsx
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import ModalTrigger from '../../components/ModalTrigger';
 const propTypes = {
   table: React.PropTypes.object,
   actions: React.PropTypes.object,
-  timeout: React.PropTypes.integer,  // used for tests
+  timeout: React.PropTypes.number,  // used for tests
 };
 
 const defaultProps = {
diff --git a/caravel/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/reducers.js b/caravel/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/reducers.js
index 9c427887ffea8..7881b98eb7200 100644
--- a/caravel/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/reducers.js
+++ b/caravel/assets/javascripts/SqlLab/reducers.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ export const defaultQueryEditor = {
   id: shortid.generate(),
   title: 'Untitled Query',
   sql: 'SELECT *\nFROM\nWHERE',
+  selectedText: null,
   latestQueryId: null,
   autorun: false,
   dbId: null,
@@ -171,6 +172,9 @@ export const sqlLabReducer = function (state, action) {
     [actions.QUERY_EDITOR_SET_SQL]() {
       return alterInArr(state, 'queryEditors', action.queryEditor, { sql: action.sql });
     },
+    [actions.QUERY_EDITOR_SET_SELECTED_TEXT]() {
+      return alterInArr(state, 'queryEditors', action.queryEditor, { selectedText: action.sql });
+    },
     [actions.QUERY_EDITOR_SET_AUTORUN]() {
       return alterInArr(state, 'queryEditors', action.queryEditor, { autorun: action.autorun });
     },
diff --git a/caravel/assets/spec/javascripts/sqllab/fixtures.js b/caravel/assets/spec/javascripts/sqllab/fixtures.js
index 2580e774ea3eb..f32f3db31dedf 100644
--- a/caravel/assets/spec/javascripts/sqllab/fixtures.js
+++ b/caravel/assets/spec/javascripts/sqllab/fixtures.js
@@ -138,11 +138,12 @@ export const table = {
 };
 export const defaultQueryEditor = {
   id: 'dfsadfs',
-  title: 'Untitled Query',
-  sql: 'SELECT *\nFROM\nWHERE',
-  latestQueryId: null,
   autorun: false,
   dbId: null,
+  latestQueryId: null,
+  selectedText: null,
+  sql: 'SELECT *\nFROM\nWHERE',
+  title: 'Untitled Query',
 };
 export const queries = [
   {
diff --git a/caravel/assets/spec/javascripts/sqllab/reducers_spec.js b/caravel/assets/spec/javascripts/sqllab/reducers_spec.js
index c326fd66b1c2c..9795b8534067f 100644
--- a/caravel/assets/spec/javascripts/sqllab/reducers_spec.js
+++ b/caravel/assets/spec/javascripts/sqllab/reducers_spec.js
@@ -88,6 +88,13 @@ describe('sqlLabReducer', () => {
       newState = r.sqlLabReducer(newState, actions.queryEditorSetSql(qe, sql));
       expect(newState.queryEditors[1].sql).to.equal(sql);
     });
+    it('should set selectedText', () => {
+      const selectedText = 'TEST';
+      expect(newState.queryEditors[0].selectedText).to.equal(null);
+      newState = r.sqlLabReducer(
+        newState, actions.queryEditorSetSelectedText(newState.queryEditors[0], 'TEST'));
+      expect(newState.queryEditors[0].selectedText).to.equal(selectedText);
+    });
   });
   describe('Tables', () => {
     let newState;