diff --git a/src/widgets/itemviews/qtableview.cpp b/src/widgets/itemviews/qtableview.cpp
index d1793a3049..c3138860fa 100644
--- a/src/widgets/itemviews/qtableview.cpp
+++ b/src/widgets/itemviews/qtableview.cpp
@@ -2004,6 +2004,9 @@ void QTableView::setSelection(const QRect &rect, QItemSelectionModel::SelectionF
 
     if (d->hasSpans()) {
         bool expanded;
+        // when the current selection does not intersect with any spans of merged cells,
+        // the range of selected cells must be the same as if there were no merged cells
+        bool intersectsSpan = false;
         int top = qMin(d->visualRow(tl.row()), d->visualRow(br.row()));
         int left = qMin(d->visualColumn(tl.column()), d->visualColumn(br.column()));
         int bottom = qMax(d->visualRow(tl.row()), d->visualRow(br.row()));
@@ -2018,6 +2021,7 @@ void QTableView::setSelection(const QRect &rect, QItemSelectionModel::SelectionF
                 int r = d->visualColumn(d->columnSpanEndLogical(span.left(), span.width()));
                 if ((t > bottom) || (l > right) || (top > b) || (left > r))
                     continue; // no intersect
+                intersectsSpan = true;
                 if (t < top) {
                     top = t;
                     expanded = true;
@@ -2038,14 +2042,20 @@ void QTableView::setSelection(const QRect &rect, QItemSelectionModel::SelectionF
                     break;
             }
         } while (expanded);
-         selection.reserve((right - left + 1) * (bottom - top + 1));
-         for (int horizontal = left; horizontal <= right; ++horizontal) {
-             int column = d->logicalColumn(horizontal);
-             for (int vertical = top; vertical <= bottom; ++vertical) {
-                 int row = d->logicalRow(vertical);
-                 QModelIndex index = d->model->index(row, column, d->root);
-                 selection.append(QItemSelectionRange(index));
+         if (intersectsSpan) {
+             selection.reserve((right - left + 1) * (bottom - top + 1));
+             for (int horizontal = left; horizontal <= right; ++horizontal) {
+                 int column = d->logicalColumn(horizontal);
+                 for (int vertical = top; vertical <= bottom; ++vertical) {
+                     int row = d->logicalRow(vertical);
+                     QModelIndex index = d->model->index(row, column, d->root);
+                     selection.append(QItemSelectionRange(index));
+                 }
              }
+         } else {
+             QItemSelectionRange range(tl, br);
+             if (!range.isEmpty())
+                 selection.append(range);
          }
     } else if (verticalMoved && horizontalMoved) {
          int top = d->visualRow(tl.row());
diff --git a/tests/auto/widgets/itemviews/qtablewidget/tst_qtablewidget.cpp b/tests/auto/widgets/itemviews/qtablewidget/tst_qtablewidget.cpp
index 23e69b2190..aa56376c4a 100644
--- a/tests/auto/widgets/itemviews/qtablewidget/tst_qtablewidget.cpp
+++ b/tests/auto/widgets/itemviews/qtablewidget/tst_qtablewidget.cpp
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ private slots:
     void takeItem();
     void selectedItems_data();
     void selectedItems();
+    void selectedSpannedCells_data();
+    void selectedSpannedCells();
     void removeRow_data();
     void removeRow();
     void removeColumn_data();
@@ -585,6 +587,75 @@ void tst_QTableWidget::selectedItems()
     }
 }
 
+void tst_QTableWidget::selectedSpannedCells_data()
+{
+    QTest::addColumn<QRect>("spannedCells"); // in cells, not pixels
+    QTest::addColumn<QPoint>("selectionStartCell");
+    QTest::addColumn<QPoint>("selectionEndCell");
+    QTest::addColumn<int>("expectedSelectionRangeCount");
+    QTest::addColumn<QTableWidgetSelectionRange>("expectedFirstSelectionRange");
+
+    QTest::newRow("merge 2 cells in column, select adjacent left")
+            << QRect(1, 2, 1, 2) << QPoint(0, 1) << QPoint(0, 3)
+            << 1 << QTableWidgetSelectionRange(1, 0, 3, 0);
+
+    QTest::newRow("merge 2 cells in column, select those and one more")
+            << QRect(1, 2, 1, 2) << QPoint(1, 1) << QPoint(1, 3)
+            << 3 << QTableWidgetSelectionRange(1, 1, 1, 1);
+
+    QTest::newRow("merge 2 cells in column, select rows above")
+            << QRect(1, 2, 1, 2) << QPoint(0, 0) << QPoint(3, 1)
+            << 1 << QTableWidgetSelectionRange(0, 0, 1, 3);
+
+    QTest::newRow("merge 4 cells in column, select adjacent right")
+            << QRect(1, 0, 1, 4) << QPoint(2, 0) << QPoint(3, 3)
+            << 1 << QTableWidgetSelectionRange(0, 2, 3, 3);
+
+    QTest::newRow("merge 3 cells in row, select those and one more")
+            << QRect(0, 1, 3, 1) << QPoint(0, 1) << QPoint(3, 1)
+            << 4 << QTableWidgetSelectionRange(1, 0, 1, 0);
+
+    QTest::newRow("merge 3 cells in row, select adjacent to right")
+            << QRect(0, 1, 3, 1) << QPoint(3, 0) << QPoint(3, 2)
+            << 1 << QTableWidgetSelectionRange(0, 3, 2, 3);
+
+    QTest::newRow("merge 3 cells in row, select adjacent above")
+            << QRect(0, 2, 3, 2) << QPoint(0, 1) << QPoint(2, 1)
+            << 1 << QTableWidgetSelectionRange(1, 0, 1, 2);
+}
+
+void tst_QTableWidget::selectedSpannedCells() // QTBUG-255
+{
+    QFETCH(QRect, spannedCells);
+    QFETCH(QPoint, selectionStartCell);
+    QFETCH(QPoint, selectionEndCell);
+    QFETCH(int, expectedSelectionRangeCount);
+    QFETCH(const QTableWidgetSelectionRange, expectedFirstSelectionRange);
+
+    QTableWidget testWidget(4, 4);
+    testWidget.resize(600, 200);
+    testWidget.show();
+
+    // create and set items
+    for (int c = 0; c < 4; ++c) {
+        for (int r = 0; r < 4; ++r)
+            testWidget.setItem(r, c, new QTableWidgetItem(QString("Item %1 %2").arg(c).arg(r)));
+    }
+
+    // merge some cells
+    testWidget.setSpan(spannedCells.top(), spannedCells.left(), spannedCells.height(), spannedCells.width());
+
+    // click one cell and shift-click another, to select a range
+    QTest::mouseClick(testWidget.viewport(), Qt::LeftButton, Qt::NoModifier,
+                      testWidget.visualRect(testWidget.model()->index(selectionStartCell.y(), selectionStartCell.x())).center());
+    QTest::mouseClick(testWidget.viewport(), Qt::LeftButton, Qt::ShiftModifier,
+                      testWidget.visualRect(testWidget.model()->index(selectionEndCell.y(), selectionEndCell.x())).center());
+
+    auto ranges = testWidget.selectedRanges();
+    QCOMPARE(ranges.count(), expectedSelectionRangeCount);
+    QCOMPARE(ranges.first(), expectedFirstSelectionRange);
+}
+
 void tst_QTableWidget::removeRow_data()
 {
     QTest::addColumn<int>("rowCount");