diff --git a/src/vs/platform/terminal/common/terminal.ts b/src/vs/platform/terminal/common/terminal.ts
index 3a27c6d7a0c..db1052de0e0 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/terminal/common/terminal.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/terminal/common/terminal.ts
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ export const enum TerminalSettingId {
 	TerminalTitle = 'terminal.integrated.tabs.title',
 	TerminalDescription = 'terminal.integrated.tabs.description',
 	RightClickBehavior = 'terminal.integrated.rightClickBehavior',
+	MiddleClickBehavior = 'terminal.integrated.middleClickBehavior',
 	Cwd = 'terminal.integrated.cwd',
 	ConfirmOnExit = 'terminal.integrated.confirmOnExit',
 	ConfirmOnKill = 'terminal.integrated.confirmOnKill',
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/terminalEditor.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/terminalEditor.ts
index c09fdff923d..d2a36a289b3 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/terminalEditor.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/terminalEditor.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import { TerminalEditorInput } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/termi
 import { getTerminalActionBarArgs } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/terminalMenus';
 import { ITerminalProfileResolverService, ITerminalProfileService, TerminalCommandId } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/common/terminal';
 import { IEditorGroup } from 'vs/workbench/services/editor/common/editorGroupsService';
-import { isLinux, isMacintosh } from 'vs/base/common/platform';
+import { isMacintosh } from 'vs/base/common/platform';
 import { BrowserFeatures } from 'vs/base/browser/canIUse';
 import { INotificationService } from 'vs/platform/notification/common/notification';
 import { openContextMenu } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/terminalContextMenu';
@@ -123,15 +123,23 @@ export class TerminalEditor extends EditorPane {
 			return;
 		}
 		this._register(dom.addDisposableListener(this._editorInstanceElement, 'mousedown', async (event: MouseEvent) => {
-			if (this._terminalEditorService.instances.length === 0) {
+			const terminal = this._terminalEditorService.activeInstance;
+			if (this._terminalEditorService.instances.length === 0 || !terminal) {
 				return;
 			}
 
-			if (event.which === 2 && isLinux) {
-				// Drop selection and focus terminal on Linux to enable middle button paste when click
-				// occurs on the selection itself.
-				const terminal = this._terminalEditorService.activeInstance;
-				terminal?.focus();
+			if (event.which === 2) {
+				switch (this._terminalConfigurationService.config.middleClickBehavior) {
+					case 'paste':
+						terminal.paste();
+						break;
+					case 'default':
+					default:
+						// Drop selection and focus terminal on Linux to enable middle button paste
+						// when click occurs on the selection itself.
+						terminal.focus();
+						break;
+				}
 			} else if (event.which === 3) {
 				const rightClickBehavior = this._terminalConfigurationService.config.rightClickBehavior;
 				if (rightClickBehavior === 'nothing') {
@@ -141,11 +149,6 @@ export class TerminalEditor extends EditorPane {
 					return;
 				}
 				else if (rightClickBehavior === 'copyPaste' || rightClickBehavior === 'paste') {
-					const terminal = this._terminalEditorService.activeInstance;
-					if (!terminal) {
-						return;
-					}
-
 					// copyPaste: Shift+right click should open context menu
 					if (rightClickBehavior === 'copyPaste' && event.shiftKey) {
 						openContextMenu(this.window, event, this._editorInput?.terminalInstance, this._instanceMenu, this._contextMenuService);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/terminalTabbedView.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/terminalTabbedView.ts
index d11d80b21da..a93fccec1b5 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/terminalTabbedView.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/terminalTabbedView.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import { IConfigurationService } from 'vs/platform/configuration/common/configur
 import { IInstantiationService } from 'vs/platform/instantiation/common/instantiation';
 import { ITerminalConfigurationService, ITerminalGroupService, ITerminalInstance, ITerminalService, TerminalConnectionState } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/terminal';
 import { TerminalTabsListSizes, TerminalTabList } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/browser/terminalTabsList';
-import { isLinux, isMacintosh } from 'vs/base/common/platform';
+import { isMacintosh } from 'vs/base/common/platform';
 import * as dom from 'vs/base/browser/dom';
 import { BrowserFeatures } from 'vs/base/browser/canIUse';
 import { INotificationService } from 'vs/platform/notification/common/notification';
@@ -339,10 +339,18 @@ export class TerminalTabbedView extends Disposable {
 				return;
 			}
 
-			if (event.which === 2 && isLinux) {
-				// Drop selection and focus terminal on Linux to enable middle button paste when click
-				// occurs on the selection itself.
-				terminal.focus();
+			if (event.which === 2) {
+				switch (this._terminalConfigurationService.config.middleClickBehavior) {
+					case 'paste':
+						terminal.paste();
+						break;
+					case 'default':
+					default:
+						// Drop selection and focus terminal on Linux to enable middle button paste
+						// when click occurs on the selection itself.
+						terminal.focus();
+						break;
+				}
 			} else if (event.which === 3) {
 				const rightClickBehavior = this._terminalConfigurationService.config.rightClickBehavior;
 				if (rightClickBehavior === 'nothing') {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/common/terminal.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/common/terminal.ts
index d2ac113bfbd..328e4367321 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/common/terminal.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/common/terminal.ts
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ export interface ITerminalConfiguration {
 	macOptionClickForcesSelection: boolean;
 	gpuAcceleration: 'auto' | 'on' | 'canvas' | 'off';
 	rightClickBehavior: 'default' | 'copyPaste' | 'paste' | 'selectWord' | 'nothing';
+	middleClickBehavior: 'default' | 'paste';
 	cursorBlinking: boolean;
 	cursorStyle: 'block' | 'underline' | 'line';
 	cursorStyleInactive: 'outline' | 'block' | 'underline' | 'line' | 'none';
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/common/terminalConfiguration.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/common/terminalConfiguration.ts
index 7aab9e940a9..630cc865a1a 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/common/terminalConfiguration.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/terminal/common/terminalConfiguration.ts
@@ -334,6 +334,16 @@ const terminalConfiguration: IConfigurationNode = {
 			default: isMacintosh ? 'selectWord' : isWindows ? 'copyPaste' : 'default',
 			description: localize('terminal.integrated.rightClickBehavior', "Controls how terminal reacts to right click.")
 		},
+		[TerminalSettingId.MiddleClickBehavior]: {
+			type: 'string',
+			enum: ['default', 'paste'],
+			enumDescriptions: [
+				localize('terminal.integrated.middleClickBehavior.default', "The platform default to focus the terminal. On Linux this will also paste the selection."),
+				localize('terminal.integrated.middleClickBehavior.paste', "Paste on middle click."),
+			],
+			default: 'default',
+			description: localize('terminal.integrated.middleClickBehavior', "Controls how terminal reacts to middle click.")
+		},
 		[TerminalSettingId.Cwd]: {
 			restricted: true,
 			description: localize('terminal.integrated.cwd', "An explicit start path where the terminal will be launched, this is used as the current working directory (cwd) for the shell process. This may be particularly useful in workspace settings if the root directory is not a convenient cwd."),