diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Flow/FlowEditor.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Flow/FlowEditor.tsx
index 3f2da2b..08224f1 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Flow/FlowEditor.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Flow/FlowEditor.tsx
@@ -1061,8 +1061,21 @@ function FlowEditorInner({
     {
       "mod+z": () => step(true),
       "mod+shift+z": () => step(false),
-      "mod+c": () => void copyNodes(),
-      "mod+v": pasteNodes,
+      // Both decline the key unless the node clipboard has something to do
+      // with it, so the native copy and paste still work on the canvas. A
+      // text selection wins outright: that is what the user asked to copy.
+      "mod+c": () => {
+        const selection = document.getSelection()
+        if (selection && !selection.isCollapsed) return false
+        if (!canvasNodes.some((node) => node.selected) && !selectedId) {
+          return false
+        }
+        void copyNodes()
+      },
+      "mod+v": () => {
+        if (!safeStorage.get(CLIPBOARD_KEY)) return false
+        pasteNodes()
+      },
       // ⌘P, not ⌘K: the sidebar's global search owns that everywhere, and this
       // palette is the canvas's own, narrower thing.
       "mod+p": () => setPaletteOpen((open) => !open),
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/shortcuts.ts b/frontend/src/lib/shortcuts.ts
index 8a6004f..e203883 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/shortcuts.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/shortcuts.ts
@@ -6,8 +6,12 @@ import { useEffect, useRef } from "react"
  * A chord reads as `mod+shift+z`, where `mod` is ⌘ on a Mac and Ctrl
  * everywhere else. Bindings are plain data, so a view declares the whole set
  * it answers to in one place.
+ *
+ * A binding that returns `false` declines the key: it did nothing, so the
+ * browser's own default runs. That is how ⌘C stays a native copy whenever the
+ * canvas has nothing of its own to copy.
  */
-export type Shortcuts = Record<string, (event: KeyboardEvent) => void>
+export type Shortcuts = Record<string, (event: KeyboardEvent) => unknown>
 
 /** Text fields and the code editor keep their own bindings and their own undo. */
 export function isTextEntry(target: EventTarget | null): boolean {
@@ -55,8 +59,8 @@ export function useShortcuts(bindings: Shortcuts, inTextEntry: string[] = []) {
       ) {
         return
       }
+      if (run(event) === false) return
       event.preventDefault()
-      run(event)
     }
     window.addEventListener("keydown", onKeyDown)
     return () => window.removeEventListener("keydown", onKeyDown)
diff --git a/frontend/tests/clipboard.spec.ts b/frontend/tests/clipboard.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4aa42f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/tests/clipboard.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+import { expect, test } from "@playwright/test"
+import { deleteAll } from "./utils/api"
+
+const flowName = `test_clip_${Date.now().toString(36)}`
+const KEY = "fluksio.nodeClipboard"
+
+declare global {
+  interface Window {
+    /** Whether the app took the last ⌘C/⌘V away from the browser. */
+    prevented: boolean | null
+  }
+}
+
+test.use({
+  storageState: "playwright/.auth/user.json",
+  permissions: ["clipboard-read", "clipboard-write"],
+})
+
+test.afterAll(async ({ browser }) => {
+  await deleteAll(browser, [`/flows/${flowName}`])
+})
+
+test("the canvas clipboard yields to the native one", async ({ page }) => {
+  await page.goto("/flows")
+  await page.getByTestId("new-flow").click()
+  await page.getByTestId("new-flow-name").fill(flowName)
+  await page.getByTestId("create-flow").click()
+  await page.waitForURL(`/flows/${flowName}`)
+
+  await page.getByTestId("add-node").click()
+  await page
+    .getByRole("option", { name: /function/i })
+    .first()
+    .click()
+  await expect(page.locator(".react-flow__node")).toHaveCount(1)
+  await page.keyboard.press("Escape")
+
+  // Records whether the app took the chord away from the browser.
+  await page.evaluate((key) => {
+    localStorage.removeItem(key)
+    window.prevented = null
+    window.addEventListener("keydown", (event) => {
+      if (["c", "v"].includes(event.key.toLowerCase())) {
+        window.prevented = event.defaultPrevented
+      }
+    })
+  }, KEY)
+  const prevented = () => page.evaluate(() => window.prevented)
+
+  // A node selected and no text selection: the canvas clipboard acts.
+  await page.locator(".react-flow__node").first().click()
+  await page.keyboard.press("ControlOrMeta+c")
+  await expect
+    .poll(() => page.evaluate((key) => localStorage.getItem(key), KEY))
+    .not.toBeNull()
+  expect(await prevented()).toBe(true)
+
+  // And it still pastes.
+  await page.keyboard.press("ControlOrMeta+v")
+  await expect(page.locator(".react-flow__node")).toHaveCount(2)
+  expect(await prevented()).toBe(true)
+
+  // Seeded before the selection is made: writing the clipboard drops it.
+  await page.evaluate(() => navigator.clipboard.writeText("nothing copied"))
+
+  // A text selection wins, node selection or not. React Flow's own CSS puts
+  // `user-select: none` on every node, so the selectable text on this route is
+  // the floating chrome over the canvas — here the open node panel.
+  const selected = await page.evaluate(() => {
+    const node = document.querySelector(
+      '[data-testid="node-panel"]',
+    ) as HTMLElement
+    const range = document.createRange()
+    range.selectNodeContents(node)
+    const selection = document.getSelection() as Selection
+    selection.removeAllRanges()
+    selection.addRange(range)
+    return selection.toString().trim()
+  })
+  expect(selected).not.toBe("")
+  await page.keyboard.press("ControlOrMeta+c")
+  expect(await prevented()).toBe(false)
+  const copied = await page.evaluate(() => navigator.clipboard.readText())
+  expect(copied.trim()).not.toBe("nothing copied")
+  expect(selected).toContain(copied.trim().split("\n")[0])
+
+  // Nothing stored: paste falls through to the browser too.
+  await page.evaluate((key) => {
+    localStorage.removeItem(key)
+    document.getSelection()?.removeAllRanges()
+  }, KEY)
+  await page.keyboard.press("ControlOrMeta+v")
+  expect(await prevented()).toBe(false)
+})