diff --git a/.changeset/fresh-groups-kneel.md b/.changeset/fresh-groups-kneel.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..776c97a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/fresh-groups-kneel.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+'@xyflow/svelte': minor
+'@xyflow/system': patch
+'@xyflow/react': minor
+---
+
+Allow to start a selection above a node
diff --git a/examples/react/src/examples/CustomNode/ColorSelectorNode.tsx b/examples/react/src/examples/CustomNode/ColorSelectorNode.tsx
index 1265d408..77bce1c9 100644
--- a/examples/react/src/examples/CustomNode/ColorSelectorNode.tsx
+++ b/examples/react/src/examples/CustomNode/ColorSelectorNode.tsx
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ function ColorSelectorNode({ data, isConnectable }: NodeProps<ColorSelectorNode>
       <div>
         Custom Color Picker Node: <strong>{data.color}</strong>
       </div>
-      <input className="nodrag" type="color" onChange={data.onChange} defaultValue={data.color} />
+      <input className="nodrag nokey" type="color" onChange={data.onChange} defaultValue={data.color} />
       <Handle
         type="source"
         position={Position.Right}
diff --git a/examples/svelte/src/routes/examples/customnode/CustomNode.svelte b/examples/svelte/src/routes/examples/customnode/CustomNode.svelte
index 6bc71e2e..30182418 100644
--- a/examples/svelte/src/routes/examples/customnode/CustomNode.svelte
+++ b/examples/svelte/src/routes/examples/customnode/CustomNode.svelte
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 		Custom Color Picker Node: <strong>{bg.color}</strong>
 	</div>
 	<input
-		class="nodrag"
+		class="nodrag nokey"
 		type="color"
 		oninput={(evt) => (bg.color = evt.currentTarget.value)}
 		value={bg.color}
diff --git a/packages/react/src/container/Pane/index.tsx b/packages/react/src/container/Pane/index.tsx
index 4d2e392a..ef86be3f 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/container/Pane/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/react/src/container/Pane/index.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-/**
- * The user selection rectangle gets displayed when a user drags the mouse while pressing shift
- */
-
 import {
   useRef,
   type MouseEvent as ReactMouseEvent,
@@ -119,21 +115,43 @@ export function Pane({
 
   const onWheel = onPaneScroll ? (event: React.WheelEvent) => onPaneScroll(event) : undefined;
 
-  const onPointerDown = (event: ReactPointerEvent): void => {
+  const onClickCapture = (event: ReactMouseEvent) => {
+    const isSelectionOnDragActive =
+      (selectionOnDrag && container.current === event.target) || !selectionOnDrag || selectionKeyPressed;
+
+    if (!isSelectionOnDragActive) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    event.stopPropagation();
+  };
+
+  // We are using capture here in order to prevent other pointer events
+  // to be able to create a selection above a node or an edge
+  const onPointerDownCapture = (event: ReactPointerEvent): void => {
     const { resetSelectedElements, domNode } = store.getState();
     containerBounds.current = domNode?.getBoundingClientRect();
 
+    const isNoKeyEvent = event.target !== container.current && !!(event.target as HTMLElement).closest('.nokey');
+    const isSelectionActive =
+      (selectionOnDrag && container.current === event.target) || !selectionOnDrag || selectionKeyPressed;
+
     if (
       !elementsSelectable ||
       !isSelecting ||
       event.button !== 0 ||
-      event.target !== container.current ||
-      !containerBounds.current
+      !containerBounds.current ||
+      isNoKeyEvent ||
+      !isSelectionActive ||
+      !event.isPrimary
     ) {
       return;
     }
 
-    (event.target as Partial<Element> | null)?.setPointerCapture?.(event.pointerId);
+    event.stopPropagation();
+    event.preventDefault();
+
+    (event.target as Partial<Element>)?.setPointerCapture?.(event.pointerId);
 
     selectionStarted.current = true;
     selectionInProgress.current = false;
@@ -233,8 +251,8 @@ export function Pane({
     }
 
     (event.target as Partial<Element>)?.releasePointerCapture?.(event.pointerId);
-    const { userSelectionRect } = store.getState();
 
+    const { userSelectionRect } = store.getState();
     /*
      * We only want to trigger click functions when in selection mode if
      * the user did not move the mouse.
@@ -270,9 +288,10 @@ export function Pane({
       onContextMenu={wrapHandler(onContextMenu, container)}
       onWheel={wrapHandler(onWheel, container)}
       onPointerEnter={hasActiveSelection ? undefined : onPaneMouseEnter}
-      onPointerDown={hasActiveSelection ? onPointerDown : onPaneMouseMove}
       onPointerMove={hasActiveSelection ? onPointerMove : onPaneMouseMove}
       onPointerUp={hasActiveSelection ? onPointerUp : undefined}
+      onPointerDownCapture={hasActiveSelection ? onPointerDownCapture : undefined}
+      onClickCapture={hasActiveSelection ? onClickCapture : undefined}
       onPointerLeave={onPaneMouseLeave}
       ref={container}
       style={containerStyle}
diff --git a/packages/svelte/src/lib/container/Pane/Pane.svelte b/packages/svelte/src/lib/container/Pane/Pane.svelte
index e33e9a55..ef77b1de 100644
--- a/packages/svelte/src/lib/container/Pane/Pane.svelte
+++ b/packages/svelte/src/lib/container/Pane/Pane.svelte
@@ -91,20 +91,33 @@
   }
 
   // We start the selection process when the user clicks down on the pane
-  function onPointerDown(event: PointerEvent) {
+  function onPointerDownCapture(event: PointerEvent) {
     containerBounds = container?.getBoundingClientRect();
 
+    const isNoKeyEvent =
+      event.target !== container && !!(event.target as HTMLElement).closest('.nokey');
+
+    const isSelectionActive =
+      (selectionOnDrag && container === event.target) ||
+      !selectionOnDrag ||
+      store.selectionKeyPressed;
+
     if (
       !store.elementsSelectable ||
       !isSelecting ||
       event.button !== 0 ||
-      event.target !== container ||
-      !containerBounds
+      !containerBounds ||
+      isNoKeyEvent ||
+      !isSelectionActive ||
+      !event.isPrimary
     ) {
       return;
     }
 
-    (event.target as Partial<Element> | null)?.setPointerCapture?.(event.pointerId);
+    event.stopPropagation();
+    event.preventDefault();
+
+    (event.target as Partial<Element>)?.setPointerCapture?.(event.pointerId);
 
     const { x, y } = getEventPosition(event, containerBounds);
 
@@ -186,7 +199,7 @@
       return;
     }
 
-    (event.target as Partial<Element> | null)?.releasePointerCapture?.(event.pointerId);
+    (event.target as Partial<Element>)?.releasePointerCapture?.(event.pointerId);
 
     // We only want to trigger click functions when in selection mode if
     // the user did not move the mouse.
@@ -216,6 +229,19 @@
 
     onpanecontextmenu?.({ event });
   };
+
+  const onClickCapture = (event: MouseEvent) => {
+    const isSelectionActive =
+      (selectionOnDrag && container === event.target) ||
+      !selectionOnDrag ||
+      store.selectionKeyPressed;
+
+    if (!isSelectionActive) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    event.stopPropagation();
+  };
 </script>
 
 <!-- svelte-ignore a11y_no_static_element_interactions -->
@@ -227,10 +253,11 @@
   class:dragging={store.dragging}
   class:selection={isSelecting}
   onclick={hasActiveSelection ? undefined : wrapHandler(onClick, container)}
-  onpointerdown={hasActiveSelection ? onPointerDown : undefined}
+  onpointerdowncapture={hasActiveSelection ? onPointerDownCapture : undefined}
   onpointermove={hasActiveSelection ? onPointerMove : undefined}
   onpointerup={hasActiveSelection ? onPointerUp : undefined}
   oncontextmenu={wrapHandler(onContextMenu, container)}
+  onclickcapture={hasActiveSelection ? onClickCapture : undefined}
 >
   {@render children()}
 </div>
diff --git a/packages/system/src/utils/dom.ts b/packages/system/src/utils/dom.ts
index 2311153f..5f92c136 100644
--- a/packages/system/src/utils/dom.ts
+++ b/packages/system/src/utils/dom.ts
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ export function isInputDOMNode(event: KeyboardEvent): boolean {
   if (target?.nodeType !== 1 /* Node.ELEMENT_NODE */) return false;
 
   const isInput = inputTags.includes(target.nodeName) || target.hasAttribute('contenteditable');
-
   // when an input field is focused we don't want to trigger deletion or movement of nodes
   return isInput || !!target.closest('.nokey');
 }