diff --git a/src/main/java/envoy/client/ui/container/ChatWindow.java b/src/main/java/envoy/client/ui/container/ChatWindow.java
index a41a465..7d883c2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/envoy/client/ui/container/ChatWindow.java
+++ b/src/main/java/envoy/client/ui/container/ChatWindow.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import envoy.client.net.WriteProxy;
 import envoy.client.ui.ContextMenu;
 import envoy.client.ui.Theme;
 import envoy.client.ui.list.ComponentList;
+import envoy.client.ui.list.ComponentList.SelectionMode;
 import envoy.client.ui.list.ComponentListModel;
 import envoy.client.ui.primary.PrimaryButton;
 import envoy.client.ui.primary.PrimaryScrollPane;
@@ -125,18 +126,21 @@ public class ChatWindow extends JFrame {
 		contentPane.setLayout(gbl_contentPane);
 
 		messageList.setBorder(new EmptyBorder(space, space, space, space));
+		messageList.setSelectionMode(SelectionMode.SINGLE);
 		Map<String, ActionListener> commands = new HashMap<>() {
 
 			private static final long serialVersionUID = -2755235774946990126L;
 
 			{
 				put("forward selected message",
-						evt -> forwardMessageToMultipleUsers(messageList.getSelection().get(0),
-								ContactsChooserDialog.showForwardingDialog("Forward selected message to", messageList.getSelection().get(0), client)));
+						evt -> forwardMessageToMultipleUsers(messageList
+							.getSingleSelectedElement(),
+								ContactsChooserDialog
+									.showForwardingDialog("Forward selected message to", messageList.getSingleSelectedElement(), client)));
 				put("copy", evt -> {
 					// TODO should be enhanced to allow also copying of message attachments,
 					// especially pictures
-					StringSelection copy = new StringSelection(messageList.getSelection().get(0).getText());
+					StringSelection copy = new StringSelection(messageList.getSingleSelectedElement().getText());
 					Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().getSystemClipboard().setContents(copy, copy);
 				});
 				// TODO insert implementation to edit and delete messages
diff --git a/src/main/java/envoy/client/ui/container/ContactsChooserDialog.java b/src/main/java/envoy/client/ui/container/ContactsChooserDialog.java
index b85f9a8..467d43f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/envoy/client/ui/container/ContactsChooserDialog.java
+++ b/src/main/java/envoy/client/ui/container/ContactsChooserDialog.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import envoy.client.data.Settings;
 import envoy.client.net.Client;
 import envoy.client.ui.Theme;
 import envoy.client.ui.list.ComponentList;
+import envoy.client.ui.list.ComponentList.SelectionMode;
 import envoy.client.ui.list.ComponentListModel;
 import envoy.client.ui.renderer.MessageListRenderer;
 import envoy.client.ui.renderer.UserComponentListRenderer;
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@ public class ContactsChooserDialog extends JDialog {
 		dialog.getContentPanel()
 			.add(new MessageListRenderer(client.getSender().getId()).getListCellComponent(null, message, false), BorderLayout.NORTH);
 		List<User> results = new ArrayList<>();
-		dialog.addOkButtonActionListener(e -> { results.addAll(dialog.getContactList().getSelection()); dialog.dispose(); });
+		dialog.addOkButtonActionListener(e -> { results.addAll(dialog.getContactList().getSelectedElements()); dialog.dispose(); });
 		ComponentListModel<User> contactListModel = dialog.getContactList().getModel();
 		client.getContacts().getContacts().forEach(user -> contactListModel.add(user));
 		dialog.setVisible(true);
@@ -82,7 +83,7 @@ public class ContactsChooserDialog extends JDialog {
 	 * @since Envoy v0.1-beta
 	 */
 	private ContactsChooserDialog() {
-		contactList.enableMultipleSelection();
+		contactList.setSelectionMode(SelectionMode.MULTIPLE);
 		// setBounds(100, 100, 450, 300);
 		setModal(true);
 		getContentPane().setLayout(new BorderLayout());
diff --git a/src/main/java/envoy/client/ui/list/ComponentList.java b/src/main/java/envoy/client/ui/list/ComponentList.java
index 2cac513..199946d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/envoy/client/ui/list/ComponentList.java
+++ b/src/main/java/envoy/client/ui/list/ComponentList.java
@@ -30,8 +30,26 @@ public class ComponentList<E> extends JPanel {
 
 	private static final long serialVersionUID = 1759644503942876737L;
 
+	/**
+	 * Defines the possible modes of selection that can be performed by the user
+	 *
+	 * @since Envoy v0.1-beta
+	 */
 	public static enum SelectionMode {
-		NONE, SINGLE, MULTIPLE
+		/**
+		 * Selection is completely ignored.
+		 */
+		NONE,
+
+		/**
+		 * Only a single element can be selected.
+		 */
+		SINGLE,
+
+		/**
+		 * Multiple elements can be selected regardless of their position.
+		 */
+		MULTIPLE
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -202,6 +220,30 @@ public class ComponentList<E> extends JPanel {
 	 */
 	public Set<Integer> getSelection() { return selection; }
 
+	/**
+	 * @return a set of all selected elements
+	 * @since Envoy v0.1-beta
+	 */
+	public Set<E> getSelectedElements() {
+		var selectedElements = new HashSet<E>();
+		selection.forEach(i -> selectedElements.add(model.get(i)));
+		return selectedElements;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @return the index of an arbitrary selected element
+	 * @throws java.util.NoSuchElementException if no selection is present
+	 * @since Envoy v0.1-beta
+	 */
+	public int getSingleSelection() { return selection.iterator().next(); }
+
+	/**
+	 * @return an arbitrary selected element
+	 * @throws java.util.NoSuchElementException if no selection is present
+	 * @since Envoy v0.1-beta
+	 */
+	public E getSingleSelectedElement() { return model.get(getSingleSelection()); }
+
 	/**
 	 * @return the model
 	 * @since Envoy v0.1-beta
@@ -221,13 +263,13 @@ public class ComponentList<E> extends JPanel {
 	public void setRenderer(ComponentListCellRenderer<E> renderer) { this.renderer = renderer; }
 
 	/**
-	 * @return the selectionMode
+	 * @return the selection mode
 	 * @since Envoy v0.1-beta
 	 */
 	public SelectionMode getSelectionMode() { return selectionMode; }
 
 	/**
-	 * @param selectionMode the selectionMode to set
+	 * @param selectionMode the selection mode to set
 	 * @since Envoy v0.1-beta
 	 */
 	public void setSelectionMode(SelectionMode selectionMode) { this.selectionMode = selectionMode; }