diff --git a/src/session.rs b/src/session.rs
index 7f50954..10ce9f7 100644
--- a/src/session.rs
+++ b/src/session.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 use std::fs;
-use std::io::Write as _;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
-use std::process::{Command, Stdio};
 
 use crate::adapters;
 use crate::config::AppConfig;
@@ -558,7 +556,7 @@ fn cmd_session_share(
     };
 
     if copy_url {
-        copy_to_clipboard(&url)?;
+        crate::utils::copy_to_clipboard(&url)?;
     }
     if open {
         crate::utils::open_url_in_default_browser(&url)?;
@@ -923,25 +921,6 @@ fn ensure_parent_dir(path: &Path) -> Result<()> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
-fn copy_to_clipboard(text: &str) -> Result<()> {
-    let (program, args): (&str, &[&str]) = if cfg!(target_os = "macos") {
-        ("pbcopy", &[])
-    } else if cfg!(target_os = "windows") {
-        ("clip.exe", &[])
-    } else {
-        ("xclip", &["-selection", "clipboard"])
-    };
-    let mut child = Command::new(program).args(args).stdin(Stdio::piped()).spawn()?;
-    if let Some(stdin) = child.stdin.as_mut() {
-        stdin.write_all(text.as_bytes())?;
-    }
-    let status = child.wait()?;
-    if !status.success() {
-        anyhow::bail!("{program} exited with status {status}");
-    }
-    Ok(())
-}
-
 fn read_tldr_file(path: &Path) -> Option<String> {
     match fs::read_to_string(path) {
         Ok(content) => {
diff --git a/src/tui/app.rs b/src/tui/app.rs
index 68356cc..8987f0d 100644
--- a/src/tui/app.rs
+++ b/src/tui/app.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-use std::io::Write;
 use std::path::Path;
-use std::process::{Command, Stdio};
+#[cfg(test)]
+use std::process::Command;
 use std::sync::mpsc;
 use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
 
@@ -2507,26 +2507,10 @@ impl App {
     }
 
     fn copy_to_clipboard(&mut self, text: &str) {
-        let (cmd, args): (&str, &[&str]) = if cfg!(target_os = "macos") {
-            ("pbcopy", &[])
-        } else if cfg!(target_os = "windows") {
-            ("clip.exe", &[])
-        } else {
-            ("xclip", &["-selection", "clipboard"])
-        };
-
-        match Command::new(cmd).args(args).stdin(Stdio::piped()).spawn() {
-            Ok(mut child) => {
-                if let Some(ref mut stdin) = child.stdin {
-                    let _ = stdin.write_all(text.as_bytes());
-                }
-                let _ = child.wait();
-                self.status_message = Some("Copied to clipboard".to_string());
-            }
-            Err(_) => {
-                self.status_message = Some(format!("Failed to copy ({cmd} not found)"));
-            }
-        }
+        self.status_message = Some(match crate::utils::copy_to_clipboard(text) {
+            Ok(()) => "Copied to clipboard".to_string(),
+            Err(error) => error.to_string(),
+        });
     }
 
     fn start_export(&mut self) {
diff --git a/src/utils.rs b/src/utils.rs
index ea2fcf1..e705fbd 100644
--- a/src/utils.rs
+++ b/src/utils.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-use std::process::Command;
+use std::io::Write as _;
+use std::process::{Command, Stdio};
 
 pub(crate) fn open_url_in_default_browser(url: &str) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     let (program, args): (&str, Vec<&str>) = if cfg!(target_os = "macos") {
@@ -15,6 +16,60 @@ pub(crate) fn open_url_in_default_browser(url: &str) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
+pub(crate) fn clipboard_candidates() -> &'static [(&'static str, &'static [&'static str])] {
+    if cfg!(target_os = "macos") {
+        &[("pbcopy", &[])]
+    } else if cfg!(target_os = "windows") {
+        &[("clip.exe", &[])]
+    } else {
+        &[
+            ("wl-copy", &[]),
+            ("xclip", &["-selection", "clipboard"]),
+            ("xsel", &["--clipboard", "--input"]),
+        ]
+    }
+}
+
+fn try_clipboard_candidates(candidates: &[(&str, &[&str])], text: &str) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    let mut last_error = None;
+    for (program, args) in candidates {
+        let mut child = match Command::new(program).args(*args).stdin(Stdio::piped()).spawn() {
+            Ok(child) => child,
+            Err(error) => {
+                last_error = Some(error.into());
+                continue;
+            }
+        };
+        let write_error = match child.stdin.take() {
+            Some(mut stdin) => stdin.write_all(text.as_bytes()).err().map(anyhow::Error::from),
+            None => Some(anyhow::anyhow!("{program} stdin unavailable")),
+        };
+        let status = child.wait();
+        if let Some(error) = write_error {
+            last_error = Some(anyhow::anyhow!("{program} stdin write failed: {error}"));
+            continue;
+        }
+        match status {
+            Ok(status) if status.success() => return Ok(()),
+            Ok(status) => {
+                last_error = Some(anyhow::anyhow!("{program} exited with status {status}"));
+            }
+            Err(error) => {
+                last_error = Some(anyhow::anyhow!("{program} wait failed: {error}"));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    Err(last_error.unwrap_or_else(|| anyhow::anyhow!("no clipboard utility found")))
+}
+
+pub(crate) fn copy_to_clipboard(text: &str) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    try_clipboard_candidates(clipboard_candidates(), text).map_err(|error| {
+        anyhow::anyhow!(
+            "Failed to copy to clipboard (install wl-clipboard, xclip, or xsel): {error}"
+        )
+    })
+}
+
 pub(crate) fn format_age(started_at: i64) -> String {
     let now = chrono::Utc::now().timestamp_millis();
     let diff_hours = (now - started_at) / (1000 * 3600);
@@ -113,6 +168,61 @@ fn is_noise_first_message(content: &str) -> bool {
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
 
+    #[test]
+    #[cfg(not(any(target_os = "macos", target_os = "windows")))]
+    fn clipboard_candidates_fall_back_wl_copy_then_xclip_then_xsel_on_linux() {
+        let candidates = clipboard_candidates();
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            candidates,
+            &[
+                ("wl-copy", &[][..]),
+                ("xclip", &["-selection", "clipboard"][..]),
+                ("xsel", &["--clipboard", "--input"][..]),
+            ]
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[cfg(unix)]
+    fn clipboard_candidates_fall_through_after_spawn_failure() {
+        let candidates: &[(&str, &[&str])] = &[
+            ("recall-test-nonexistent-clipboard-tool-xyz", &[]),
+            ("sh", &["-c", "cat >/dev/null; exit 0"]),
+        ];
+
+        assert!(try_clipboard_candidates(candidates, "hello").is_ok());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[cfg(unix)]
+    fn clipboard_candidates_fall_through_after_nonzero_exit() {
+        let candidates: &[(&str, &[&str])] =
+            &[("sh", &["-c", "cat >/dev/null; exit 1"]), ("sh", &["-c", "cat >/dev/null; exit 0"])];
+
+        assert!(try_clipboard_candidates(candidates, "hello").is_ok());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[cfg(unix)]
+    fn clipboard_candidates_reject_partial_stdin_write() {
+        let candidates: &[(&str, &[&str])] = &[
+            ("sh", &["-c", "dd bs=1 count=1 of=/dev/null 2>/dev/null"]),
+            ("sh", &["-c", "cat >/dev/null; exit 1"]),
+        ];
+        let text = "x".repeat(1024 * 1024);
+
+        assert!(try_clipboard_candidates(candidates, &text).is_err());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[cfg(unix)]
+    fn clipboard_candidates_error_when_all_fail() {
+        let candidates: &[(&str, &[&str])] = &[("sh", &["-c", "cat >/dev/null; exit 1"])];
+
+        assert!(try_clipboard_candidates(candidates, "hello").is_err());
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn title_empty_input_returns_untitled() {
         assert_eq!(title_from_user_messages(&[]), "Untitled");