diff --git a/data/core.yaml b/data/core.yaml
index 621edc78d..6e3978c7e 100644
--- a/data/core.yaml
+++ b/data/core.yaml
@@ -109,9 +109,15 @@ en:
       annotation: Reversed a line.
     split:
       title: Split
-      description: Split this into two ways at this point.
+      description:
+        line: Split this line into two at this point.
+        area: Split the boundary of this area into two.
+        multiple: Split the lines/area boundaries at this point into two.
       key: X
-      annotation: Split a way.
+      annotation:
+        line: Split a line.
+        area: Split an area boundary.
+        multiple: "Split {n} lines/area boundaries."
       not_eligible: Lines can't be split at their beginning or end.
       multiple_ways: There are too many lines here to split.
   nothing_to_undo: Nothing to undo.
diff --git a/data/locales.js b/data/locales.js
index e12e0fc09..3e29d4856 100644
--- a/data/locales.js
+++ b/data/locales.js
@@ -139,9 +139,17 @@ locale.en = {
         },
         "split": {
             "title": "Split",
-            "description": "Split this into two ways at this point.",
+            "description": {
+                "line": "Split this line into two at this point.",
+                "area": "Split the boundary of this area into two.",
+                "multiple": "Split the lines/area boundaries at this point into two."
+            },
             "key": "X",
-            "annotation": "Split a way.",
+            "annotation": {
+                "line": "Split a line.",
+                "area": "Split an area boundary.",
+                "multiple": "Split {n} lines/area boundaries."
+            },
             "not_eligible": "Lines can't be split at their beginning or end.",
             "multiple_ways": "There are too many lines here to split."
         }
diff --git a/js/id/actions/split.js b/js/id/actions/split.js
index 0f679fc77..b2df1abae 100644
--- a/js/id/actions/split.js
+++ b/js/id/actions/split.js
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 // Split a way at the given node.
 //
+// Optionally, split only the given ways, if multiple ways share
+// the given node.
+//
 // This is the inverse of `iD.actions.Join`.
 //
 // For testing convenience, accepts an ID to assign to the new way.
@@ -9,26 +12,7 @@
 // Reference:
 //   https://github.com/systemed/potlatch2/blob/master/net/systemeD/halcyon/connection/actions/SplitWayAction.as
 //
-iD.actions.Split = function(nodeId, newWayIds) {
-    function candidateWays(graph) {
-        var node = graph.entity(nodeId),
-            parents = graph.parentWays(node);
-
-        return parents.filter(function(parent) {
-            if (parent.isClosed()) {
-                return true;
-            }
-
-            for (var i = 1; i < parent.nodes.length - 1; i++) {
-                if (parent.nodes[i] === nodeId) {
-                    return true;
-                }
-            }
-
-            return false;
-        });
-    }
-
+iD.actions.Split = function(nodeId, wayIds, newWayIds) {
     function split(graph, wayA, newWayId) {
         var wayB = iD.Way({id: newWayId, tags: wayA.tags}),
             nodesA,
@@ -102,16 +86,38 @@ iD.actions.Split = function(nodeId, newWayIds) {
     }
 
     var action = function(graph) {
-        var candidates = candidateWays(graph);
+        var candidates = action.ways(graph);
         for (var i = 0; i < candidates.length; i++) {
             graph = split(graph, candidates[i], newWayIds && newWayIds[i]);
         }
         return graph;
     };
 
+    action.ways = function(graph) {
+        var node = graph.entity(nodeId),
+            parents = graph.parentWays(node);
+
+        return parents.filter(function(parent) {
+            if (wayIds && wayIds.length && wayIds.indexOf(parent.id) === -1)
+                return false;
+
+            if (parent.isClosed()) {
+                return true;
+            }
+
+            for (var i = 1; i < parent.nodes.length - 1; i++) {
+                if (parent.nodes[i] === nodeId) {
+                    return true;
+                }
+            }
+
+            return false;
+        });
+    };
+
     action.disabled = function(graph) {
-        var candidates = candidateWays(graph);
-        if (candidates.length === 0)
+        var candidates = action.ways(graph);
+        if (candidates.length === 0 || (wayIds && wayIds.length && wayIds.length !== candidates.length))
             return 'not_eligible';
     };
 
diff --git a/js/id/operations/split.js b/js/id/operations/split.js
index d61ad5450..6695abccc 100644
--- a/js/id/operations/split.js
+++ b/js/id/operations/split.js
@@ -1,16 +1,27 @@
 iD.operations.Split = function(selection, context) {
-    var entityId = selection[0],
-        action = iD.actions.Split(entityId);
+    var vertices = _.filter(selection, function vertex(entityId) {
+        return context.geometry(entityId) === 'vertex'
+    });
+
+    var entityId = vertices[0],
+        action = iD.actions.Split(entityId, _.without(selection, entityId));
 
     var operation = function() {
-        var annotation = t('operations.split.annotation'),
-            difference = context.perform(action, annotation);
+        var annotation;
+
+        var ways = action.ways(context.graph());
+        if (ways.length === 1) {
+            annotation = t('operations.split.annotation.' + context.geometry(ways[0].id));
+        } else {
+            annotation = t('operations.split.annotation.multiple', {n: ways.length});
+        }
+
+        var difference = context.perform(action, annotation);
         context.enter(iD.modes.Select(context, difference.extantIDs()));
     };
 
     operation.available = function() {
-        return selection.length === 1 &&
-            context.geometry(entityId) === 'vertex';
+        return vertices.length === 1;
     };
 
     operation.disabled = function() {
@@ -19,9 +30,16 @@ iD.operations.Split = function(selection, context) {
 
     operation.tooltip = function() {
         var disable = operation.disabled();
-        return disable ?
-            t('operations.split.' + disable) :
-            t('operations.split.description');
+        if (disable) {
+            return t('operations.split.' + disable);
+        }
+
+        var ways = action.ways(context.graph());
+        if (ways.length === 1) {
+            return t('operations.split.description.' + context.geometry(ways[0].id));
+        } else {
+            return t('operations.split.description.multiple');
+        }
     };
 
     operation.id = "split";
diff --git a/test/spec/actions/split.js b/test/spec/actions/split.js
index ec8042708..bfdf4ab7c 100644
--- a/test/spec/actions/split.js
+++ b/test/spec/actions/split.js
@@ -25,6 +25,20 @@ describe("iD.actions.Split", function () {
             expect(iD.actions.Split('*').disabled(graph)).not.to.be.ok;
         });
 
+        it("returns falsy for an intersection of two ways with parent way specified", function () {
+            var graph = iD.Graph({
+                    'a': iD.Node({id: 'a'}),
+                    'b': iD.Node({id: 'b'}),
+                    'c': iD.Node({id: 'c'}),
+                    'd': iD.Node({id: 'c'}),
+                    '*': iD.Node({id: '*'}),
+                    '-': iD.Way({id: '-', nodes: ['a', '*', 'b']}),
+                    '|': iD.Way({id: '|', nodes: ['c', '*', 'd']})
+            });
+
+            expect(iD.actions.Split('*', ['-']).disabled(graph)).not.to.be.ok;
+        });
+
         it("returns falsy for a self-intersection", function () {
             var graph = iD.Graph({
                     'a': iD.Node({id: 'a'}),
@@ -56,6 +70,20 @@ describe("iD.actions.Split", function () {
 
             expect(iD.actions.Split('b').disabled(graph)).to.equal('not_eligible');
         });
+
+        it("returns 'not_eligible' for an intersection of two ways with non-parent way specified", function () {
+            var graph = iD.Graph({
+                    'a': iD.Node({id: 'a'}),
+                    'b': iD.Node({id: 'b'}),
+                    'c': iD.Node({id: 'c'}),
+                    'd': iD.Node({id: 'c'}),
+                    '*': iD.Node({id: '*'}),
+                    '-': iD.Way({id: '-', nodes: ['a', '*', 'b']}),
+                    '|': iD.Way({id: '|', nodes: ['c', '*', 'd']})
+            });
+
+            expect(iD.actions.Split('*', ['-', '=']).disabled(graph)).to.equal('not_eligible');
+        });
     });
 
     it("creates a new way with the appropriate nodes", function () {
@@ -74,7 +102,7 @@ describe("iD.actions.Split", function () {
                 '-': iD.Way({id: '-', nodes: ['a', 'b', 'c']})
             });
 
-        graph = iD.actions.Split('b', ['='])(graph);
+        graph = iD.actions.Split('b', undefined, ['='])(graph);
 
         expect(graph.entity('-').nodes).to.eql(['a', 'b']);
         expect(graph.entity('=').nodes).to.eql(['b', 'c']);
@@ -89,7 +117,7 @@ describe("iD.actions.Split", function () {
                 '-': iD.Way({id: '-', nodes: ['a', 'b', 'c'], tags: tags})
             });
 
-        graph = iD.actions.Split('b', ['='])(graph);
+        graph = iD.actions.Split('b', undefined, ['='])(graph);
 
         // Immutable tags => should be shared by identity.
         expect(graph.entity('-').tags).to.equal(tags);
@@ -118,7 +146,7 @@ describe("iD.actions.Split", function () {
                 '|': iD.Way({id: '|', nodes: ['d', 'b']})
             });
 
-        graph = iD.actions.Split('b', ['='])(graph);
+        graph = iD.actions.Split('b', undefined, ['='])(graph);
 
         expect(graph.entity('-').nodes).to.eql(['a', 'b']);
         expect(graph.entity('=').nodes).to.eql(['b', 'c']);
@@ -152,7 +180,7 @@ describe("iD.actions.Split", function () {
                 '|': iD.Way({id: '|', nodes: ['c', '*', 'd']})
         });
 
-        graph = iD.actions.Split('*', ['=', '¦'])(graph);
+        graph = iD.actions.Split('*', undefined, ['=', '¦'])(graph);
 
         expect(graph.entity('-').nodes).to.eql(['a', '*']);
         expect(graph.entity('=').nodes).to.eql(['*', 'b']);
@@ -160,6 +188,34 @@ describe("iD.actions.Split", function () {
         expect(graph.entity('¦').nodes).to.eql(['*', 'd']);
     });
 
+    it("splits the specified ways at an intersection", function () {
+        var graph = iD.Graph({
+                'a': iD.Node({id: 'a'}),
+                'b': iD.Node({id: 'b'}),
+                'c': iD.Node({id: 'c'}),
+                'd': iD.Node({id: 'c'}),
+                '*': iD.Node({id: '*'}),
+                '-': iD.Way({id: '-', nodes: ['a', '*', 'b']}),
+                '|': iD.Way({id: '|', nodes: ['c', '*', 'd']})
+        });
+
+        var g1 = iD.actions.Split('*', ['-'], ['='])(graph);
+        expect(g1.entity('-').nodes).to.eql(['a', '*']);
+        expect(g1.entity('=').nodes).to.eql(['*', 'b']);
+        expect(g1.entity('|').nodes).to.eql(['c', '*', 'd']);
+
+        var g2 = iD.actions.Split('*', ['|'], ['¦'])(graph);
+        expect(g2.entity('-').nodes).to.eql(['a', '*', 'b']);
+        expect(g2.entity('|').nodes).to.eql(['c', '*']);
+        expect(g2.entity('¦').nodes).to.eql(['*', 'd']);
+
+        var g3 = iD.actions.Split('*', ['-', '|'], ['=', '¦'])(graph);
+        expect(g3.entity('-').nodes).to.eql(['a', '*']);
+        expect(g3.entity('=').nodes).to.eql(['*', 'b']);
+        expect(g3.entity('|').nodes).to.eql(['c', '*']);
+        expect(g3.entity('¦').nodes).to.eql(['*', 'd']);
+    });
+
     it("splits self-intersecting ways", function () {
         // Situation:
         //            b
@@ -183,7 +239,7 @@ describe("iD.actions.Split", function () {
                 '-': iD.Way({id: '-', nodes: ['a', 'b', 'c', 'a', 'd']})
         });
 
-        graph = iD.actions.Split('a', ['='])(graph);
+        graph = iD.actions.Split('a', undefined, ['='])(graph);
 
         expect(graph.entity('-').nodes).to.eql(['a', 'b', 'c', 'a']);
         expect(graph.entity('=').nodes).to.eql(['a', 'd']);
@@ -210,19 +266,19 @@ describe("iD.actions.Split", function () {
                 '-': iD.Way({id: '-', nodes: ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'a']})
             });
 
-        var g1 = iD.actions.Split('a', ['='])(graph);
+        var g1 = iD.actions.Split('a', undefined, ['='])(graph);
         expect(g1.entity('-').nodes).to.eql(['a', 'b', 'c']);
         expect(g1.entity('=').nodes).to.eql(['c', 'd', 'a']);
 
-        var g2 = iD.actions.Split('b', ['='])(graph);
+        var g2 = iD.actions.Split('b', undefined, ['='])(graph);
         expect(g2.entity('-').nodes).to.eql(['b', 'c', 'd']);
         expect(g2.entity('=').nodes).to.eql(['d', 'a', 'b']);
 
-        var g3 = iD.actions.Split('c', ['='])(graph);
+        var g3 = iD.actions.Split('c', undefined, ['='])(graph);
         expect(g3.entity('-').nodes).to.eql(['c', 'd', 'a']);
         expect(g3.entity('=').nodes).to.eql(['a', 'b', 'c']);
 
-        var g4 = iD.actions.Split('d', ['='])(graph);
+        var g4 = iD.actions.Split('d', undefined, ['='])(graph);
         expect(g4.entity('-').nodes).to.eql(['d', 'a', 'b']);
         expect(g4.entity('=').nodes).to.eql(['b', 'c', 'd']);
     });
@@ -236,7 +292,7 @@ describe("iD.actions.Split", function () {
                 '-': iD.Way({id: '-', tags: {building: 'yes'}, nodes: ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'a']})
             });
 
-        graph = iD.actions.Split('a', ['='])(graph);
+        graph = iD.actions.Split('a', undefined, ['='])(graph);
         expect(graph.entity('-').tags).to.eql({});
         expect(graph.entity('=').tags).to.eql({});
         expect(graph.parentRelations(graph.entity('-'))).to.have.length(1);
@@ -268,7 +324,7 @@ describe("iD.actions.Split", function () {
                 'r': iD.Relation({id: 'r', members: [{id: '-', type: 'way', role: 'forward'}]})
             });
 
-        graph = iD.actions.Split('b', ['='])(graph);
+        graph = iD.actions.Split('b', undefined, ['='])(graph);
 
         expect(graph.entity('r').members).to.eql([
             {id: '-', type: 'way', role: 'forward'},
@@ -297,7 +353,7 @@ describe("iD.actions.Split", function () {
                 'r': iD.Relation({id: 'r', members: [{id: '-', type: 'way'}, {id: '~', type: 'way'}]})
             });
 
-        graph = iD.actions.Split('b', ['='])(graph);
+        graph = iD.actions.Split('b', undefined, ['='])(graph);
 
         expect(_.pluck(graph.entity('r').members, 'id')).to.eql(['-', '=', '~']);
     });
@@ -323,7 +379,7 @@ describe("iD.actions.Split", function () {
                 'r': iD.Relation({id: 'r', members: [{id: '~', type: 'way'}, {id: '-', type: 'way'}]})
             });
 
-        graph = iD.actions.Split('b', ['='])(graph);
+        graph = iD.actions.Split('b', undefined, ['='])(graph);
 
         expect(_.pluck(graph.entity('r').members, 'id')).to.eql(['~', '=', '-']);
     });
@@ -337,7 +393,7 @@ describe("iD.actions.Split", function () {
                 'r': iD.Relation({id: 'r', members: [{id: '~', type: 'way'}, {id: '-', type: 'way'}]})
             });
 
-        graph = iD.actions.Split('b', ['='])(graph);
+        graph = iD.actions.Split('b', undefined, ['='])(graph);
 
         expect(_.pluck(graph.entity('r').members, 'id')).to.eql(['~', '-', '=']);
     });
@@ -367,7 +423,7 @@ describe("iD.actions.Split", function () {
                         {id: 'c', role: 'via'}]})
                 });
 
-            graph = iD.actions.Split('b', ['='])(graph);
+            graph = iD.actions.Split('b', undefined, ['='])(graph);
 
             expect(graph.entity('r').members).to.eql([
                 {id: '=', role: 'from'},
@@ -399,7 +455,7 @@ describe("iD.actions.Split", function () {
                         {id: 'c', role: 'via'}]})
                 });
 
-            graph = iD.actions.Split('b', ['='])(graph);
+            graph = iD.actions.Split('b', undefined, ['='])(graph);
 
             expect(graph.entity('r').members).to.eql([
                 {id: '~', role: 'from'},
@@ -431,7 +487,7 @@ describe("iD.actions.Split", function () {
                         {id: 'c', role: 'via'}]})
                 });
 
-            graph = iD.actions.Split('b', ['='])(graph);
+            graph = iD.actions.Split('b', undefined, ['='])(graph);
 
             expect(graph.entity('r').members).to.eql([
                 {id: '-', role: 'from'},