diff --git a/modules/behavior/hover.js b/modules/behavior/hover.js
index df007dc9b..f15da999f 100644
--- a/modules/behavior/hover.js
+++ b/modules/behavior/hover.js
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ import { osmEntity, osmNote, QAItem } from '../osm';
 import { utilKeybinding, utilRebind } from '../util';
 
 /*
-   The hover behavior adds the `.hover` class on mouseover to all elements to which
-   the identical datum is bound, and removes it on mouseout.
+   The hover behavior adds the `.hover` class on pointerover to all elements to which
+   the identical datum is bound, and removes it on pointerout.
 
    The :hover pseudo-class is insufficient for iD's purposes because a datum's visual
    representation may consist of several elements scattered throughout the DOM hierarchy.
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ export function behaviorHover(context) {
     var _ignoreVertex;
     var _target;
 
+    // use pointer events on supported platforms; fallback to mouse events
+    var _pointerPrefix = 'PointerEvent' in window ? 'pointer' : 'mouse';
+
 
     function keydown() {
         if (_altDisables && d3_event.keyCode === utilKeybinding.modifierCodes.alt) {
@@ -67,40 +70,40 @@ export function behaviorHover(context) {
         }
 
         _selection
-            .on('mouseover.hover', mouseover)
-            .on('mouseout.hover', mouseout)
-            .on('mousedown.hover', mousedown);
+            .on(_pointerPrefix + 'over.hover', pointerover)
+            .on(_pointerPrefix + 'out.hover', pointerout)
+            .on(_pointerPrefix + 'down.hover', pointerdown);
 
         d3_select(window)
             .on('keydown.hover', keydown)
             .on('keyup.hover', keyup);
 
 
-        function mouseover() {
+        function pointerover() {
             if (_buttonDown) return;
             var target = d3_event.target;
             enter(target ? target.__data__ : null);
         }
 
 
-        function mouseout() {
+        function pointerout() {
             if (_buttonDown) return;
             var target = d3_event.relatedTarget;
             enter(target ? target.__data__ : null);
         }
 
 
-        function mousedown() {
+        function pointerdown() {
             _buttonDown = true;
             d3_select(window)
-                .on('mouseup.hover', mouseup, true);
+                .on(_pointerPrefix + 'up.hover', pointerup, true);
         }
 
 
-        function mouseup() {
+        function pointerup() {
             _buttonDown = false;
             d3_select(window)
-                .on('mouseup.hover', null, true);
+                .on(_pointerPrefix + 'up.hover', null, true);
         }
 
         function allowsVertex(d) {
@@ -188,9 +191,9 @@ export function behaviorHover(context) {
             .classed('hover-disabled', false);
 
         selection
-            .on('mouseover.hover', null)
-            .on('mouseout.hover', null)
-            .on('mousedown.hover', null);
+            .on(_pointerPrefix + 'over.hover', null)
+            .on(_pointerPrefix + 'out.hover', null)
+            .on(_pointerPrefix + 'down.hover', null);
 
         d3_select(window)
             .on('keydown.hover', null)
diff --git a/modules/behavior/select.js b/modules/behavior/select.js
index 511c1b827..cca1ca614 100644
--- a/modules/behavior/select.js
+++ b/modules/behavior/select.js
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ export function behaviorSelect(context) {
     var _suppressMenu = true;
     var _p1 = null;
 
+    // use pointer events on supported platforms; fallback to mouse events
+    var _pointerPrefix = 'PointerEvent' in window ? 'pointer' : 'mouse';
 
     function point() {
         return d3_mouse(context.container().node());
@@ -53,25 +55,25 @@ export function behaviorSelect(context) {
     }
 
 
-    function mousedown() {
+    function pointerdown() {
         if (!_p1) {
             _p1 = point();
         }
         d3_select(window)
-            .on('mouseup.select', mouseup, true);
+            .on(_pointerPrefix + 'up.select', pointerup, true);
 
         _suppressMenu = !isShowAlways;
     }
 
 
-    function mousemove() {
+    function pointermove() {
         if (d3_event) {
             _lastMouse = d3_event;
         }
     }
 
 
-    function mouseup() {
+    function pointerup() {
         click();
     }
 
@@ -99,7 +101,7 @@ export function behaviorSelect(context) {
 
     function click() {
         d3_select(window)
-            .on('mouseup.select', null, true);
+            .on(_pointerPrefix + 'up.select', null, true);
 
         if (!_p1) return;
         var p2 = point();
@@ -211,8 +213,8 @@ export function behaviorSelect(context) {
             });
 
         selection
-            .on('mousedown.select', mousedown)
-            .on('mousemove.select', mousemove)
+            .on(_pointerPrefix + 'down.select', pointerdown)
+            .on(_pointerPrefix + 'move.select', pointermove)
             .on('contextmenu.select', contextmenu);
 
         if (d3_event && d3_event.shiftKey) {
@@ -227,11 +229,11 @@ export function behaviorSelect(context) {
             .on('keydown.select', null)
             .on('keyup.select', null)
             .on('contextmenu.select-window', null)
-            .on('mouseup.select', null, true);
+            .on(_pointerPrefix + 'up.select', null, true);
 
         selection
-            .on('mousedown.select', null)
-            .on('mousemove.select', null)
+            .on(_pointerPrefix + 'down.select', null)
+            .on(_pointerPrefix + 'move.select', null)
             .on('contextmenu.select', null);
 
         context.surface()