diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 85c8e8c11..a0ad50f4f 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ CHANGES IN FLTK 1.1.7
 
 	- Documentation fixes (STR #648, STR #692, STR #730, STR
 	  #744, STR #745)
+	- Fl::paste would sometimes not recoginze external 
+	  changes of the clipboard (STR #722)
 	- Clipping fixes for OSX
 	- Removed attempt to find items via 
 	  Fl_Menu_::find_item() in linked submenus
diff --git a/src/Fl_win32.cxx b/src/Fl_win32.cxx
index 6fbec0146..5ca8abf79 100644
--- a/src/Fl_win32.cxx
+++ b/src/Fl_win32.cxx
@@ -384,11 +384,15 @@ void Fl::copy(const char *stuff, int len, int clipboard) {
   if (clipboard) {
     // set up for "delayed rendering":
     if (OpenClipboard(fl_xid(Fl::first_window()))) {
+      // if the system clipboard works, use it
       EmptyClipboard();
       SetClipboardData(CF_TEXT, NULL);
       CloseClipboard();
+      fl_i_own_selection[clipboard] = 0;
+    } else {
+      // only if it fails, instruct paste() to use the internal buffers
+      fl_i_own_selection[clipboard] = 1;
     }
-    fl_i_own_selection[clipboard] = 1;
   }
 }