diff --git a/include/SDL3/SDL_clipboard.h b/include/SDL3/SDL_clipboard.h
index 71d0e5c5b9..1014481d7f 100644
--- a/include/SDL3/SDL_clipboard.h
+++ b/include/SDL3/SDL_clipboard.h
@@ -101,23 +101,22 @@ extern SDL_DECLSPEC SDL_bool SDLCALL SDL_HasClipboardText(void);
 extern SDL_DECLSPEC int SDLCALL SDL_SetPrimarySelectionText(const char *text);
 
 /**
- * Get UTF-8 text from the primary selection, which must be freed with
- * SDL_free().
+ * Get UTF-8 text from the primary selection.
  *
  * This functions returns empty string if there was not enough memory left for
  * a copy of the primary selection's content.
  *
+ * The returned string follows the SDL_GetStringRule.
+ *
  * \returns the primary selection text on success or an empty string on
- *          failure; call SDL_GetError() for more information. Caller must
- *          call SDL_free() on the returned pointer when done with it (even if
- *          there was an error).
+ *          failure; call SDL_GetError() for more information.
  *
  * \since This function is available since SDL 3.0.0.
  *
  * \sa SDL_HasPrimarySelectionText
  * \sa SDL_SetPrimarySelectionText
  */
-extern SDL_DECLSPEC char * SDLCALL SDL_GetPrimarySelectionText(void);
+extern SDL_DECLSPEC const char * SDLCALL SDL_GetPrimarySelectionText(void);
 
 /**
  * Query whether the primary selection exists and contains a non-empty text
diff --git a/src/dynapi/SDL_dynapi_procs.h b/src/dynapi/SDL_dynapi_procs.h
index 748cc50e89..135289933b 100644
--- a/src/dynapi/SDL_dynapi_procs.h
+++ b/src/dynapi/SDL_dynapi_procs.h
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ SDL_DYNAPI_PROC(SDL_PowerState,SDL_GetPowerInfo,(int *a, int *b),(a,b),return)
 SDL_DYNAPI_PROC(char*,SDL_GetPrefPath,(const char *a, const char *b),(a,b),return)
 SDL_DYNAPI_PROC(SDL_Locale*,SDL_GetPreferredLocales,(void),(),return)
 SDL_DYNAPI_PROC(SDL_DisplayID,SDL_GetPrimaryDisplay,(void),(),return)
-SDL_DYNAPI_PROC(char*,SDL_GetPrimarySelectionText,(void),(),return)
+SDL_DYNAPI_PROC(const char*,SDL_GetPrimarySelectionText,(void),(),return)
 SDL_DYNAPI_PROC(SDL_PropertyType,SDL_GetPropertyType,(SDL_PropertiesID a, const char *b),(a,b),return)
 SDL_DYNAPI_PROC(void,SDL_GetRGB,(Uint32 a, const SDL_PixelFormatDetails *b, const SDL_Palette *c, Uint8 *d, Uint8 *e, Uint8 *f),(a,b,c,d,e,f),)
 SDL_DYNAPI_PROC(void,SDL_GetRGBA,(Uint32 a, const SDL_PixelFormatDetails *b, const SDL_Palette *c, Uint8 *d, Uint8 *e, Uint8 *f, Uint8 *g),(a,b,c,d,e,f,g),)
diff --git a/src/test/SDL_test_common.c b/src/test/SDL_test_common.c
index 442cb7ef93..dca7e57c2b 100644
--- a/src/test/SDL_test_common.c
+++ b/src/test/SDL_test_common.c
@@ -2264,13 +2264,12 @@ int SDLTest_CommonEventMainCallbacks(SDLTest_CommonState *state, const SDL_Event
         case SDLK_V:
             if (withAlt) {
                 /* Alt-V paste awesome text from the primary selection! */
-                char *text = SDL_GetPrimarySelectionText();
+                const char *text = SDL_GetPrimarySelectionText();
                 if (*text) {
                     SDL_Log("Primary selection: %s\n", text);
                 } else {
                     SDL_Log("Primary selection is empty\n");
                 }
-                SDL_free(text);
 
             } else if (withControl) {
                 if (withShift) {
diff --git a/src/video/SDL_clipboard.c b/src/video/SDL_clipboard.c
index ab1c57fc08..77ddc5941f 100644
--- a/src/video/SDL_clipboard.c
+++ b/src/video/SDL_clipboard.c
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ int SDL_SetPrimarySelectionText(const char *text)
             return -1;
         }
     } else {
-        SDL_free(_this->primary_selection_text);
+        SDL_FreeLater(_this->primary_selection_text);  // this pointer might be given to the app by SDL_GetPrimarySelectionText.
         _this->primary_selection_text = SDL_strdup(text);
     }
 
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ int SDL_SetPrimarySelectionText(const char *text)
     return 0;
 }
 
-char *SDL_GetPrimarySelectionText(void)
+const char *SDL_GetPrimarySelectionText(void)
 {
     SDL_VideoDevice *_this = SDL_GetVideoDevice();
 
@@ -367,13 +367,13 @@ char *SDL_GetPrimarySelectionText(void)
     }
 
     if (_this->GetPrimarySelectionText) {
-        return _this->GetPrimarySelectionText(_this);
+        return SDL_FreeLater(_this->GetPrimarySelectionText(_this));  // returned pointer follows the SDL_GetStringRule
     } else {
         const char *text = _this->primary_selection_text;
         if (!text) {
             text = "";
         }
-        return SDL_strdup(text);
+        return text;
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/test/testautomation_clipboard.c b/test/testautomation_clipboard.c
index 6b80e44b30..5568029178 100644
--- a/test/testautomation_clipboard.c
+++ b/test/testautomation_clipboard.c
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ static int clipboard_testPrimarySelectionTextFunctions(void *arg)
     char *text = SDL_strdup(textRef);
     SDL_bool boolResult;
     int intResult;
-    char *charResult;
+    const char *charResult;
     int last_clipboard_update_count;
 
     SDL_AddEventWatch(ClipboardEventWatch, NULL);
@@ -483,7 +483,6 @@ static int clipboard_testPrimarySelectionTextFunctions(void *arg)
         charResult && SDL_strcmp(charResult, "") == 0,
         "Verify SDL_GetPrimarySelectionText returned \"\", got %s",
         charResult);
-    SDL_free(charResult);
     boolResult = SDL_HasPrimarySelectionText();
     SDLTest_AssertCheck(
         boolResult == SDL_FALSE,
@@ -515,7 +514,6 @@ static int clipboard_testPrimarySelectionTextFunctions(void *arg)
         charResult && SDL_strcmp(textRef, charResult) == 0,
         "Verify SDL_GetPrimarySelectionText returned correct string, expected '%s', got '%s'",
         textRef, charResult);
-    SDL_free(charResult);
     SDLTest_AssertCheck(
         clipboard_update_count == last_clipboard_update_count + 1,
         "Verify clipboard update count incremented by 1, got %d",