diff --git a/src/publicapi.js b/src/publicapi.js
index 022dfda..2ccdeb2 100644
--- a/src/publicapi.js
+++ b/src/publicapi.js
@@ -213,6 +213,19 @@
       var cmd = Embed().setOptions(options);
       cmd.createLeftOf(this.__controller.cursor);
     };
+    _.clickAt = function(clientX, clientY, target) {
+      target = target || document.elementFromPoint(clientX, clientY);
+
+      var ctrlr = this.__controller, root = ctrlr.root;
+      if (!jQuery.contains(root.jQ[0], target)) target = root.jQ[0];
+      ctrlr.seek($(target), clientX + pageXOffset, clientY + pageYOffset);
+      if (ctrlr.blurred) this.focus();
+      return this;
+    };
+    _.ignoreNextMousedown = function(fn) {
+      this.__controller.cursor.options.ignoreNextMousedown = fn;
+      return this;
+    };
   });
   MQ.EditableField = function() { throw "wtf don't call me, I'm 'abstract'"; };
   MQ.EditableField.prototype = APIClasses.EditableField.prototype;
diff --git a/src/services/mouse.js b/src/services/mouse.js
index c060461..b2b543a 100644
--- a/src/services/mouse.js
+++ b/src/services/mouse.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
  *******************************************************/
 
 Controller.open(function(_) {
+  Options.p.ignoreNextMousedown = noop;
   _.delegateMouseEvents = function() {
     var ultimateRootjQ = this.root.jQ;
     //drag-to-select event handling
@@ -12,6 +13,12 @@
       var ctrlr = root.controller, cursor = ctrlr.cursor, blink = cursor.blink;
       var textareaSpan = ctrlr.textareaSpan, textarea = ctrlr.textarea;
 
+      e.preventDefault(); // doesn't work in IE≤8, but it's a one-line fix:
+      e.target.unselectable = true; // http://jsbin.com/yagekiji/1
+
+      if (cursor.options.ignoreNextMousedown(e)) return;
+      else cursor.options.ignoreNextMousedown = noop;
+
       var target;
       function mousemove(e) { target = $(e.target); }
       function docmousemove(e) {
@@ -42,8 +49,6 @@
         if (!ctrlr.editable) rootjQ.prepend(textareaSpan);
         textarea.focus();
       }
-      e.preventDefault(); // doesn't work in IE≤8, but it's a one-line fix:
-      e.target.unselectable = true; // http://jsbin.com/yagekiji/1
 
       cursor.blink = noop;
       ctrlr.seek($(e.target), e.pageX, e.pageY).cursor.startSelection();
diff --git a/test/unit/publicapi.test.js b/test/unit/publicapi.test.js
index a2c62c3..9264c3e 100644
--- a/test/unit/publicapi.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/publicapi.test.js
@@ -762,6 +762,58 @@
     });
   });
 
+  suite('clickAt', function() {
+    test('inserts at coordinates', function() {
+      // Insert filler so that the page is taller than the window so this test is deterministic
+      // Test that we use clientY instead of pageY
+      var windowHeight = $(window).height();
+      var filler = $('<div>').height(windowHeight);
+      filler.insertBefore('#mock');
+
+      var mq = MQ.MathField($('<span>').appendTo('#mock')[0]);
+      mq.typedText("mmmm/mmmm");
+      mq.el().scrollIntoView();
+
+      var box = mq.el().getBoundingClientRect();
+      var clientX = box.left + 30;
+      var clientY = box.top + 40;
+      var target = document.elementFromPoint(clientX, clientY);
+
+      assert.equal(document.activeElement, document.body);
+      mq.clickAt(clientX, clientY, target).write('x');
+      assert.equal(document.activeElement, $(mq.el()).find('textarea')[0]);
+
+      assert.equal(mq.latex(), "\\frac{mmmm}{mmxmm}");
+
+      filler.remove();
+      $(mq.el()).remove();
+    });
+    test('target is optional', function() {
+      // Insert filler so that the page is taller than the window so this test is deterministic
+      // Test that we use clientY instead of pageY
+      var windowHeight = $(window).height();
+      var filler = $('<div>').height(windowHeight);
+      filler.insertBefore('#mock');
+
+      var mq = MQ.MathField($('<span>').appendTo('#mock')[0]);
+      mq.typedText("mmmm/mmmm");
+      mq.el().scrollIntoView();
+
+      var box = mq.el().getBoundingClientRect();
+      var clientX = box.left + 30;
+      var clientY = box.top + 40;
+
+      assert.equal(document.activeElement, document.body);
+      mq.clickAt(clientX, clientY).write('x');
+      assert.equal(document.activeElement, $(mq.el()).find('textarea')[0]);
+
+      assert.equal(mq.latex(), "\\frac{mmmm}{mmxmm}");
+
+      filler.remove();
+      $(mq.el()).remove();
+    });
+  });
+
   suite('dropEmbedded', function() {
     test('inserts into empty', function() {
       var mq = MQ.MathField($('<span>').appendTo('#mock')[0]);
diff --git a/test/visual.html b/test/visual.html
index 1c6f44f..027785e 100644
--- a/test/visual.html
+++ b/test/visual.html
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@
   <td><span class="mathquill-static-math">\sqrt{\MathQuillMathField{x^2+y^2}}</span>
 </table>
 
-<p>Clicks/mousedown to drag should work anywhere in the blue box: <div class="math-container" style="border: solid 1px lightblue; height: 5em; width: 15em; line-height: 5em; text-align: center"><span class="mathquill-math-field">x_{very\ long\ thing}^2 + a_0 = 0</span></div>
+<p>Touch taps/clicks/mousedown to drag should work anywhere in the blue box: <div class="math-container" style="border: solid 1px lightblue; height: 5em; width: 15em; line-height: 5em; text-align: center; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0,0,0,0)"><span class="mathquill-math-field">a_2 x^2 + a_1 x + a_0 = 0</span></div>
 
 <h3>Redrawing</h3>
 <p>
@@ -297,7 +297,25 @@
 // test selecting from outside the mathquill editable
 var $mq = $('.math-container .mathquill-math-field');
 $('.math-container').mousedown(function(e) {
-  if (!jQuery.contains($mq[0], e.target)) $mq.triggerHandler(e);
+  if (e.target === $mq[0] || $.contains($mq[0], e.target)) return;
+  $mq.triggerHandler(e);
+})
+// test API for "fast touch taps" #622 & #403
+.on('touchstart', function() {
+  var moved = false;
+  $(this).on('touchmove.tmp', function() { moved = true; })
+  .on('touchend.tmp', function(e) {
+    $(this).off('.tmp');
+    MathQuill($mq[0]).ignoreNextMousedown(function() {
+      return Date.now() < e.timeStamp + 1000;
+    });
+    if (moved) return; // note that this happens after .ignoreNextMousedown()
+      // because even if the touch gesture doesn't 'count' as a tap to us,
+      // we still want to suppress the legacy mouse events, else we'd react
+      // fast to some taps and slow to others, that'd be weird
+    var touch = e.originalEvent.changedTouches[0];
+    MathQuill($mq[0]).clickAt(touch.clientX, touch.clientY, touch.target);
+  });
 });
 
 // Selection Tests