diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookViewEvents.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookViewEvents.ts
index 785c4e5998f56..15b684b1760d7 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookViewEvents.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookViewEvents.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ export interface CellViewModelStateChangeEvent {
 	readonly cellLineNumberChanged?: boolean;
 	readonly inputCollapsedChanged?: boolean;
 	readonly outputCollapsedChanged?: boolean;
+	readonly dragStateChanged?: boolean;
 }
 
 export interface NotebookLayoutChangeEvent {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/view/cellParts/cellDnd.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/view/cellParts/cellDnd.ts
index 369d267c9817a..6badf82db57ab 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/view/cellParts/cellDnd.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/view/cellParts/cellDnd.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { Delayer } from 'vs/base/common/async';
 import { Disposable, MutableDisposable } from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
 import * as platform from 'vs/base/common/platform';
 import { expandCellRangesWithHiddenCells, ICellViewModel, INotebookEditorDelegate } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookBrowser';
+import { CellViewModelStateChangeEvent } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookViewEvents';
 import { CellPart } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/view/cellParts/cellPart';
 import { BaseCellRenderTemplate, INotebookCellList } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/view/notebookRenderingCommon';
 import { cloneNotebookCellTextModel } from 'vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/common/model/notebookCellTextModel';
@@ -37,18 +38,25 @@ export class CellDragAndDropPart extends CellPart {
 	}
 
 	override didRenderCell(element: ICellViewModel): void {
-		if (element.dragging) {
-			this.container.classList.add(DRAGGING_CLASS);
-		} else {
-			this.container.classList.remove(DRAGGING_CLASS);
+		this.update(element);
+	}
+
+	override updateState(element: ICellViewModel, e: CellViewModelStateChangeEvent): void {
+		if (e.dragStateChanged) {
+			this.update(element);
 		}
 	}
+
+	private update(element: ICellViewModel) {
+		this.container.classList.toggle(DRAGGING_CLASS, element.dragging);
+	}
 }
 
 export class CellDragAndDropController extends Disposable {
 	// TODO@roblourens - should probably use dataTransfer here, but any dataTransfer set makes the editor think I am dropping a file, need
 	// to figure out how to prevent that
 	private currentDraggedCell: ICellViewModel | undefined;
+	private draggedCells: ICellViewModel[] = [];
 
 	private listInsertionIndicator: HTMLElement;
 
@@ -278,8 +286,9 @@ export class CellDragAndDropController extends Disposable {
 
 	private dragCleanup(): void {
 		if (this.currentDraggedCell) {
-			this.currentDraggedCell.dragging = false;
+			this.draggedCells.forEach(cell => cell.dragging = false);
 			this.currentDraggedCell = undefined;
+			this.draggedCells = [];
 		}
 
 		this.setInsertIndicatorVisibility(false);
@@ -314,14 +323,13 @@ export class CellDragAndDropController extends Disposable {
 			}
 
 			this.currentDraggedCell = templateData.currentRenderedCell!;
-			this.currentDraggedCell.dragging = true;
+			this.draggedCells = this.notebookEditor.getSelections().map(range => this.notebookEditor.getCellsInRange(range)).flat();
+			this.draggedCells.forEach(cell => cell.dragging = true);
 
 			const dragImage = dragImageProvider();
 			cellRoot.parentElement!.appendChild(dragImage);
 			event.dataTransfer.setDragImage(dragImage, 0, 0);
 			setTimeout(() => cellRoot.parentElement!.removeChild(dragImage!), 0); // Comment this out to debug drag image layout
-
-			container.classList.add(DRAGGING_CLASS);
 		};
 		for (const dragHandle of dragHandles) {
 			templateData.templateDisposables.add(DOM.addDisposableListener(dragHandle, DOM.EventType.DRAG_START, onDragStart));
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/viewModel/baseCellViewModel.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/viewModel/baseCellViewModel.ts
index a5f73d4c62679..da35868b32717 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/viewModel/baseCellViewModel.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/viewModel/baseCellViewModel.ts
@@ -70,22 +70,6 @@ export abstract class BaseCellViewModel extends Disposable {
 
 	private _editState: CellEditState = CellEditState.Preview;
 
-	// get editState(): CellEditState {
-	// 	return this._editState;
-	// }
-
-	// set editState(newState: CellEditState) {
-	// 	if (newState === this._editState) {
-	// 		return;
-	// 	}
-
-	// 	this._editState = newState;
-	// 	this._onDidChangeState.fire({ editStateChanged: true });
-	// 	if (this._editState === CellEditState.Preview) {
-	// 		this.focusMode = CellFocusMode.Container;
-	// 	}
-	// }
-
 	private _lineNumbers: 'on' | 'off' | 'inherit' = 'inherit';
 	get lineNumbers(): 'on' | 'off' | 'inherit' {
 		return this._lineNumbers;
@@ -149,6 +133,7 @@ export abstract class BaseCellViewModel extends Disposable {
 
 	set dragging(v: boolean) {
 		this._dragging = v;
+		this._onDidChangeState.fire({ dragStateChanged: true });
 	}
 
 	protected _textModelRef: IReference<IResolvedTextEditorModel> | undefined;