diff --git a/edit/edit.c b/edit/edit.c
index af11f9d87..217a2a62a 100644
--- a/edit/edit.c
+++ b/edit/edit.c
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ int option_save_mode = EDIT_QUICK_SAVE;
 int option_save_position = 1;
 int option_max_undo = 32768;
 int option_persistent_selections = 1;
+int option_line_status = 0;
+int option_line_status_width = 0;
 
 int option_edit_right_extreme = 0;
 int option_edit_left_extreme = 0;
@@ -627,7 +629,11 @@ edit_init (WEdit *edit, int lines, int columns, const char *filename,
 {
     int to_free = 0;
     option_auto_syntax = 1; /* Resetting to auto on every invokation */
-
+    if ( option_line_status ) {
+        option_line_status_width = LINE_STATUS_WIDTH;
+    } else {
+        option_line_status_width = 0;
+    }
     if (!edit) {
 #ifdef ENABLE_NLS
 	/*
@@ -1483,7 +1489,7 @@ void edit_update_curs_row (WEdit * edit)
 
 void edit_update_curs_col (WEdit * edit)
 {
-    edit->curs_col = edit_move_forward3(edit, edit_bol(edit, edit->curs1), 0, edit->curs1) + 8;
+    edit->curs_col = edit_move_forward3(edit, edit_bol(edit, edit->curs1), 0, edit->curs1) + option_line_status_width;
 }
 
 /*moves the display start position up by i lines */
diff --git a/edit/edit.h b/edit/edit.h
index c945be69f..a0298d29b 100644
--- a/edit/edit.h
+++ b/edit/edit.h
@@ -288,6 +288,8 @@ extern int option_return_does_auto_indent;
 extern int option_backspace_through_tabs;
 extern int option_fake_half_tabs;
 extern int option_persistent_selections;
+extern int option_line_status;
+extern int option_line_status_width;
 
 typedef enum {
     EDIT_QUICK_SAVE = 0,
diff --git a/edit/editdraw.c b/edit/editdraw.c
index d0c2f8fa8..77884c1cc 100644
--- a/edit/editdraw.c
+++ b/edit/editdraw.c
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ print_to_widget (WEdit *edit, long row, int start_col, int start_col_real,
 {
     struct line_s *p;
     int x = start_col_real + EDIT_TEXT_HORIZONTAL_OFFSET;
-    int x1 = LINE_STATUS_WIDTH + start_col + EDIT_TEXT_HORIZONTAL_OFFSET;
+    int x1 = option_line_status_width + start_col + EDIT_TEXT_HORIZONTAL_OFFSET;
     int y = row + EDIT_TEXT_VERTICAL_OFFSET;
     int cols_to_skip = abs (x);
     unsigned char str[6 + 1];
@@ -256,14 +256,16 @@ print_to_widget (WEdit *edit, long row, int start_col, int start_col_real,
     edit_move (x1, y);
     hline (' ', end_col + 1 - EDIT_TEXT_HORIZONTAL_OFFSET - x1);
 
-    for (int i = 0; i < LINE_STATUS_WIDTH; i++) {
-        if ( status[i] == '\0' ) {
-            status[i] = ' ';
+    if ( option_line_status ) {
+        for (int i = 0; i < LINE_STATUS_WIDTH; i++) {
+            if ( status[i] == '\0' ) {
+                status[i] = ' ';
+            }
         }
+        set_color (MENU_ENTRY_COLOR);
+        edit_move (x1 + FONT_OFFSET_X - option_line_status_width, y + FONT_OFFSET_Y);
+        addstr (status);
     }
-    set_color (MENU_ENTRY_COLOR);
-    edit_move (x1 + FONT_OFFSET_X - LINE_STATUS_WIDTH, y + FONT_OFFSET_Y);
-    addstr (status);
 
     set_color (EDITOR_NORMAL_COLOR);
     edit_move (x1 + FONT_OFFSET_X, y + FONT_OFFSET_Y);
@@ -354,14 +356,15 @@ edit_draw_this_line (WEdit *edit, long b, long row, long start_col,
     c1 = min (edit->column1, edit->column2);
     c2 = max (edit->column1, edit->column2);
     unsigned long cur_line = edit->start_line + row;
-    if ( cur_line < edit->total_lines ) {
-        g_snprintf(line_stat, LINE_STATUS_WIDTH + 1, "%7ld ", cur_line + 1);
-    } else if ( cur_line == edit->total_lines ) {
-        g_snprintf(line_stat, LINE_STATUS_WIDTH + 1, "  <EOF>");
-    } else {
-        line_stat[0] = '\0';
+    if ( option_line_status ) {
+        if ( cur_line < edit->total_lines ) {
+            g_snprintf(line_stat, LINE_STATUS_WIDTH + 1, "%7ld ", cur_line + 1);
+        } else if ( cur_line == edit->total_lines ) {
+            g_snprintf(line_stat, LINE_STATUS_WIDTH + 1, "eof");
+        } else {
+            line_stat[0] = '\0';
+        }
     }
-
     if (col + 16 > -edit->start_col) {
 	eval_marks (edit, &m1, &m2);
 
diff --git a/src/setup.c b/src/setup.c
index 7dc233f6d..32c877fee 100644
--- a/src/setup.c
+++ b/src/setup.c
@@ -221,6 +221,7 @@ static const struct {
     { "editor_persistent_selections", &option_persistent_selections },
     { "editor_visible_tabs", &visible_tabs },
     { "editor_visible_spaces", &visible_tws },
+    { "editor_line_status", &option_line_status },
 #endif /* USE_INTERNAL_EDIT */
 
     { "nice_rotating_dash", &nice_rotating_dash },