diff --git a/edit/edit.c b/edit/edit.c
index d365ea542..74dfbae4b 100644
--- a/edit/edit.c
+++ b/edit/edit.c
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@ int edit_key_emulation = EDIT_KEY_EMULATION_NORMAL;
 int option_word_wrap_line_length = 72;
 int option_typewriter_wrap = 0;
 int option_auto_para_formatting = 0;
-int option_tab_spacing = 8;
 int option_fill_tabs_with_spaces = 0;
 int option_return_does_auto_indent = 1;
 int option_backspace_through_tabs = 0;
diff --git a/edit/edit.h b/edit/edit.h
index 8bf2e8d4f..b406bd81c 100644
--- a/edit/edit.h
+++ b/edit/edit.h
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ typedef struct WEdit WEdit;
 extern int option_word_wrap_line_length;
 extern int option_typewriter_wrap;
 extern int option_auto_para_formatting;
-extern int option_tab_spacing;
 extern int option_fill_tabs_with_spaces;
 extern int option_return_does_auto_indent;
 extern int option_backspace_through_tabs;
diff --git a/edit/editoptions.c b/edit/editoptions.c
index a3d62763f..fbf0a3a55 100644
--- a/edit/editoptions.c
+++ b/edit/editoptions.c
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 #include "edit-impl.h"
 #include "../src/dialog.h"	/* B_CANCEL */
 #include "../src/wtools.h"	/* QuickDialog */
+#include "../src/main.h"	/* option_tab_spacing */
 
 #define OPT_DLG_H 21
 #define OPT_DLG_W 72
diff --git a/edit/wordproc.c b/edit/wordproc.c
index 7da91d172..e3c30552b 100644
--- a/edit/wordproc.c
+++ b/edit/wordproc.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 
 #include "edit-impl.h"
 #include "edit-widget.h"
+#include "../src/main.h"	/* option_tab_spacing */
 
 #define tab_width option_tab_spacing
 
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 48a365388..fdcf57e54 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -254,6 +254,9 @@ int update_prompt = 0;
 /* The home directory */
 const char *home_dir = NULL;
 
+/* Tab size */
+int option_tab_spacing = 8;
+
 /* The value of the other directory, only used when loading the setup */
 char *other_dir = NULL;
 
diff --git a/src/main.h b/src/main.h
index e147dc899..4dcb1fb4a 100644
--- a/src/main.h
+++ b/src/main.h
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ extern int clear_before_exec;
 extern char *other_dir;
 extern int mouse_move_pages;
 
+extern int option_tab_spacing;
+
 #ifdef HAVE_CHARSET
 extern int source_codepage;
 extern int display_codepage;
diff --git a/src/viewer/nroff.c b/src/viewer/nroff.c
index 57e4b52b8..7675bf3a9 100644
--- a/src/viewer/nroff.c
+++ b/src/viewer/nroff.c
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ mcview_display_nroff (mcview_t * view)
         if (c == '\t') {
             off_t line, column;
             mcview_offset_to_coord (view, &line, &column, from);
-            col += (8 - column % 8);
+            col += (option_tab_spacing - col % option_tab_spacing);
             if (view->text_wrap_mode && col >= width && width != 0) {
                 row += col / width;
                 col %= width;
diff --git a/src/viewer/plain.c b/src/viewer/plain.c
index 9b1aeeee3..aa57027e3 100644
--- a/src/viewer/plain.c
+++ b/src/viewer/plain.c
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ mcview_display_text (mcview_t * view)
         if (c == '\t') {
             off_t line, column;
             mcview_offset_to_coord (view, &line, &column, from);
-            col += (8 - column % 8);
+            col += (option_tab_spacing - col % option_tab_spacing);
             if (view->text_wrap_mode && col >= width && width != 0) {
                 row += col / width;
                 col %= width;