diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 6f5bec05..5b3377db 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ To be released as 0.11.4.
 * bug 712: GnuTLS works on https://www-s.uiuc.edu/[]
 * fix active and passive FTP over IPv6
 * bug 978: Python's webbrowser.open_new_tab(URL) works since now
+* minor bug 54, Debian bug 338402: don't force the terminal to 8 bits
+  with no parity
 * minor bug 951 in user SMJS: garbage-collect SMJS objects on 'File ->
   Flush all caches' to work around their holding cache entries busy
 * minor bug 396: never show empty filename in the what-to-do dialog
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index c3112a17..9b5503cf 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ AC_PROG_GCC_TRADITIONAL
 AC_FUNC_MEMCMP
 AC_FUNC_MMAP
 AC_FUNC_STRFTIME
-AC_CHECK_FUNCS(cfmakeraw gethostbyaddr herror strerror)
+AC_CHECK_FUNCS(gethostbyaddr herror strerror)
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS(popen uname access chmod alarm timegm mremap)
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS(strcasecmp strncasecmp strcasestr strstr strchr strrchr)
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS(memmove bcopy stpcpy strdup index isdigit mempcpy memrchr)
diff --git a/src/osdep/osdep.c b/src/osdep/osdep.c
index 9e1af280..55570262 100644
--- a/src/osdep/osdep.c
+++ b/src/osdep/osdep.c
@@ -745,20 +745,16 @@ unblock_stdin(void)
 void
 elinks_cfmakeraw(struct termios *t)
 {
-#ifdef HAVE_CFMAKERAW
-	cfmakeraw(t);
-#ifdef VMIN
-	t->c_cc[VMIN] = 1; /* cfmakeraw() is broken on AIX --mikulas */
-#endif
-#else
+	/* Bug 54: Do not alter the character-size and parity bits in
+	 * t->c_cflag.  If they have unusual values, the terminal
+	 * probably requires those and won't work if ELinks changes
+	 * the flags.  The cfmakeraw function would set 8-bit characters
+	 * and no parity, so don't use that.  */
 	t->c_iflag &= ~(IGNBRK|BRKINT|PARMRK|ISTRIP|INLCR|IGNCR|ICRNL|IXON);
 	t->c_oflag &= ~OPOST;
 	t->c_lflag &= ~(ECHO|ECHONL|ICANON|ISIG|IEXTEN);
-	t->c_cflag &= ~(CSIZE|PARENB);
-	t->c_cflag |= CS8;
 	t->c_cc[VMIN] = 1;
 	t->c_cc[VTIME] = 0;
-#endif
 }
 
 #if !defined(CONFIG_MOUSE) || (!defined(CONFIG_GPM) && !defined(CONFIG_SYSMOUSE) && !defined(OS2_MOUSE))