diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f1ac67e..bdb6b05 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -152,8 +152,9 @@ eval.o: eval.c eval.h basic.h bind.h buffer.h crypt.h line.h retcode.h \
 exec.o: exec.c exec.h retcode.h buffer.h crypt.h line.h utf8.h bind.h \
  display.h estruct.h eval.h file.h flook.h input.h random.h window.h \
  defines.h
-execute.o: execute.c execute.h estruct.h bind.h random.h display.h file.h \
- buffer.h crypt.h line.h retcode.h utf8.h mlout.h window.h defines.h
+execute.o: execute.c execute.h estruct.h bind.h random.h retcode.h \
+ display.h file.h buffer.h crypt.h line.h utf8.h mlout.h window.h \
+ defines.h
 file.o: file.c file.h buffer.h crypt.h line.h retcode.h utf8.h defines.h \
  display.h estruct.h execute.h fileio.h input.h bind.h lock.h mlout.h \
  window.h
@@ -178,7 +179,7 @@ names.o: names.c names.h basic.h bind.h bindable.h buffer.h crypt.h \
  isearch.h region.h random.h search.h spawn.h window.h defines.h word.h
 pklock.o: pklock.c estruct.h pklock.h
 posix.o: posix.c
-random.o: random.c random.h basic.h buffer.h crypt.h line.h retcode.h \
+random.o: random.c random.h retcode.h basic.h buffer.h crypt.h line.h \
  utf8.h display.h estruct.h execute.h input.h bind.h search.h terminal.h \
  defines.h window.h
 region.o: region.c region.h line.h retcode.h utf8.h buffer.h crypt.h \
diff --git a/eval.c b/eval.c
index 036d57f..ba01c9e 100644
--- a/eval.c
+++ b/eval.c
@@ -129,7 +129,8 @@ static const char *envars[] = {
 	"line",			/* text of current line */
 	"gflags",		/* global internal emacs flags */
 	"rval",			/* child process return value */
-	"tab",			/* tab 4 or 8 */
+	"tab",			/* tab width, 1... */
+	"hardtab",		/* TRUE for hard coded tab, FALSE for soft ones */
 	"overlap",
 	"jump",
 #if SCROLLCODE
@@ -177,9 +178,10 @@ static const char *envars[] = {
 #define	EVGFLAGS	35
 #define	EVRVAL		36
 #define EVTAB		37
-#define EVOVERLAP	38
-#define EVSCROLLCOUNT	39
-#define EVSCROLL	40
+#define EVHARDTAB	38
+#define EVOVERLAP	39
+#define EVSCROLLCOUNT	40
+#define EVSCROLL	41
 
 enum function_type {
 	NILNAMIC	= 0,
@@ -735,6 +737,8 @@ static char *gtenv( char *vname) {
 		return i_to_a(rval);
 	case EVTAB:
 		return i_to_a( tabwidth) ;
+	case EVHARDTAB:
+		return ltos( hardtab) ;
 	case EVOVERLAP:
 		return i_to_a(overlap);
 	case EVSCROLLCOUNT:
@@ -1057,6 +1061,9 @@ static int svar(struct variable_description *var, char *value)
 				status = FALSE ;
 
 			break;
+		case EVHARDTAB:
+			hardtab = stol( value) ;
+			break ;
 		case EVOVERLAP:
 			overlap = atoi(value);
 			break;
diff --git a/random.c b/random.c
index f1d3709..89a0f51 100644
--- a/random.c
+++ b/random.c
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ static const char *cname[] = {						/* names of colors */
 int gfcolor = NCOLORS - 1 ;	/* global forgrnd color (white)  */
 int gbcolor = 0 ;		/* global backgrnd color (black) */
 
-static int tabsize ;		/* Tab size (0: use real tabs)   */
+boolean hardtab = TRUE ;	/* use hard tab instead of soft tab */
 int fillcol = 72 ;		/* Current fill column           */
 
 /* uninitialized global definitions */
@@ -292,17 +292,21 @@ int quote(int f, int n)
  * done in this slightly funny way because the tab (in ASCII) has been turned
  * into "C-I" (in 10 bit code) already. Bound to "C-I".
  */
-int insert_tab(int f, int n)
-{
-	if (n < 0)
-		return FALSE;
-	if (n == 0 || n > 1) {
-		tabsize = n;
-		return TRUE;
-	}
-	if (!tabsize)
-		return linsert(1, '\t');
-	return linsert(tabsize - (getccol(FALSE) % tabsize), ' ');
+int insert_tab( int f, int n) {
+	int status ;
+
+	if( n < 0)
+		status = FALSE ;
+	else if( n == 0)
+		status = TRUE ;
+	else if( hardtab == TRUE)
+		status = linsert( n, '\t') ;
+	else					/* softtab */
+		do {
+			status = linsert( tabwidth - getccol( FALSE) % tabwidth, ' ') ;
+		} while( status != FALSE && --n) ;
+
+	return status ;
 }
 
 #if	AEDIT
diff --git a/random.h b/random.h
index 85fa73a..0830368 100644
--- a/random.h
+++ b/random.h
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
 #ifndef _RANDOM_H_
 #define _RANDOM_H_
 
+
+#include "retcode.h"
+
+
 #define AEDIT 1
 
 extern int fillcol ;	/* Fill column                  */
+extern boolean	hardtab ;	/* Use hard tab instead of soft tab */
 
 
 /* Uninitialized global external declarations. */