diff --git a/basic.c b/basic.c
index 6a76ebd..9c044a3 100644
--- a/basic.c
+++ b/basic.c
@@ -51,13 +51,14 @@ static unsigned getgoal( struct line *dlp) {
 
 		/* Take tabs, ^X and \xx hex characters into account */
 		if( c == '\t')
-			col |= tabmask ;
+			col += tabwidth - col % tabwidth ;
 		else if( c < 0x20 || c == 0x7F)
-			col += 1 ;
-		else if( c >= 0x80 && c <= 0xA0)
 			col += 2 ;
+		else if( c >= 0x80 && c <= 0xA0)
+			col += 3 ;
+		else
+			col += 1 ;
 
-		col += 1 ;
 		if( col > curgoal)
 			break ;
 
diff --git a/display.c b/display.c
index 365676b..8f4301f 100644
--- a/display.c
+++ b/display.c
@@ -210,8 +210,9 @@ static void vtputc(int c)
 	if (c == '\t') {
 		do {
 			vtputc(' ');
-		} while (((vtcol + taboff) & tabmask) != 0);
-		return;
+		} while( ((vtcol + taboff) % tabwidth) != 0) ;
+
+		return ;
 	}
 
 	if (c < 0x20) {
@@ -580,13 +581,13 @@ void updpos(void)
 
 		i += utf8_to_unicode( lp->l_text, i, curwp->w_doto, &c) ;
 		if( c == '\t')
-			curcol |= tabmask ;
+			curcol += tabwidth - curcol % tabwidth ;
 		else if( c < 0x20 || c == 0x7F)
-				curcol += 1 ;	/* displayed as ^c */
+				curcol += 2 ;	/* displayed as ^c */
 		else if( c >= 0x80 && c <= 0xA0)
-				curcol += 2 ;	/* displayed as \xx */
-
-		++curcol;
+				curcol += 3 ;	/* displayed as \xx */
+		else
+			curcol += 1 ;
 	}
 
 	/* if extended, flag so and update the virtual line image */
diff --git a/eval.c b/eval.c
index 7c553b6..036d57f 100644
--- a/eval.c
+++ b/eval.c
@@ -734,7 +734,7 @@ static char *gtenv( char *vname) {
 	case EVRVAL:
 		return i_to_a(rval);
 	case EVTAB:
-		return i_to_a(tabmask + 1);
+		return i_to_a( tabwidth) ;
 	case EVOVERLAP:
 		return i_to_a(overlap);
 	case EVSCROLLCOUNT:
@@ -1049,10 +1049,13 @@ static int svar(struct variable_description *var, char *value)
 		case EVRVAL:
 			break;
 		case EVTAB:
-			tabmask = atoi(value) - 1;
-			if( tabmask != 0x07 && tabmask != 0x03 && tabmask != 1)
-				tabmask = 0x07;
-			curwp->w_flag |= WFHARD;
+			c = atoi( value) ;
+			if( c > 0) {
+				tabwidth = c ;
+				curwp->w_flag |= WFHARD;
+			} else
+				status = FALSE ;
+
 			break;
 		case EVOVERLAP:
 			overlap = atoi(value);
diff --git a/execute.c b/execute.c
index 6e49ab7..805768a 100644
--- a/execute.c
+++ b/execute.c
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ int execute(int c, int f, int n)
 		if (curwp->w_bufp->b_mode & MDOVER &&
 		    curwp->w_doto < curwp->w_dotp->l_used &&
 		    (lgetc(curwp->w_dotp, curwp->w_doto) != '\t' ||
-		     ((curwp->w_doto) & tabmask) == tabmask))
+		     ((curwp->w_doto) % tabwidth) == (tabwidth - 1)))
 			ldelchar(1, FALSE);
 
 		/* do the appropriate insertion */
diff --git a/line.c b/line.c
index 587a74d..94b9af4 100644
--- a/line.c
+++ b/line.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 #include "window.h"
 
 
-int tabmask = 0x07 ;		/* tabulator mask */
+int tabwidth = 8 ;			/* column span of a tab */
 
 #define	BLOCK_SIZE 16 /* Line block chunk size. */
 
@@ -418,13 +418,15 @@ int linsert( int n, unicode_t c) {
  *
  * int c;	character to overwrite on current position
  */
-static int lowrite(int c)
-{
-	if (curwp->w_doto < curwp->w_dotp->l_used &&
-	    (lgetc(curwp->w_dotp, curwp->w_doto) != '\t' ||
-	     ((curwp->w_doto) & tabmask) == tabmask))
-		ldelchar(1, FALSE);
-	return linsert(1, c);
+static int lowrite( int c) {
+	if( curwp->w_doto < curwp->w_dotp->l_used
+	&& (
+		lgetc(curwp->w_dotp, curwp->w_doto) != '\t' ||
+		((curwp->w_doto) % tabwidth) == (tabwidth - 1)
+	))
+		ldelchar( 1, FALSE) ;
+
+	return linsert( 1, c) ;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/line.h b/line.h
index 39d7dae..07ef3a7 100644
--- a/line.h
+++ b/line.h
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ struct line {
 #define lputc(lp, n, c) ((lp)->l_text[(n)]=(c))
 #define llength(lp)     ((lp)->l_used)
 
-extern int tabmask ;
+extern int tabwidth ;
 
 char *getkill( void) ;
 
diff --git a/random.c b/random.c
index bb667a7..1f178d7 100644
--- a/random.c
+++ b/random.c
@@ -179,12 +179,13 @@ int getccol(int bflg)
 		if( bflg && c != ' ' && c != '\t')	/* Request Stop at first non-blank */
 			break;
 		if (c == '\t')
-			col |= tabmask;
+			col += tabwidth - col % tabwidth ;
 		else if (c < 0x20 || c == 0x7F)		/* displayed as ^c */
-			++col;
+			col += 2 ;
 		else if (c >= 0x80 && c <= 0xa0)	/* displayed as \xx */
-			col += 2;
-		++col;
+			col += 3 ;
+		else
+			col += 1 ;
 	}
 	return col;
 }
@@ -213,10 +214,11 @@ int setccol(int pos)
 		/* advance one character */
 		c = lgetc(curwp->w_dotp, i);
 		if (c == '\t')
-			col |= tabmask;
+			col += tabwidth - col % tabwidth ;
 		else if (c < 0x20 || c == 0x7F)
-			++col;
-		++col;
+			col += 2 ;
+		else
+			col += 1 ;
 	}
 
 	/* set us at the new position */
@@ -329,10 +331,9 @@ int detab(int f, int n)
 			/* if we have a tab */
 			if (lgetc(curwp->w_dotp, curwp->w_doto) == '\t') {
 				ldelchar(1, FALSE);
-				insspace(TRUE,
-					 (tabmask + 1) -
-					 (curwp->w_doto & tabmask));
+				insspace( TRUE, tabwidth - curwp->w_doto % tabwidth);
 			}
+
 			forwchar(FALSE, 1);
 		}
 
@@ -353,7 +354,7 @@ int detab(int f, int n)
  */
 int entab(int f, int n)
 {
-#define	nextab(a)	(a & ~tabmask) + (tabmask+1)
+#define	nextab(a)	(a + tabwidth - a % tabwidth)
 
 	int inc;	/* increment to next line [sgn(n)] */
 	int fspace;	/* pointer to first space if in a run */
@@ -759,38 +760,45 @@ int deblank(int f, int n)
 
 /*
  * Insert a newline, then enough tabs and spaces to duplicate the indentation
- * of the previous line. Assumes tabs are every eight characters. Quite simple.
+ * of the previous line. Assumes tabs are every tabwidth characters.
  * Figure out the indentation of the current line. Insert a newline by calling
  * the standard routine. Insert the indentation by inserting the right number
  * of tabs and spaces. Return TRUE if all ok. Return FALSE if one of the
  * subcomands failed. Normally bound to "C-J".
  */
-int indent(int f, int n)
-{
-	int nicol;
-	int c;
-	int i;
+int indent( int f, int n) {
+	int nicol ;
+	int i ;
 
-	if (curbp->b_mode & MDVIEW)	/* don't allow this command if      */
-		return rdonly();	/* we are in read only mode     */
-	if (n < 0)
-		return FALSE;
-	while (n--) {
-		nicol = 0;
-		for (i = 0; i < llength(curwp->w_dotp); ++i) {
-			c = lgetc(curwp->w_dotp, i);
-			if (c != ' ' && c != '\t')
-				break;
-			if (c == '\t')
-				nicol |= tabmask;
-			++nicol;
-		}
-		if (lnewline() == FALSE
-		    || ((i = nicol / 8) != 0 && linsert(i, '\t') == FALSE)
-		    || ((i = nicol % 8) != 0 && linsert(i, ' ') == FALSE))
-			return FALSE;
+	if( curbp->b_mode & MDVIEW)	/* don't allow this command if	*/
+		return rdonly() ;		/* we are in read only mode		*/
+
+	if( n < 0)
+		return FALSE ;
+
+/* number of columns to indent */
+	nicol = 0 ;
+	for( i = 0 ; i < llength( curwp->w_dotp) ; i += 1) {
+		int c ;
+
+		c = lgetc( curwp->w_dotp, i) ;
+		if( c == '\t')
+			nicol += tabwidth - nicol % tabwidth ;
+		else if( c == ' ')
+			nicol += 1 ;
+		else
+			break ;
 	}
-	return TRUE;
+
+	i = nicol / tabwidth ;	/* # of tab to insert */
+	nicol %= tabwidth ;		/* # of space to insert */
+	while( n--)
+		if( lnewline() == FALSE
+		|| ( i != 0 && linsert( i, '\t') == FALSE)
+		|| ( nicol  != 0 && linsert( nicol, ' ') == FALSE))
+			return FALSE ;
+
+	return TRUE ;
 }
 
 /*