diff --git a/config.h.in b/config.h.in
index b50ab85..51e6d76 100644
--- a/config.h.in
+++ b/config.h.in
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@
 /* Define if you want to automatically compose combining characters */
 #undef ENABLE_COMBINING
 
+/* Define if you want proper way to calculate character width */
+#undef ENABLE_FONT_WIDTH
+
 /* Define if you want handling for rarely used but handy features */
 #undef ENABLE_FRILLS
 
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index ed2f2b2..1b72b89 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -739,6 +739,7 @@ enable_combining
 enable_xft
 enable_font_styles
 enable_wide_glyphs
+enable_font_width
 enable_pixbuf
 enable_startup_notification
 enable_transparency
@@ -1414,6 +1415,7 @@ Optional Features:
   --enable-xft            enable xft support on systems that have it
   --enable-font-styles    enable bold and italic support
   --enable-wide-glyphs    enable displaying of wide glyphs
+  --enable-font-width     enable proper way to calculate character width
   --enable-pixbuf         enable integration with gdk-pixbuf for background images
   --enable-startup-notification  enable freedesktop startup notification support
   --enable-transparency   enable transparent backgrounds
@@ -4995,6 +4997,7 @@ support_combining=yes
 support_8bitctrls=no
 support_iso14755=yes
 support_styles=yes
+support_font_width=no
 support_perl=yes
 codesets=all
 
@@ -5026,6 +5029,7 @@ then :
        support_iso14755=no
        support_styles=no
        support_wide_glyphs=no
+       support_font_width=no
        support_perl=no
        codesets=
     fi
@@ -5052,6 +5056,7 @@ then :
        support_iso14755=yes
        support_styles=yes
        support_wide_glyphs=yes
+       support_font_width=yes
        support_perl=yes
        codesets=all
     fi
@@ -5177,6 +5182,15 @@ if test "${enable_wide_glyphs+set}" = set; then :
 fi
 
 
+# Check whether --enable-font-width was given.
+if test ${enable_font_width+y}
+then :
+  enableval=$enable_font_width; if test x$enableval = xyes -o x$enableval = xno; then
+    support_font_width=$enableval
+  fi
+fi
+
+
 # Check whether --enable-pixbuf was given.
 if test ${enable_pixbuf+y}
 then :
@@ -7681,6 +7695,11 @@ if test x$support_styles = xyes; then
 
 printf "%s\n" "#define ENABLE_STYLES 1" >>confdefs.h
 
+fi
+if test x$support_font_width = xyes; then
+
+printf "%s\n" "#define ENABLE_FONT_WIDTH 1" >>confdefs.h
+
 fi
 if test x$support_iso14755 = xyes; then
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 510fa44..54ab35b 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ support_combining=yes
 support_8bitctrls=no
 support_iso14755=yes
 support_styles=yes
+support_font_width=no
 support_perl=yes
 codesets=all
 
@@ -124,6 +125,7 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(everything,
        support_iso14755=no
        support_styles=no
        support_wide_glyphs=no
+       support_font_width=no
        support_perl=no
        codesets=
     fi
@@ -150,6 +152,7 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(everything,
        support_iso14755=yes
        support_styles=yes
        support_wide_glyphs=yes
+       support_font_width=yes
        support_perl=yes
        codesets=all
     fi
@@ -229,6 +232,12 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(wide-glyphs,
     support_wide_glyphs=$enableval
   fi])
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(font-width,
+  [  --enable-font-width     enable proper way to calculate character width],
+  [if test x$enableval = xyes -o x$enableval = xno; then
+    support_font_width=$enableval
+  fi])
+
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(pixbuf,
   [  --enable-pixbuf         enable integration with gdk-pixbuf for background images],
   [if test x$enableval = xyes -o x$enableval = xno; then
@@ -654,6 +663,9 @@ fi
 if test x$support_wide_glyphs = xyes; then
   AC_DEFINE(ENABLE_WIDE_GLYPHS, 1, Define if you want to display wide glyphs)
 fi
+if test x$support_font_width = xyes; then
+  AC_DEFINE(ENABLE_FONT_WIDTH, 1, Define if you want proper way to calculate character width)
+fi
 if test x$support_iso14755 = xyes; then
   AC_DEFINE(ISO_14755, 1, Define if you want ISO 14755 extended support)
 fi
diff --git a/src/rxvtfont.C b/src/rxvtfont.C
index 5d51eea..50f629f 100644
--- a/src/rxvtfont.C
+++ b/src/rxvtfont.C
@@ -1307,12 +1307,22 @@ rxvt_font_xft::load (const rxvt_fontprop &prop, bool force_prop)
           XGlyphInfo g;
           XftTextExtents16 (disp, f, &ch, 1, &g);
 
+#if ENABLE_FONT_WIDTH
+/*
+ * bukind: don't use g.width as a width of a character!
+ * instead use g.xOff, see e.g.: http://keithp.com/~keithp/render/Xft.tutorial
+ */
+          int wcw = WCWIDTH (ch);
+          if (wcw > 1) g.xOff = g.xOff / wcw;
+          if (width < g.xOff) width = g.xOff;
+#else
           g.width -= g.x;
 
           int wcw = WCWIDTH (ch);
           if (wcw > 0) g.width = (g.width + wcw - 1) / wcw;
 
           if (width    < g.width       ) width    = g.width;
+#endif
           if (height   < g.height      ) height   = g.height;
           if (glheight < g.height - g.y) glheight = g.height - g.y;
         }