diff --git a/config.h.in b/config.h.in
index 51e6d76..b9c7e0c 100644
--- a/config.h.in
+++ b/config.h.in
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@
 /* Define if you want handling for rarely used but handy features */
 #undef ENABLE_FRILLS
 
+/* Define if you want line spacing fix */
+#undef ENABLE_LINE_SPACING
+
 /* Define if you can embed a perl interpreter */
 #undef ENABLE_PERL
 
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 1b72b89..6b50a6b 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -740,6 +740,7 @@ enable_xft
 enable_font_styles
 enable_wide_glyphs
 enable_font_width
+enable_line_spacing
 enable_pixbuf
 enable_startup_notification
 enable_transparency
@@ -1416,6 +1417,7 @@ Optional Features:
   --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-line-spacing   enable line spacing fix
   --enable-pixbuf         enable integration with gdk-pixbuf for background images
   --enable-startup-notification  enable freedesktop startup notification support
   --enable-transparency   enable transparent backgrounds
@@ -4998,6 +5000,7 @@ support_8bitctrls=no
 support_iso14755=yes
 support_styles=yes
 support_font_width=no
+support_line_spacing=no
 support_perl=yes
 codesets=all
 
@@ -5030,6 +5033,7 @@ then :
        support_styles=no
        support_wide_glyphs=no
        support_font_width=no
+       support_line_spacing=no
        support_perl=no
        codesets=
     fi
@@ -5057,6 +5061,7 @@ then :
        support_styles=yes
        support_wide_glyphs=yes
        support_font_width=yes
+       support_line_spacing=yes
        support_perl=yes
        codesets=all
     fi
@@ -5191,6 +5196,15 @@ then :
 fi
 
 
+# Check whether --enable-line-spacing was given.
+if test ${enable_line_spacing+y}
+then :
+  enableval=$enable_line_spacing; if test x$enableval = xyes -o x$enableval = xno; then
+    support_line_spacing=$enableval
+  fi
+fi
+
+
 # Check whether --enable-pixbuf was given.
 if test ${enable_pixbuf+y}
 then :
@@ -7700,6 +7714,11 @@ if test x$support_font_width = xyes; then
 
 printf "%s\n" "#define ENABLE_FONT_WIDTH 1" >>confdefs.h
 
+fi
+if test x$support_line_spacing = xyes; then
+
+printf "%s\n" "#define ENABLE_LINE_SPACING 1" >>confdefs.h
+
 fi
 if test x$support_iso14755 = xyes; then
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 54ab35b..1cffda6 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ support_8bitctrls=no
 support_iso14755=yes
 support_styles=yes
 support_font_width=no
+support_line_spacing=no
 support_perl=yes
 codesets=all
 
@@ -126,6 +127,7 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(everything,
        support_styles=no
        support_wide_glyphs=no
        support_font_width=no
+       support_line_spacing=no
        support_perl=no
        codesets=
     fi
@@ -153,6 +155,7 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(everything,
        support_styles=yes
        support_wide_glyphs=yes
        support_font_width=yes
+       support_line_spacing=yes
        support_perl=yes
        codesets=all
     fi
@@ -238,6 +241,12 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(font-width,
     support_font_width=$enableval
   fi])
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(line-spacing,
+  [  --enable-line-spacing   enable line spacing fix],
+  [if test x$enableval = xyes -o x$enableval = xno; then
+    support_line_spacing=$enableval
+  fi])
+
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(pixbuf,
   [  --enable-pixbuf         enable integration with gdk-pixbuf for background images],
   [if test x$enableval = xyes -o x$enableval = xno; then
@@ -666,6 +675,9 @@ fi
 if test x$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$support_line_spacing = xyes; then
+  AC_DEFINE(ENABLE_LINE_SPACING, 1, Define if you want line spacing fix)
+fi
 if test x$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 50f629f..9420a22 100644
--- a/src/rxvtfont.C
+++ b/src/rxvtfont.C
@@ -1279,10 +1279,21 @@ rxvt_font_xft::load (const rxvt_fontprop &prop, bool force_prop)
           break;
         }
 
+#ifdef ENABLE_LINE_SPACING
+/*
+ * use ascent, descent and height from XftFont *f instead of FT_Face face.
+ * this somehow reproduces the behaviour of the line height as seen on xterm.
+ */
+      ascent  = f->ascent;
+      descent = f->descent;
+      height  = max (ascent + descent, f->height);
+      width   = 0;
+#else
       ascent  = (face->size->metrics.ascender + 63) >> 6;
       descent = (-face->size->metrics.descender + 63) >> 6;
       height  = max (ascent + descent, (face->size->metrics.height + 63) >> 6);
       width   = 0;
+#endif
 
       bool scalable = face->face_flags & FT_FACE_FLAG_SCALABLE;