diff --git a/src/global.c b/src/global.c
index a6999e72..63f396f6 100644
--- a/src/global.c
+++ b/src/global.c
@@ -125,6 +125,8 @@ WINDOW *edit = NULL;
 WINDOW *bottomwin = NULL;
 		/* The bottom portion of the screen, where we display statusbar
 		 * messages, the status-bar prompt, and a list of shortcuts. */
+WINDOW *scrollbarwin = NULL;
+		/* The last column of the screen. It is used to display the scrollbar. */
 int editwinrows = 0;
 		/* How many rows does the edit window take up? */
 int editwincols = -1;
diff --git a/src/nano.c b/src/nano.c
index 024a5f19..4b2462c1 100644
--- a/src/nano.c
+++ b/src/nano.c
@@ -239,11 +239,13 @@ void finish(void)
 	wrefresh(bottomwin);
 
 #ifndef NANO_TINY
-	/* Deallocate the two or three subwindows. */
+	/* Deallocate the two or three or four subwindows. */
 	if (topwin != NULL)
 		delwin(topwin);
 	delwin(edit);
 	delwin(bottomwin);
+	if (scrollbarwin)
+		delwin(scrollbarwin);
 #endif
 	/* Switch the cursor on, exit from curses, and restore terminal settings. */
 	restore_terminal();
@@ -351,6 +353,8 @@ void window_init(void)
 			delwin(topwin);
 		delwin(edit);
 		delwin(bottomwin);
+		if (scrollbarwin)
+			delwin(scrollbarwin);
 	}
 
 	/* If the terminal is very flat, don't set up a title bar. */
@@ -361,6 +365,7 @@ void window_init(void)
 		 * edit window and status-bar window will cover each other. */
 		edit = newwin(1, COLS, 0, 0);
 		bottomwin = newwin(1, COLS, LINES - 1, 0);
+		scrollbarwin = NULL;
 	} else {
 		int toprows = (!ISSET(EMPTY_LINE) ? 1 : (LINES < 6) ? 1 : 2);
 		int bottomrows = (ISSET(NO_HELP) ? 1 : (LINES < 5) ? 1 : 3);
@@ -369,8 +374,14 @@ void window_init(void)
 
 		/* Set up the normal three subwindows. */
 		topwin = newwin(toprows, COLS, 0, 0);
-		edit = newwin(editwinrows, COLS, toprows, 0);
+		edit = newwin(editwinrows, COLS - (ISSET(SHOW_SCROLLBAR) ? 1 : 0),
+			      toprows, 0);
 		bottomwin = newwin(bottomrows, COLS, toprows + editwinrows, 0);
+		/* If the terminal is too thin, don't set up a scrollbar. */
+		if (ISSET(SHOW_SCROLLBAR) && COLS >= 3)
+			scrollbarwin = newwin(editwinrows, 1, toprows, COLS - 1);
+		else
+			scrollbarwin = NULL;
 	}
 
 	/* In case the terminal shrunk, make sure the status line is clear. */
@@ -1041,7 +1052,7 @@ void regenerate_screen(void)
 	COLS = win.ws_col;
 	LINES = win.ws_row;
 #endif
-	editwincols = COLS - margin;
+	editwincols = COLS - margin - (ISSET(SHOW_SCROLLBAR) ? 1 : 0);
 
 	/* Ensure that firstcolumn is the starting column of its chunk. */
 	ensure_firstcolumn_is_aligned();
@@ -1245,7 +1256,7 @@ void confirm_margin(void)
 
 	if (needed_margin != margin) {
 		margin = needed_margin;
-		editwincols = COLS - margin;
+		editwincols = COLS - margin - (ISSET(SHOW_SCROLLBAR) ? 1 : 0);
 
 #ifndef NANO_TINY
 		/* Ensure that firstcolumn is the starting column of its chunk. */
@@ -2273,7 +2284,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	window_init();
 	curs_set(0);
 
-	editwincols = COLS;
+	editwincols = COLS - (ISSET(SHOW_SCROLLBAR) ? 1 : 0);
 
 	/* Set up the signal handlers. */
 	signal_init();
diff --git a/src/nano.h b/src/nano.h
index 75f6f3c7..4bebc506 100644
--- a/src/nano.h
+++ b/src/nano.h
@@ -540,7 +540,8 @@ enum
 	LET_THEM_ZAP,
 	BREAK_LONG_LINES,
 	JUMPY_SCROLLING,
-	EMPTY_LINE
+	EMPTY_LINE,
+	SHOW_SCROLLBAR
 };
 
 /* Flags for the menus in which a given function should be present. */
diff --git a/src/proto.h b/src/proto.h
index 9ee22d6d..1f565c12 100644
--- a/src/proto.h
+++ b/src/proto.h
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ extern size_t wrap_at;
 extern WINDOW *topwin;
 extern WINDOW *edit;
 extern WINDOW *bottomwin;
+extern WINDOW *scrollbarwin;
 extern int editwinrows;
 extern int editwincols;
 extern int margin;
diff --git a/src/rcfile.c b/src/rcfile.c
index 0e090f1c..5c52e78c 100644
--- a/src/rcfile.c
+++ b/src/rcfile.c
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ static const rcoption rcopts[] = {
 	{"rawsequences", RAW_SEQUENCES},
 	{"rebinddelete", REBIND_DELETE},
 	{"regexp", USE_REGEXP},
+	{"scrollbar", SHOW_SCROLLBAR},
 #ifdef ENABLE_SPELLER
 	{"speller", 0},
 #endif
diff --git a/src/winio.c b/src/winio.c
index eb89e16d..5578a856 100644
--- a/src/winio.c
+++ b/src/winio.c
@@ -2367,6 +2367,33 @@ void place_the_cursor(void)
 	openfile->current_y = row;
 }
 
+/* Draws a scroll bar on the left side of the screen. */
+void draw_scrollbar(void)
+{
+	int style;
+	int last_lineno = openfile->filebot->lineno;
+	int inf = (openfile->edittop->lineno * editwinrows) / (last_lineno + 1);
+	int sup = inf + (editwinrows * editwinrows) / (last_lineno + 1);
+
+	/* Consider that we'll have no scrollbar if window is too thin. */
+	if (scrollbarwin == NULL)
+		return;
+
+	if (editwinrows >= last_lineno) {
+		inf = 0;
+		sup = last_lineno - 1;
+	}
+
+	for (int current_lineno = 0; current_lineno < editwinrows; current_lineno++) {
+		style = (current_lineno >= inf && current_lineno <= sup) ?
+			A_REVERSE : A_REVERSE|A_DIM;
+		wattron(scrollbarwin, style);
+		mvwaddch(scrollbarwin, current_lineno, 0, ' ');
+		wattroff(scrollbarwin, style);
+	}
+	wrefresh(scrollbarwin);
+}
+
 /* Draw the given text on the given row of the edit window.  line is the
  * line to be drawn, and converted is the actual string to be written with
  * tabs and control characters replaced by strings of regular characters.
@@ -2780,7 +2807,7 @@ int update_line(linestruct *line, size_t index)
 	}
 	if (has_more) {
 		wattron(edit, hilite_attribute);
-		mvwaddch(edit, row, COLS - 1, '>');
+		mvwaddch(edit, row, COLS - 1 - (ISSET(SHOW_SCROLLBAR) ? 1 : 0), '>');
 		wattroff(edit, hilite_attribute);
 	}
 
@@ -3010,6 +3037,8 @@ void edit_scroll(bool direction)
 										openfile->current_x : 0);
 		line = line->next;
 	}
+
+	draw_scrollbar();
 }
 
 #ifndef NANO_TINY
@@ -3280,6 +3309,7 @@ void edit_refresh(void)
 	while (row < editwinrows)
 		blank_row(edit, row++);
 
+	draw_scrollbar();
 	place_the_cursor();
 	wnoutrefresh(edit);
 
@@ -3426,7 +3456,8 @@ void spotlight(size_t from_col, size_t to_col)
 	wattron(edit, interface_color_pair[SELECTED_TEXT]);
 	waddnstr(edit, word, actual_x(word, to_col));
 	if (overshoots)
-		mvwaddch(edit, openfile->current_y, COLS - 1, '>');
+		mvwaddch(edit, openfile->current_y,
+			 COLS - 1 - (ISSET(SHOW_SCROLLBAR) ? 1 : 0), '>');
 	wattroff(edit, interface_color_pair[SELECTED_TEXT]);
 
 	free(word);