diff --git a/src/v_font.cpp b/src/v_font.cpp
index 993f04d2b..7ff595ea4 100644
--- a/src/v_font.cpp
+++ b/src/v_font.cpp
@@ -2178,6 +2178,7 @@ void V_InitCustomFonts()
 	int first;
 	int count;
 	int spacewidth;
+	int kerning;
 	char cursor = '_';
 
 	while ((llump = Wads.FindLump ("FONTDEFS", &lastlump)) != -1)
@@ -2194,6 +2195,7 @@ void V_InitCustomFonts()
 			first = 33;
 			count = 223;
 			spacewidth = -1;
+			kerning = 0;
 
 			sc.MustGetStringName ("{");
 			while (!sc.CheckString ("}"))
@@ -2253,6 +2255,11 @@ void V_InitCustomFonts()
 					}
 					format = 2;
 				}
+				else if (sc.Compare("KERNING"))
+				{
+					sc.MustGetNumber();
+					kerning = sc.Number;
+				}
 				else
 				{
 					if (format == 1) goto wrong;
@@ -2275,6 +2282,7 @@ void V_InitCustomFonts()
 			{
 				FFont *fnt = new FFont (namebuffer, templatebuf, first, count, start, llump, spacewidth, donttranslate);
 				fnt->SetCursor(cursor);
+				fnt->SetKerning(kerning);
 			}
 			else if (format == 2)
 			{
@@ -2298,6 +2306,7 @@ void V_InitCustomFonts()
 				{
 					FFont *fnt = new FSpecialFont (namebuffer, first, count, &lumplist[first], notranslate, llump, donttranslate);
 					fnt->SetCursor(cursor);
+					fnt->SetKerning(kerning);
 				}
 			}
 			else goto wrong;
diff --git a/src/v_font.h b/src/v_font.h
index ce4c3b324..600b0f942 100644
--- a/src/v_font.h
+++ b/src/v_font.h
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ public:
 	int GetCharCode(int code, bool needpic) const;
 	char GetCursor() const { return Cursor; }
 	void SetCursor(char c) { Cursor = c; }
+	void SetKerning(int c) { GlobalKerning = c; }
 	bool NoTranslate() const { return noTranslate; }
 
 protected: