diff --git a/src/gamedata/fonts/v_font.cpp b/src/gamedata/fonts/v_font.cpp
index 4e4a5382f..4c84513bb 100644
--- a/src/gamedata/fonts/v_font.cpp
+++ b/src/gamedata/fonts/v_font.cpp
@@ -929,6 +929,7 @@ void V_InitCustomFonts()
 	int first;
 	int count;
 	int spacewidth;
+	int kerning;
 	char cursor = '_';
 
 	while ((llump = Wads.FindLump ("FONTDEFS", &lastlump)) != -1)
@@ -945,6 +946,7 @@ void V_InitCustomFonts()
 			first = 33;
 			count = 223;
 			spacewidth = -1;
+			kerning = 0;
 
 			sc.MustGetStringName ("{");
 			while (!sc.CheckString ("}"))
@@ -1004,6 +1006,11 @@ void V_InitCustomFonts()
 					}
 					format = 2;
 				}
+				else if (sc.Compare("KERNING"))
+				{
+					sc.MustGetNumber();
+					kerning = sc.Number;
+				}
 				else
 				{
 					if (format == 1) goto wrong;
@@ -1026,6 +1033,7 @@ void V_InitCustomFonts()
 			{
 				FFont *fnt = new FFont (namebuffer, templatebuf, nullptr, first, count, start, llump, spacewidth, donttranslate);
 				fnt->SetCursor(cursor);
+				fnt->SetKerning(kerning);
 			}
 			else if (format == 2)
 			{
@@ -1050,6 +1058,7 @@ void V_InitCustomFonts()
 					FFont *CreateSpecialFont (const char *name, int first, int count, FTexture **lumplist, const bool *notranslate, int lump, bool donttranslate);
 					FFont *fnt = CreateSpecialFont (namebuffer, first, count, &lumplist[first], notranslate, llump, donttranslate);
 					fnt->SetCursor(cursor);
+					fnt->SetKerning(kerning);
 				}
 			}
 			else goto wrong;
diff --git a/src/gamedata/fonts/v_font.h b/src/gamedata/fonts/v_font.h
index 18ca18978..b8043f089 100644
--- a/src/gamedata/fonts/v_font.h
+++ b/src/gamedata/fonts/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: