diff --git a/etc/gui.conf b/etc/gui.conf
index dc4b71c..a572402 100644
--- a/etc/gui.conf
+++ b/etc/gui.conf
@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@ gemini.main-window.text.slant       = roman
 
 gemini.main-window.text.underline   = no
 
+# horizontal padding:  unit of measure is  the width of the  '0' char,
+# using the font specified in 'gemini.main-window.text.font', above.
+
+gemini.main-window.text.padding     = 1
+
 # links
 
 gemini.link.background              = blue
diff --git a/src/gui/client/client-configuration.lisp b/src/gui/client/client-configuration.lisp
index 8844774..49afc4d 100644
--- a/src/gui/client/client-configuration.lisp
+++ b/src/gui/client/client-configuration.lisp
@@ -237,6 +237,14 @@
                           swconf:+key-minimum+
                           swconf:+key-width+)
 
+(swconf:gen-simple-access (gemtext-padding
+                           :transform-value-fn (lambda (a) (parse-integer a))
+                           :configuration-tree *client-configuration*)
+                          swconf:+key-gemini+
+                          swconf:+key-main-window+
+                          +key-text+
+                          swconf:+key-padding+)
+
 (defun toc-font-configuration ()
   (gui-goodies:make-font (access:accesses *client-configuration*
                                           swconf:+key-toc+
diff --git a/src/gui/client/main-window.lisp b/src/gui/client/main-window.lisp
index 1f553aa..8de5350 100644
--- a/src/gui/client/main-window.lisp
+++ b/src/gui/client/main-window.lisp
@@ -1181,10 +1181,14 @@
     (setf tool-bar  (make-instance 'tool-bar :master object))
     (set-bookmark-button-false object)
     (setf toc-frame (make-instance 'toc-frame :master object))
-    (setf gemtext-widget (make-instance 'gui:scrolled-text
-                                        :master    object
-                                        :read-only t
-                                        :font      (gui-conf:gemini-text-font-configuration)))
+    (let* ((gemtext-font  (gui-conf:gemini-text-font-configuration))
+           (padding       (client-configuration:config-gemtext-padding))
+           (padding-pixel (* padding (gui:font-measure gemtext-font "0"))))
+      (setf gemtext-widget (make-instance 'gui:scrolled-text
+                                          :padx      padding-pixel
+                                          :master    object
+                                          :read-only t
+                                          :font      gemtext-font)))
     (gui:configure gemtext-widget :wrap :word)
     (setf info-frame   (make-instance 'gui:frame :master object :relief :sunken :borderwidth 1))
     (setf info-text (make-instance 'gui:text :height 2 :wrap :none :master info-frame))
diff --git a/src/package.lisp b/src/package.lisp
index 3d810b5..5b00e69 100644
--- a/src/package.lisp
+++ b/src/package.lisp
@@ -3290,7 +3290,8 @@
    :get-keybinding
    :config-keybinding-tour-shuffle
    :config-keybinding-tour-manage
-   :config-keybinding-tour-next))
+   :config-keybinding-tour-next
+   :config-gemtext-padding))
 
 (defpackage :client-os-utils
   (:use