diff -urN a/src/common.h b/src/common.h
--- a/src/common.h	Sat Jan  7 20:23:30 2006
+++ b/src/common.h	Sat Jan  7 21:03:20 2006
@@ -259,6 +259,8 @@
 
 extern int bytes_to_read;
 extern int bytes_per_row;
+extern int bytes_per_row_pad;
+extern int bytes_per_row_max;
 extern int bytes_per_row_hex;
 
 extern int vc_case_sensitive;
diff -urN a/src/edit.c b/src/edit.c
--- a/src/edit.c	Sat Jan  7 20:23:30 2006
+++ b/src/edit.c	Sat Jan  7 21:17:13 2006
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@
   */
 
  ay = hy;
- ax = ex + vc_cols - bytes_per_row;
+ ax = ex + vc_cols - bytes_per_row - bytes_per_row_pad;
 
  posxyh = 4 + 2 *( hy * vc_cols + hx);
  posxya = 4 + 2 *( ay * vc_cols + ax);
diff -urN a/src/hex.c b/src/hex.c
--- a/src/hex.c	Sat Jan  7 20:23:30 2006
+++ b/src/hex.c	Sat Jan  7 21:18:57 2006
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@
 int bytes_to_read;                     /* Quantity of bytes to read        */
 
 int bytes_per_row;                     /* Quantity of ascii bytes per row  */
+int bytes_per_row_pad;                 /* Quantity of unused ascii bytes per row */
+int bytes_per_row_max = 0;             /* Quantity of ascii bytes per row  */
 int bytes_per_row_hex;                 /* Quantity of hex bytes per row    */
 
 void hex_mainloop( int view_or_edit)
@@ -300,7 +302,7 @@
  int line;
  int pos;
 
- startxy = vc_cols - bytes_per_row;
+ startxy = vc_cols - bytes_per_row - bytes_per_row_pad;
 
  draw_offset_n_perc( fpos);
 
diff -urN a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
--- a/src/main.c	Tue Aug 17 01:09:48 1999
+++ b/src/main.c	Sat Jan  7 21:27:15 2006
@@ -35,8 +35,9 @@
  char *progname;
 
  progname = *argv++;
+ argc--;
 
- if( argc < 2) {
+ if( argc < 1) {
      usage( progname);
      return 1;
  }
@@ -53,12 +54,19 @@
  lib_save_screen();
 #endif
 
+ while (argc > 0 && **argv == '-') {
+   if (argc > 1 && !strcmp(*argv, "-c")) {
+     argc--; argv++;
+     bytes_per_row_max = atol(*argv);
+   }
+   argc--; argv++;
+ }
+
 #if defined(VCHE_NC)
  w =
 #endif
  lib_message( " Loading filelist... ", 0);
 
- argc--;
 
  while( argc-- > 0)
         ll_file_insert( *argv++);
@@ -94,6 +102,6 @@
 #elif defined(VCHE_NC)
  "-NC (Virtual Console Hex Editor - NCURSES Version) "
 #endif
- "Release " VCHE_VERSION "\n\nUsage:\n\t%s [filename ..]\n\n", progname);
+ "Release " VCHE_VERSION "\n\nUsage:\n\t%s [ -c cols ] [filename ..]\n\n", progname);
 }
 
diff -urN a/src/misc.c b/src/misc.c
--- a/src/misc.c	Sat Jan  7 20:23:30 2006
+++ b/src/misc.c	Sat Jan  7 21:24:37 2006
@@ -297,11 +297,18 @@
 
 void set_hexmode_variables( void)
 {
- bytes_per_row = vc_cols - 12;
+ bytes_per_row_pad = bytes_per_row = vc_cols - 12;
 
  if( !flags.nohex) {
      bytes_per_row     = bytes_per_row * 4 / 17;
+     if (bytes_per_row_max && bytes_per_row > bytes_per_row_max)
+         bytes_per_row = bytes_per_row_max;
+     bytes_per_row_pad = ((bytes_per_row_pad * 4 / 17 - bytes_per_row)) * 17 / 4;
      bytes_per_row_hex = bytes_per_row * 13 / 4;
+ } else {
+     if (bytes_per_row_max && bytes_per_row > bytes_per_row_max)
+         bytes_per_row = bytes_per_row_max;
+     bytes_per_row_pad -= bytes_per_row;
  }
 
  bytes_to_read = bytes_per_row * (vc_lines - 2);
diff -urN a/src/search.c b/src/search.c
--- a/src/search.c	Sat Jan  7 20:23:30 2006
+++ b/src/search.c	Sat Jan  7 21:19:59 2006
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@
 
  ay = ey + 1;
 
- ax = ex + vc_cols - bytes_per_row;
+ ax = ex + vc_cols - bytes_per_row - bytes_per_row_pad;
 
  posxya = 4 + 2 *( ay * vc_cols + ax);
  posa = posxya - (4 + 2 * vc_cols);