diff --git a/srcpkgs/rxvt-unicode/files/font-width-fix.patch b/srcpkgs/rxvt-unicode/files/font-width-fix.patch
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..811d9e615ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/srcpkgs/rxvt-unicode/files/font-width-fix.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+--- src/rxvtfont.C.bukind	2007-11-30 14:36:33.000000000 +0600
++++ src/rxvtfont.C	2007-11-30 14:39:29.000000000 +0600
+@@ -1171,12 +1171,21 @@
+           XGlyphInfo g;
+           XftTextExtents16 (disp, f, &ch, 1, &g);
+ 
++/*  
++ * bukind: don't use g.width as a width of a character!
++ * instead use g.xOff, see e.g.: http://keithp.com/~keithp/render/Xft.tutorial
++
+           g.width -= g.x;
+ 
+           int wcw = WCWIDTH (ch);
+           if (wcw > 0) g.width = (g.width + wcw - 1) / wcw;
+ 
+           if (width    < g.width       ) width    = g.width;
++ */
++          int wcw = WCWIDTH (ch);
++          if (wcw > 1) g.xOff = g.xOff / wcw;
++          if (width < g.xOff) width = g.xOff;
++
+           if (height   < g.height      ) height   = g.height;
+           if (glheight < g.height - g.y) glheight = g.height - g.y;
+         }
+
+
diff --git a/srcpkgs/rxvt-unicode/files/line-spacing-fix.patch b/srcpkgs/rxvt-unicode/files/line-spacing-fix.patch
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8431c4fa0cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/srcpkgs/rxvt-unicode/files/line-spacing-fix.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+--- src/rxvtfont.C.orig	2011-07-20 22:19:29.878012201 -0300
++++ src/rxvtfont.C	2011-07-20 22:19:33.634671723 -0300
+@@ -1237,11 +1237,22 @@
+ 
+       FT_Face face = XftLockFace (f);
+ 
++/*
++ * use ascent, descent and height from XftFont *f instead of FT_Face face.
++ * this somehow reproduces the behaviour of the line height as seen on xterm.
++
+       ascent  = (face->size->metrics.ascender + 63) >> 6;
+       descent = (-face->size->metrics.descender + 63) >> 6;
+       height  = max (ascent + descent, (face->size->metrics.height + 63) >> 6);
+       width   = 0;
+ 
++ */
++
++      ascent  = f->ascent;
++      descent = f->descent;
++      height  = max (ascent + descent, f->height);
++      width   = 0;
++
+       bool scalable = face->face_flags & FT_FACE_FLAG_SCALABLE;
+ 
+       XftUnlockFace (f);
diff --git a/srcpkgs/rxvt-unicode/template b/srcpkgs/rxvt-unicode/template
index b6cc3849749..1f8db402bd2 100644
--- a/srcpkgs/rxvt-unicode/template
+++ b/srcpkgs/rxvt-unicode/template
@@ -23,16 +23,18 @@ long_desc="
  locale-correct input and output. It also supports mixing multiple
  fonts at the same time, including Xft fonts."
 
+
 post_install() {
 	vinstall ${FILESDIR}/${pkgname}.desktop 644 usr/share/applications
 	vinstall ${FILESDIR}/${pkgname}.png 644 usr/share/pixmaps
 }
 
 # Package build options
-build_options="gdk_pixbuf perl startup_notification"
+build_options="gdk_pixbuf perl startup_notification font_patches"
 desc_option_gdk_pixbuf="Enable support to use transparency via gdk-pixbuf"
 desc_option_perl="Enable support for perl bindings"
 desc_option_startup_notification="Enable support for desktop notification"
+desc_option_font_patches="Enable font width settings"
 
 # Enable startup-notification by default.
 build_options_default="startup_notification"
@@ -57,3 +59,10 @@ if [ "$build_option_startup_notification" ]; then
 else
 	configure_args+=" --disable-startup-notification"
 fi
+
+if [ "$build_option_font_patches" ]; then
+	pre_configure() {
+		patch -p0 -i ${FILESDIR}/font-width-fix.patch
+		patch -p0 -i ${FILESDIR}/line-spacing-fix.patch
+	}
+	fi