diff --git a/config.def.h b/config.def.h
index 1edb647..317fa2f 100644
--- a/config.def.h
+++ b/config.def.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ static const char *colors[SchemeLast][2] = {
 };
 /* -l option; if nonzero, dmenu uses vertical list with given number of lines */
 static unsigned int lines      = 0;
+static unsigned int lineheight = 0;         /* -h option; minimum height of a menu line     */
 
 /*
  * Characters not considered part of a word while deleting words
diff --git a/dmenu.1 b/dmenu.1
index 323f93c..7ef34d2 100644
--- a/dmenu.1
+++ b/dmenu.1
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ dmenu matches menu items case insensitively.
 .BI \-l " lines"
 dmenu lists items vertically, with the given number of lines.
 .TP
+.BI \-h " height"
+dmenu uses a menu line of at least 'height' pixels tall, but no less than 8.
+.TP
 .BI \-m " monitor"
 dmenu is displayed on the monitor number supplied. Monitor numbers are starting
 from 0.
diff --git a/dmenu.c b/dmenu.c
index 6b8f51b..45d1946 100644
--- a/dmenu.c
+++ b/dmenu.c
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ drawmenu(void)
 {
 	unsigned int curpos;
 	struct item *item;
-	int x = 0, y = 0, w;
+	int x = 0, y = 0, fh = drw->fonts->h, w;
 
 	drw_setscheme(drw, scheme[SchemeNorm]);
 	drw_rect(drw, 0, 0, mw, mh, 1, 1);
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ drawmenu(void)
 	curpos = TEXTW(text) - TEXTW(&text[cursor]);
 	if ((curpos += lrpad / 2 - 1) < w) {
 		drw_setscheme(drw, scheme[SchemeNorm]);
-		drw_rect(drw, x + curpos, 2, 2, bh - 4, 1, 0);
+		drw_rect(drw, x + curpos, 2 + (bh-fh)/2, 2, fh - 4, 1, 0);
 	}
 
 	if (lines > 0) {
@@ -604,6 +604,7 @@ setup(void)
 
 	/* calculate menu geometry */
 	bh = drw->fonts->h + 2;
+	bh = MAX(bh,lineheight);	/* make a menu line AT LEAST 'lineheight' tall */
 	lines = MAX(lines, 0);
 	mh = (lines + 1) * bh;
 #ifdef XINERAMA
@@ -683,6 +684,7 @@ static void
 usage(void)
 {
 	fputs("usage: dmenu [-bfiv] [-l lines] [-p prompt] [-fn font] [-m monitor]\n"
+	      "             [-h height]\n"
 	      "             [-nb color] [-nf color] [-sb color] [-sf color] [-w windowid]\n", stderr);
 	exit(1);
 }
@@ -716,6 +718,10 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			prompt = argv[++i];
 		else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "-fn"))  /* font or font set */
 			fonts[0] = argv[++i];
+		else if(!strcmp(argv[i], "-h")) { /* minimum height of one menu line */
+			lineheight = atoi(argv[++i]);
+			lineheight = MAX(lineheight,8); /* reasonable default in case of value too small/negative */
+		}
 		else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "-nb"))  /* normal background color */
 			colors[SchemeNorm][ColBg] = argv[++i];
 		else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "-nf"))  /* normal foreground color */