--- rxvt-unicode/src/init.C	2009/04/26 01:59:53	1.258
+++ rxvt-unicode/src/init.C	2009/05/30 08:51:23	1.259
@@ -295,6 +295,7 @@
   int_bwidth = INTERNALBORDERWIDTH;
   ext_bwidth = EXTERNALBORDERWIDTH;
   lineSpace = LINESPACE;
+  letterSpace = LETTERSPACE;
   saveLines = SAVELINES;
 
   refresh_type = SLOW_REFRESH;
@@ -450,6 +451,9 @@
 
   if (rs[Rs_lineSpace] && (i = atoi (rs[Rs_lineSpace])) >= 0)
     lineSpace = min (i, std::numeric_limits<int16_t>::max ());
+
+  if (rs[Rs_letterSpace])
+    letterSpace = atoi (rs[Rs_letterSpace]);
 #endif
 
 #ifdef POINTER_BLANK