--- ./config.def.h
+++ ./config.def.h
@@ -16,4 +16,5 @@
 /* -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     */
 
 /*
--- ./dmenu.1
+++ ./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.
--- ./dmenu.c
+++ ./dmenu.c
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ 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);
@@ -145,9 +145,9 @@ drawmenu(void)
 	drw_text(drw, x, 0, w, bh, lrpad / 2, text, 0);
 
 	drw_font_getexts(drw->fonts, text, cursor, &curpos, NULL);
 	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) {
@@ -560,7 +560,8 @@ setup(void)
 	utf8 = XInternAtom(dpy, "UTF8_STRING", False);
 
 	/* 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
@@ -637,6 +638,7 @@ setup(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);
 }
@@ -670,6 +672,10 @@ 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 */
 			normbgcolor = argv[++i];
 		else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "-nf"))  /* normal foreground color */