diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 470ac86..6dfa212 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 include config.mk
 
-SRC = st.c x.c
+SRC = st.c x.c boxdraw.c
 OBJ = $(SRC:.c=.o)
 
 all: options st
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ config.h:
 
 st.o: config.h st.h win.h
 x.o: arg.h config.h st.h win.h
+boxdraw.o: config.h st.h boxdraw_data.h
 
 $(OBJ): config.h config.mk
 
diff --git a/st.c b/st.c
index 5b8aaf9..3c75568 100644
--- a/st.c
+++ b/st.c
@@ -1289,6 +1289,9 @@ tsetchar(Rune u, Glyph *attr, int x, int y)
 	term.dirty[y] = 1;
 	term.line[y][x] = *attr;
 	term.line[y][x].u = u;
+
+	if (isboxdraw(u))
+		term.line[y][x].mode |= ATTR_BOXDRAW;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/st.h b/st.h
index 65d2cdf..c4e4e94 100644
--- a/st.h
+++ b/st.h
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ enum glyph_attribute {
 	ATTR_WRAP       = 1 << 8,
 	ATTR_WIDE       = 1 << 9,
 	ATTR_WDUMMY     = 1 << 10,
+	ATTR_BOXDRAW    = 1 << 11,
 	ATTR_BOLD_FAINT = ATTR_BOLD | ATTR_FAINT,
 };
 
@@ -113,6 +114,14 @@ void *xmalloc(size_t);
 void *xrealloc(void *, size_t);
 char *xstrdup(char *);
 
+int isboxdraw(Rune);
+ushort boxdrawindex(const Glyph *);
+#ifdef XFT_VERSION
+/* only exposed to x.c, otherwise we'll need Xft.h for the types */
+void boxdraw_xinit(Display *, Colormap, XftDraw *, Visual *);
+void drawboxes(int, int, int, int, XftColor *, XftColor *, const XftGlyphFontSpec *, int);
+#endif
+
 /* config.h globals */
 extern char *utmp;
 extern char *stty_args;
@@ -123,3 +132,4 @@ extern char *termname;
 extern unsigned int tabspaces;
 extern unsigned int defaultfg;
 extern unsigned int defaultbg;
+extern const int boxdraw, boxdraw_bold, boxdraw_braille;
diff --git a/x.c b/x.c
index e00d930..d63e456 100644
--- a/x.c
+++ b/x.c
@@ -1120,6 +1120,8 @@ xinit(int cols, int rows)
 	xsel.xtarget = XInternAtom(xw.dpy, "UTF8_STRING", 0);
 	if (xsel.xtarget == None)
 		xsel.xtarget = XA_STRING;
+
+	boxdraw_xinit(xw.dpy, xw.cmap, xw.draw, xw.vis);
 }
 
 int
@@ -1166,8 +1168,13 @@ xmakeglyphfontspecs(XftGlyphFontSpec *specs, const Glyph *glyphs, int len, int x
 			yp = winy + font->ascent;
 		}
 
-		/* Lookup character index with default font. */
-		glyphidx = XftCharIndex(xw.dpy, font->match, rune);
+		if (mode & ATTR_BOXDRAW) {
+			/* minor shoehorning: boxdraw uses only this ushort */
+			glyphidx = boxdrawindex(&glyphs[i]);
+		} else {
+			/* Lookup character index with default font. */
+			glyphidx = XftCharIndex(xw.dpy, font->match, rune);
+		}
 		if (glyphidx) {
 			specs[numspecs].font = font->match;
 			specs[numspecs].glyph = glyphidx;
@@ -1374,8 +1381,12 @@ xdrawglyphfontspecs(const XftGlyphFontSpec *specs, Glyph base, int len, int x, i
 	r.width = width;
 	XftDrawSetClipRectangles(xw.draw, winx, winy, &r, 1);
 
-	/* Render the glyphs. */
-	XftDrawGlyphFontSpec(xw.draw, fg, specs, len);
+	if (base.mode & ATTR_BOXDRAW) {
+		drawboxes(winx, winy, width / len, win.ch, fg, bg, specs, len);
+	} else {
+		/* Render the glyphs. */
+		XftDrawGlyphFontSpec(xw.draw, fg, specs, len);
+	}
 
 	/* Render underline and strikethrough. */
 	if (base.mode & ATTR_UNDERLINE) {
@@ -1418,7 +1429,7 @@ xdrawcursor(int cx, int cy, Glyph g, int ox, int oy, Glyph og)
 	/*
 	 * Select the right color for the right mode.
 	 */
-	g.mode &= ATTR_BOLD|ATTR_ITALIC|ATTR_UNDERLINE|ATTR_STRUCK|ATTR_WIDE;
+	g.mode &= ATTR_BOLD|ATTR_ITALIC|ATTR_UNDERLINE|ATTR_STRUCK|ATTR_WIDE|ATTR_BOXDRAW;
 
 	if (IS_SET(MODE_REVERSE)) {
 		g.mode |= ATTR_REVERSE;