diff --git a/runtime/doc/quickfix.txt b/runtime/doc/quickfix.txt
index 22562d7..0b38609 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/quickfix.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/quickfix.txt
@@ -913,8 +913,8 @@ Basic items
 	%n		error number (finds a number)
 	%m		error message (finds a string)
 	%r		matches the "rest" of a single-line file message %O/P/Q
-	%p		pointer line (finds a sequence of '-', '.' or ' ' and
-			uses the length for the column number)
+	%p		pointer line (finds a sequence of '-', '.', ' ' or
+			tabs and uses the length for the column number)
 	%*{conv}	any scanf non-assignable conversion
 	%%		the single '%' character
 	%s		search text (finds a string)
diff --git a/src/quickfix.c b/src/quickfix.c
index c6e409c..c930bdb 100644
--- a/src/quickfix.c
+++ b/src/quickfix.c
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ qf_init_ext(qi, efile, buf, tv, errorformat, newlist, lnumfirst, lnumlast,
 			{'t', "."},
 			{'m', ".\\+"},
 			{'r', ".*"},
-			{'p', "[- .]*"},
+			{'p', "[- 	.]*"},
 			{'v', "\\d\\+"},
 			{'s', ".\\+"}
 		    };
@@ -677,11 +677,22 @@ restofline:
 		}
 		if ((i = (int)fmt_ptr->addr[7]) > 0)		/* %p */
 		{
+		    char_u	*match_ptr;
 		    if (regmatch.startp[i] == NULL || regmatch.endp[i] == NULL)
 			continue;
-		    col = (int)(regmatch.endp[i] - regmatch.startp[i] + 1);
-		    if (*((char_u *)regmatch.startp[i]) != TAB)
-			use_viscol = TRUE;
+		    col = 0;
+		    for (match_ptr = regmatch.startp[i];
+			    match_ptr != regmatch.endp[i]; ++match_ptr)
+		    {
+			++col;
+			if (*match_ptr == TAB)
+			{
+			    col += 7;
+			    col -= col % 8;
+			}
+		    }
+		    ++col;
+		    use_viscol = TRUE;
 		}
 		if ((i = (int)fmt_ptr->addr[8]) > 0)		/* %v */
 		{
diff --git a/src/testdir/test10.in b/src/testdir/test10.in
index 50ef86e..2d0d546 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test10.in
+++ b/src/testdir/test10.in
@@ -8,41 +8,81 @@ STARTTEST
 :7/start of errorfile/,/end of errorfile/w! Xerrorfile1
 :7/start of errorfile/,/end of errorfile/-1w! Xerrorfile2
 :/start of testfile/,/end of testfile/w! Xtestfile
+:set efm+==%f=\\,\ line\ %l%*\\D%v%*[^\ ]\ %m
+:set efm^=%AError\ in\ \"%f\"\ at\ line\ %l:,%Z%p^,%C%m
 :cf Xerrorfile2
 :clast
 :copen
 :let a=w:quickfix_title
 :wincmd p
-gR=a
+lgR=a
 :cf Xerrorfile1
-rA
+grA
 :cn
-rB
+gRLINE 6, COL 19
 :cn
-rC
+gRNO COLUMN SPECIFIED
 :cn
-rD
+gRAGAIN NO COLUMN
 :cn
-rE
+gRCOL 1
 :cn
+gRCOL 2
+:cn
+gRCOL 10
+:cn
+gRVCOL 10
+:cn
+grI
+:cn
+gR. SPACE POINTER
+:cn
+gR. DOT POINTER
+:cn
+gR. DASH POINTER
+:cn
+gR. TAB-SPACE POINTER
+:clast
+:cprev
+:cprev
 :wincmd w
 :let a=w:quickfix_title
 :wincmd p
-gR=a
+lgR=a
 :w! test.out             " Write contents of this file
 :qa!
 ENDTEST
 
 start of errorfile
 "Xtestfile", line 4.12: 1506-045 (S) Undeclared identifier fd_set.
-﻿"Xtestfile", line 7 col 19; this is an error
+﻿"Xtestfile", line 6 col 19; this is an error
 gcc -c -DHAVE_CONFIsing-prototypes -I/usr/X11R6/include  version.c
-Xtestfile:13: parse error before `asd'
+Xtestfile:9: parse error before `asd'
 make: *** [vim] Error 1
-in file "Xtestfile" linenr 16: there is an error
+in file "Xtestfile" linenr 10: there is an error
 
 2 returned
-"Xtestfile", linenr 19: yet another problem
+"Xtestfile", line 11 col 1; this is an error
+"Xtestfile", line 12 col 2; this is another error
+"Xtestfile", line 14:10; this is an error in column 10
+=Xtestfile=, line 15:10; this is another error, but in vcol 10 this time
+"Xtestfile", linenr 16: yet another problem
+Error in "Xtestfile" at line 17:
+x should be a dot
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line 17
+            ^
+Error in "Xtestfile" at line 18:
+x should be a dot
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line 18
+.............^
+Error in "Xtestfile" at line 19:
+x should be a dot
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line 19
+--------------^
+Error in "Xtestfile" at line 20:
+x should be a dot
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line 20
+	       ^
 
 Does anyone know what is the problem and how to correction it?
 "Xtestfile", line 21 col 9: What is the title of the quickfix window?
@@ -50,25 +90,25 @@ Does anyone know what is the problem and how to correction it?
 end of errorfile
 
 start of testfile
-line 2  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 3  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 4  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 5  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 6  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 7  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 8  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 9  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 10 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 11 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 12 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 13 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 14 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 15 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 16 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 17 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 18 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 19 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 20 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 21 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 22 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line  2
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line  3
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line  4
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line  5
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line  6
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line  7
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line  8
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line  9
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line 10
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line 11
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line 12
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line 13
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line 14
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line 15
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line 16
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line 17
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line 18
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line 19
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line 20
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line 21
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line 22
 end of testfile
diff --git a/src/testdir/test10.ok b/src/testdir/test10.ok
index 01d47e8..76a02f4 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test10.ok
+++ b/src/testdir/test10.ok
@@ -1,23 +1,23 @@
 start of testfile
-line 2  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 3  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 4  xxxAxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 5  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 6  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 7  xxxxxxxxxxBxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 8  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 9  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 10 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 11 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 12 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-Cine 13 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 14 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 15 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-Dine 16 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 17 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 18 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-Eine 19 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 20 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 21 :cf Xerrorfile1xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-line 22 :cf Xerrorfile2xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line  2
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line  3
+	xxxxxxxxxxAxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line  4
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line  5
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxLINE 6, COL 19   line  6
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line  7
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line  8
+	NO COLUMN SPECIFIEDxxxxxxxxxxx    line  9
+	AGAIN NO COLUMNxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line 10
+COL 1	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line 11
+	COL 2xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line 12
+	xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line 13
+	xxxxxxxxCOL 10xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line 14
+	xVCOL 10xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line 15
+	Ixxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    line 16
+	xxxx. SPACE POINTERxxxxxxxxxxx    line 17
+	xxxxx. DOT POINTERxxxxxxxxxxxx    line 18
+	xxxxxx. DASH POINTERxxxxxxxxxx    line 19
+	xxxxxxx. TAB-SPACE POINTERxxxx    line 20
+	xxxxxxxx:cf Xerrorfile1xxxxxxx    line 21
+	xxxxxxxx:cf Xerrorfile2xxxxxxx    line 22
 end of testfile
