diff --git a/core/menu_view.js b/core/menu_view.js
index 21a47dbe..db6c641a 100644
--- a/core/menu_view.js
+++ b/core/menu_view.js
@@ -32,8 +32,7 @@ function MenuView(options) {
 	this.focusedItemIndex = options.focusedItemIndex || 0;
 	this.focusedItemIndex = this.items.length >= this.focusedItemIndex ? this.focusedItemIndex : 0;
 
-	this.itemSpacing	= options.itemSpacing || 1;
-	this.itemSpacing	= parseInt(this.itemSpacing, 10);
+	this.itemSpacing	= _.isNumber(options.itemSpacing) ? options.itemSpacing : 0;
 
 	this.focusPrefix	= options.focusPrefix || '';
 	this.focusSuffix	= options.focusSuffix || '';
@@ -105,6 +104,13 @@ MenuView.prototype.setItems = function(items) {
 	}
 };
 
+MenuView.prototype.setItemSpacing = function(itemSpacing) {
+	assert(_.isNumber(itemSpacing));
+
+	this.itemSpacing			= itemSpacing;
+	this.positionCacheExpired	= true;
+};
+
 MenuView.prototype.setHotKeys = function(hotKeys) {
 	if(_.isObject(hotKeys)) {
 		if(this.caseInsensitiveHotKeys) {
diff --git a/core/vertical_menu_view.js b/core/vertical_menu_view.js
index 924f2749..10c6b486 100644
--- a/core/vertical_menu_view.js
+++ b/core/vertical_menu_view.js
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 var MenuView		= require('./menu_view.js').MenuView;
 var ansi			= require('./ansi_term.js');
 var strUtil			= require('./string_util.js');
+var miscUtil		= require('./misc_util.js');
+
 var util			= require('util');
 var assert			= require('assert');
 
@@ -16,8 +18,6 @@ function VerticalMenuView(options) {
 
 	var self = this;
 
-	this.itemSpacing = 3;	//	:TODO: bring from options/configurable
-
 	this.calculateDimens = function() {
 		if(!self.dimens || !self.dimens.width) {
 			var l = 0;
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ function VerticalMenuView(options) {
 		}
 
 		if(this.items.length > 0) {
-			this.dimens.height = (self.items.length * self.itemSpacing) - (self.itemSpacing - 1);
+			this.dimens.height = (self.items.length * (self.itemSpacing + 1)) - (self.itemSpacing);
 		} else {
 			this.dimens.height = 0;
 		}
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ function VerticalMenuView(options) {
 			var x = self.position.x;
 			for(var i = 0; i < count; ++i) {
 				if(i > 0) {
-					x += self.itemSpacing;
+					x += self.itemSpacing + 1;
 				}
 
 				self.items[i].xPosition = x;
diff --git a/core/view_controller.js b/core/view_controller.js
index 24f5c026..9b44a8c6 100644
--- a/core/view_controller.js
+++ b/core/view_controller.js
@@ -178,9 +178,13 @@ function ViewController(options) {
 		}
 
 		setViewProp('items', function(v) { view.setItems(v); });
+		setViewProp('itemSpacing', function(v) { view.setItemSpacing(v); });
+
 		setViewProp('text', function(v) { view.setText(v); });
 		setViewProp('textStyle');
 		setViewProp('focusTextStyle');
+		setViewProp('textMaskChar', function(v) { view.textMaskChar = v.substr(0, 1); });
+		
 		setViewProp('maxLength');
 		setViewProp('width', function(v) { view.dimens.width = parseInt(v, 10); });
 
@@ -208,7 +212,7 @@ function ViewController(options) {
 			}
 		});
 
-		setViewProp('textMaskChar', function(v) { view.textMaskChar = v.substr(0, 1); });
+		
 		setViewProp('hotKeys', function(v) { view.setHotKeys(v); });
 
 		setViewProp('submit', function(v) {
diff --git a/mods/menu.json b/mods/menu.json
index c4c24ee0..517f1cee 100644
--- a/mods/menu.json
+++ b/mods/menu.json
@@ -230,6 +230,7 @@
 								"Art Display",
 								"Other"
 							],
+							"itemSpacing" : 1,
 							//	:TODO: justify not working??
 							"focusTextStyle" : "small i"
 						}