diff --git a/config.def.h b/config.def.h
index 1edb647..805d8c4 100644
--- a/config.def.h
+++ b/config.def.h
@@ -21,3 +21,6 @@ static unsigned int lines      = 0;
  * for example: " /?\"&[]"
  */
 static const char worddelimiters[] = " ";
+
+/* delimiter for tmenu */
+static char valuedelimiter = '\t';
diff --git a/dmenu.1 b/dmenu.1
index 323f93c..fb22ed3 100644
--- a/dmenu.1
+++ b/dmenu.1
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ is faster, but will lock up X until stdin reaches end\-of\-file.
 .B \-i
 dmenu matches menu items case insensitively.
 .TP
+.BI \-d " tmenu delimiter"
+when used in a line, the value after the delimiter will be displayed. When selected, the value before the delimiter will be output. Only uses a single char as the delimiter.
+.TP
 .BI \-l " lines"
 dmenu lists items vertically, with the given number of lines.
 .TP
diff --git a/dmenu.c b/dmenu.c
index 27b7a30..b586a40 100644
--- a/dmenu.c
+++ b/dmenu.c
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 enum { SchemeNorm, SchemeSel, SchemeOut, SchemeLast }; /* color schemes */
 
 struct item {
-	char *text;
+	char *text, *value;
 	struct item *left, *right;
 	int out;
 };
@@ -104,8 +104,8 @@ cleanup(void)
 	XUngrabKey(dpy, AnyKey, AnyModifier, root);
 	for (i = 0; i < SchemeLast; i++)
 		free(scheme[i]);
-	for (i = 0; items && items[i].text; ++i)
-		free(items[i].text);
+	for (i = 0; items && items[i].value; ++i)
+		free(items[i].value);
 	free(items);
 	drw_free(drw);
 	XSync(dpy, False);
@@ -490,7 +490,7 @@ insert:
 		break;
 	case XK_Return:
 	case XK_KP_Enter:
-		puts((sel && !(ev->state & ShiftMask)) ? sel->text : text);
+		puts((sel && !(ev->state & ShiftMask)) ? sel->value : text);
 		if (!(ev->state & ControlMask)) {
 			cleanup();
 			exit(0);
@@ -549,7 +549,7 @@ paste(void)
 static void
 readstdin(void)
 {
-	char *line = NULL;
+	char *line = NULL, *text;
 	size_t i, junk, itemsiz = 0;
 	ssize_t len;
 
@@ -562,13 +562,22 @@ readstdin(void)
 		}
 		if (line[len - 1] == '\n')
 			line[len - 1] = '\0';
-		items[i].text = line;
+
+		if ((text = strchr(line, valuedelimiter)) != NULL) {
+			items[i].text = text + 1;
+			text[0] = '\0';
+		} else {
+			items[i].text = line;
+		}
+		items[i].value = line;
 		items[i].out = 0;
 		line = NULL; /* next call of getline() allocates a new line */
 	}
 	free(line);
-	if (items)
+	if (items) {
 		items[i].text = NULL;
+		items[i].value = NULL;
+	}
 	lines = MIN(lines, i);
 }
 
@@ -714,7 +723,7 @@ setup(void)
 static void
 usage(void)
 {
-	die("usage: dmenu [-bfiv] [-l lines] [-p prompt] [-fn font] [-m monitor]\n"
+	die("usage: dmenu [-bfiv] [-d tmenu-delim] [-l lines] [-p prompt] [-fn font] [-m monitor]\n"
 	    "             [-nb color] [-nf color] [-sb color] [-sf color] [-w windowid]");
 }
 
@@ -739,6 +748,8 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		} else if (i + 1 == argc)
 			usage();
 		/* these options take one argument */
+		else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "-d"))   /* delimiter for tmenu */
+			valuedelimiter = argv[++i][0];
 		else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "-l"))   /* number of lines in vertical list */
 			lines = atoi(argv[++i]);
 		else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "-m"))