diff --git a/src/character.c b/src/character.c
index c8ffa2b..6e7f55a 100644
--- a/src/character.c
+++ b/src/character.c
@@ -1145,4 +1145,15 @@ All Unicode characters have one of the following values (symbol):
 See The Unicode Standard for the meaning of those values.  */);
   /* The correct char-table is setup in characters.el.  */
   Vunicode_category_table = Qnil;
+
+  DEFVAR_LISP ("word-wrap-chars", Vword_wrap_chars,
+	       doc: /* A char-table for characters at which word-wrap occurs.
+Such characters have value t in this table.
+By default these are the whitespace characters. */);
+  Vword_wrap_chars = Fmake_char_table (Qnil, Qnil);
+  Fset_char_table_range (Vword_wrap_chars, make_number (9), Qt);
+  Fset_char_table_range (Vword_wrap_chars, make_number (32), Qt);
+  Fset_char_table_range (Vword_wrap_chars,
+			 Fcons (make_number (8192),
+				make_number (8203)), Qt);
 }
diff --git a/src/xdisp.c b/src/xdisp.c
index 7e47c06..7152220 100644
--- a/src/xdisp.c
+++ b/src/xdisp.c
@@ -348,20 +348,23 @@ static Lisp_Object list_of_error;
 #endif /* HAVE_WINDOW_SYSTEM */
 
 /* Test if the display element loaded in IT, or the underlying buffer
-   or string character, is a space or a TAB character.  This is used
-   to determine where word wrapping can occur.  */
+   or string character, belongs to the word-wrap-chars char-table.
+   This is used to determine where word wrapping can occur.  */
 
 #define IT_DISPLAYING_WHITESPACE(it)					\
-  ((it->what == IT_CHARACTER && (it->c == ' ' || it->c == '\t'))	\
+  ((it->what == IT_CHARACTER						\
+    && !NILP (CHAR_TABLE_REF (Vword_wrap_chars, it->c)))		\
    || ((STRINGP (it->string)						\
-	&& (SREF (it->string, IT_STRING_BYTEPOS (*it)) == ' '		\
-	    || SREF (it->string, IT_STRING_BYTEPOS (*it)) == '\t'))	\
-       || (it->s							\
-	   && (it->s[IT_BYTEPOS (*it)] == ' '				\
-	       || it->s[IT_BYTEPOS (*it)] == '\t'))			\
+	&& !NILP (CHAR_TABLE_REF					\
+		  (Vword_wrap_chars, STRING_CHAR			\
+		   (SDATA (it->string) + IT_STRING_BYTEPOS (*it)))))	\
+       || (it->s && !NILP (CHAR_TABLE_REF				\
+			   (Vword_wrap_chars,				\
+			    STRING_CHAR(it->s + IT_BYTEPOS (*it)))))	\
        || (IT_BYTEPOS (*it) < ZV_BYTE					\
-	   && (*BYTE_POS_ADDR (IT_BYTEPOS (*it)) == ' '			\
-	       || *BYTE_POS_ADDR (IT_BYTEPOS (*it)) == '\t'))))		\
+	   && !NILP (CHAR_TABLE_REF					\
+		     (Vword_wrap_chars,					\
+		      (FETCH_CHAR(IT_BYTEPOS (*it))))))))		\
 
 /* True means print newline to stdout before next mini-buffer message.  */