diff --git a/src/conky.c b/src/conky.c
index 9fbbeded..686f286d 100644
--- a/src/conky.c
+++ b/src/conky.c
@@ -1264,7 +1264,7 @@ void generate_text_internal(char *p, int p_max_size,
 				new_goto(p, obj->data.i);
 			}
 			OBJ(tab) {
-				new_tab(p, obj->data.pair.a, obj->data.pair.b);
+				new_tab(obj, p);
 			}
 #ifdef X11
 			OBJ(hr) {
diff --git a/src/core.c b/src/core.c
index 1843e5dc..444b3e3a 100644
--- a/src/core.c
+++ b/src/core.c
@@ -518,19 +518,7 @@ struct text_object *construct_text_object(const char *s, const char *arg, long
 	END OBJ_ARG(goto, 0, "goto needs arguments")
 		obj->data.i = atoi(arg);
 	END OBJ(tab, 0)
-		int a = 10, b = 0;
-
-		if (arg) {
-			if (sscanf(arg, "%d %d", &a, &b) != 2) {
-				sscanf(arg, "%d", &b);
-			}
-		}
-		if (a <= 0) {
-			a = 1;
-		}
-		obj->data.pair.a = a;
-		obj->data.pair.b = b;
-
+		scan_tab(obj, arg);
 #ifdef __linux__
 	END OBJ_ARG(i2c, 0, "i2c needs arguments")
 		parse_i2c_sensor(obj, arg);
diff --git a/src/specials.c b/src/specials.c
index 0805a71e..3c6a04c3 100644
--- a/src/specials.c
+++ b/src/specials.c
@@ -70,6 +70,10 @@ struct graph {
 	char tempgrad;
 };
 
+struct tab {
+	int width, arg;
+};
+
 /*
  * Scanning arguments to various special text objects
  */
@@ -485,11 +489,36 @@ void new_goto(char *buf, long c)
 	new_special(buf, GOTO)->arg = c;
 }
 
-void new_tab(char *buf, int a, int b)
+void scan_tab(struct text_object *obj, const char *arg)
 {
-	struct special_t *s = new_special(buf, TAB);
+	struct tab *t;
 
-	s->width = a;
-	s->arg = b;
+	t = malloc(sizeof(struct tab));
+	memset(t, 0, sizeof(struct tab));
+
+	t->width = 10;
+	t->arg = 0;
+
+	if (arg) {
+		if (sscanf(arg, "%d %d", &t->width, &t->arg) != 2) {
+			sscanf(arg, "%d", &t->arg);
+		}
+	}
+	if (t->width <= 0) {
+		t->width = 1;
+	}
+	obj->special_data = t;
 }
 
+void new_tab(struct text_object *obj, char *buf)
+{
+	struct special_t *s = 0;
+	struct tab *t = obj->special_data;
+
+	if (!t)
+		return;
+
+	s = new_special(buf, TAB);
+	s->width = t->width;
+	s->arg = t->arg;
+}
diff --git a/src/specials.h b/src/specials.h
index 9a986c89..06ea94c2 100644
--- a/src/specials.h
+++ b/src/specials.h
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ const char *scan_bar(struct text_object *, const char *);
 const char *scan_gauge(struct text_object *, const char *);
 char *scan_font(const char *);
 char *scan_graph(struct text_object *, const char *);
+void scan_tab(struct text_object *, const char *);
 
 /* printing specials */
 void new_gauge(struct text_object *, char *, int);
@@ -122,6 +123,6 @@ void new_voffset(char *, long);
 void new_alignr(char *, long);
 void new_alignc(char *, long);
 void new_goto(char *, long);
-void new_tab(char *, int, int);
+void new_tab(struct text_object *, char *);
 
 #endif /* _SPECIALS_H */