diff --git a/src/gap.c b/src/gap.c
index b1836a4d19..498188cade 100644
--- a/src/gap.c
+++ b/src/gap.c
@@ -558,6 +558,23 @@ static Obj FuncSizeScreen(Obj self, Obj args)
 }
 
 
+/****************************************************************************
+**
+*F  FuncSetGlobalLineWrappingStatus( <self>, <args> )  . . . .  internal function 'SetGlobalLineWrappingStatus'
+**
+*/
+static Obj FuncSetGlobalLineWrappingStatus(Obj self, Obj val)
+{
+
+  RequireTrueOrFalse(SELF_NAME, val);
+
+  SyLineWrappingDisabled = (val == False);
+
+  return 0;
+
+}
+
+
 /****************************************************************************
 **
 *F  FuncWindowCmd( <self>, <args> ) . . . . . . . .  execute a window command
@@ -1280,6 +1297,7 @@ static Obj FuncAssertionLevel(Obj self)
 static StructGVarFunc GVarFuncs[] = {
 
     GVAR_FUNC(SizeScreen, -1, "args"),
+    GVAR_FUNC_1ARGS(SetGlobalLineWrappingStatus, val),
     GVAR_FUNC_1ARGS(ID_FUNC, object),
     GVAR_FUNC(RETURN_FIRST, -2, "first, rest"),
     GVAR_FUNC(RETURN_NOTHING, -1, "object"),
diff --git a/src/io.c b/src/io.c
index 9efc646ee1..a51ed28d39 100644
--- a/src/io.c
+++ b/src/io.c
@@ -1285,12 +1285,12 @@ static void PutChrTo(TypOutputFile * stream, Char ch)
 
       /* if we are going to split at the end of the line, and we are
          formatting discard blanks */
-      if ( stream->format && spos == stream->pos && ch == ' ' ) {
+      if ( !SyLineWrappingDisabled && stream->format && spos == stream->pos && ch == ' ' ) {
         ;
       }
 
       /* full line, acceptable split position                              */
-      else if ( stream->format && spos != 0 ) {
+      else if ( !SyLineWrappingDisabled && stream->format && spos != 0 ) {
 
         /* add character to the line, terminate it                         */
         stream->line[ stream->pos++ ] = ch;
@@ -1329,7 +1329,7 @@ static void PutChrTo(TypOutputFile * stream, Char ch)
       /* full line, no split position                                       */
       else {
 
-        if (stream->format)
+        if ( !SyLineWrappingDisabled && stream->format )
           {
             /* append a '\',*/
             stream->line[ stream->pos++ ] = '\\';
@@ -1343,7 +1343,7 @@ static void PutChrTo(TypOutputFile * stream, Char ch)
         stream->pos = 0;
         stream->line[ stream->pos++ ] = ch;
 
-        if (stream->format)
+        if ( !SyLineWrappingDisabled && stream->format )
           stream->hints[0] = -1;
       }
 
diff --git a/src/sysopt.h b/src/sysopt.h
index 89008343f2..20c241278c 100644
--- a/src/sysopt.h
+++ b/src/sysopt.h
@@ -105,6 +105,13 @@ extern UInt SyNrRows;
 extern UInt SyNrRowsLocked;
 
 
+/****************************************************************************
+**
+*V  SyLineWrappingDisabled . . . . . . . . .  do not wrap lines when printing
+**
+*/
+extern UInt SyLineWrappingDisabled;
+
 /****************************************************************************
 **
 *V  SyQuiet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . surpress prompt
diff --git a/src/system.c b/src/system.c
index 853ce8d3e9..57a0cd5856 100644
--- a/src/system.c
+++ b/src/system.c
@@ -157,6 +157,12 @@ UInt SyNrColsLocked;
 UInt SyNrRows;
 UInt SyNrRowsLocked;
 
+/****************************************************************************
+**
+*V  SyLineWrappingDisabled . . . . . . . . .  do not wrap lines when printing
+*/
+UInt SyLineWrappingDisabled;
+
 /****************************************************************************
 **
 *V  SyQuiet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . suppress prompt
@@ -705,6 +711,7 @@ void InitSystem (
     SyNrColsLocked = 0;
     SyNrRows = 0;
     SyNrRowsLocked = 0;
+    SyLineWrappingDisabled = 0;
     SyQuiet = 0;
     SyInitializing = 0;