diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index 6eb9b7c..9886a72 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ static struct Config config = {
 
 	/* area around the icon, the triangle and the separator */
 	.horzpadding = 8,
+
+	/* if nonzero, enable type-to-select feature, can be togglet with -t */
+	.typetoselect = 0
 };
 
 /*
diff --git a/xmenu.1 b/xmenu.1
index c2495a1..3f45a0b 100644
--- a/xmenu.1
+++ b/xmenu.1
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 xmenu \- menu utility for X
 .SH SYNOPSIS
 .B xmenu
-.RB [ \-irw ]
+.RB [ \-irtw ]
 .RB [ -p
 .IR position ]
 .RI [ title ]
@@ -58,6 +58,10 @@ must spawn at the position 100x500 of the monitor 0.
 If this option is set, the right mouse button is disabled;
 so pressing it will not trigger any menu item.
 .TP
+.B -t
+If this option is set, the type-to-select feature is enabled,
+so typing a string will select the first item matching it.
+.TP
 .B -w
 Asks the window manager to draw a border around the menus.
 This option may be buggy in some window managers,
@@ -108,12 +112,22 @@ Select the first item in the menu.
 .BR End
 Select the last item in the menu.
 .TP
-.BR Down ", " Tab
+.BR Down
 Cycle through the items in the regular direction.
 .TP
-.BR Up ", " Shift-Tab
+.BR Tab
+Cycle through the items in the regular direction.
+If the type-to-select feature is enabled, and there is a typed string in memory,
+cycle through matching items instead.
+.TP
+.BR Up
 Cycle through the items in the reverse direction.
 .TP
+.BR Shift-Tab
+Cycle through the items in the reverse direction.
+If the type-to-select feature is enabled, and there is a typed string in memory,
+cycle through matching items instead.
+.TP
 .BR Right ", " Enter
 Select the highlighted item.
 .TP
diff --git a/xmenu.c b/xmenu.c
index ff4cf53..acdabc2 100644
--- a/xmenu.c
+++ b/xmenu.c
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ getoptions(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	int ch;
 
-	while ((ch = getopt(argc, argv, "ip:rw")) != -1) {
+	while ((ch = getopt(argc, argv, "ip:rtw")) != -1) {
 		switch (ch) {
 		case 'i':
 			iflag = 1;
@@ -153,6 +153,9 @@ getoptions(int argc, char *argv[])
 		case 'r':
 			rflag = 1;
 			break;
+		case 't':
+			config.typetoselect = !config.typetoselect;
+			break;
 		case 'w':
 			wflag = 1;
 			break;
@@ -1373,6 +1376,8 @@ enteritem:
 				break;
 			default:
 append:
+				if (!config.typetoselect)
+					break;
 				for (i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
 					append(text, buf, sizeof text, len);
 					if ((item = matchitem(currmenu, text, 0)))
diff --git a/xmenu.h b/xmenu.h
index b5f1556..385eb82 100644
--- a/xmenu.h
+++ b/xmenu.h
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ struct Config {
 	int iconpadding;
 	int horzpadding;
 	int alignment;
+	int typetoselect;
 
 	/* the values below are set by options */
 	int monitor;