diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 2c9f66d1..69d2ed6b 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -28,6 +28,16 @@ CVS code -
 	  with all the other lists, have the replace list accept all the
 	  same function keys as the search list, and clarify a few
 	  shortcut descriptions.
+	- Convert nano to use the new parse_num() function to read in
+	  numeric values at the command line and in the rcfile, and
+	  duplicate the messages used in the rcfile in the command line
+	  for consistency. (David Benbennick)  DLR: Convert tabsize,
+	  wrap_at, and fill to ssize_t in order to work with
+	  parse_num() properly and also to increase their capacity
+	  while keeping the ability to hold negative numbers in case of
+	  errors.  Also exit instead of calling usage() in the event of
+	  an invalid fill value, for consistency with how an invalid
+	  tabsize value is handled.
 - files.c:
   close_open_file()
 	- Tweak to no longer rely on the return values of
@@ -73,6 +83,12 @@ CVS code -
   nregcomp()
 	- Rename the variable flags to eflags so as not to conflict with
 	  the global flags. (DLR)
+- utils.c:
+  parse_num()
+	- New function to parse numeric values, so that we don't have to
+	  duplicate code that calls strtol() all over the place. (David
+	  Benbennick)  DLR: Renamed from parse_int() to parse_num() and
+	  converted to use ssize_t instead of int.
 - winio.c:
   get_control_kbinput()
 	- Fix erroneous debugging statement so that nano compiles with
diff --git a/src/global.c b/src/global.c
index 466abcef..26a05f7b 100644
--- a/src/global.c
+++ b/src/global.c
@@ -30,8 +30,9 @@
 /* Global variables */
 
 #ifndef DISABLE_WRAPJUSTIFY
-/* wrap_at might be set in rcfile.c or nano.c */
-int wrap_at = -CHARS_FROM_EOL;/* Right justified fill value, allows resize */
+/* wrap_at might be set in rcfile.c or nano.c. */
+ssize_t wrap_at = -CHARS_FROM_EOL;	/* Right justified fill value,
+					   allows resize */
 #endif
 
 char *last_search = NULL;	/* Last string we searched for */
@@ -94,8 +95,8 @@ int placewewant = 0;		/* The column we'd like the cursor
 				   to jump to when we go to the
 				   next or previous line */
 
-int tabsize = -1;		/* Our internal tabsize variable.  The
-				   default value 8 is set in main(). */
+ssize_t tabsize = -1;		/* Our internal tabsize variable.  The
+				   default value is set in main(). */
 
 char *hblank = NULL;		/* A horizontal blank line */
 #ifndef DISABLE_HELP
diff --git a/src/nano.c b/src/nano.c
index b33aeaae..cada0949 100644
--- a/src/nano.c
+++ b/src/nano.c
@@ -58,7 +58,8 @@
 #endif
 
 #ifndef DISABLE_WRAPJUSTIFY
-static int fill = 0;	/* Fill - where to wrap lines, basically */
+static ssize_t fill = 0;	/* Fill - where to wrap lines,
+				   basically */
 #endif
 #ifndef DISABLE_WRAPPING
 static int same_line_wrap = FALSE;	/* Whether wrapped text should
@@ -3173,21 +3174,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	    break;
 #endif
 	case 'T':
-	    {
-		int i;
-		char *first_error;
-
-		/* Using strtol() instead of atoi() lets us accept 0
-		 * while checking other errors. */
-		i = (int)strtol(optarg, &first_error, 10);
-		if (errno == ERANGE || *optarg == '\0' || *first_error != '\0')
-		    usage();
-		else
-		    tabsize = i;
-		if (tabsize <= 0) {
-		    fprintf(stderr, _("Tab size is too small for nano...\n"));
-		    exit(1);
-		}
+	    if (parse_num(optarg, &tabsize) == -1 || tabsize <= 0) {
+		fprintf(stderr, _("Requested tab size %s invalid"), optarg);
+		fprintf(stderr, "\n");
+		exit(1);
 	    }
 	    break;
 	case 'V':
@@ -3233,17 +3223,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	    break;
 #ifndef DISABLE_WRAPJUSTIFY
 	case 'r':
-	    {
-		int i;
-		char *first_error;
-
-		/* Using strtol() instead of atoi() lets us accept 0
-		 * while checking other errors. */
-		i = (int)strtol(optarg, &first_error, 10);
-		if (errno == ERANGE || *optarg == '\0' || *first_error != '\0')
-		    usage();
-		else
-		    wrap_at = i;
+	    if (parse_num(optarg, &wrap_at) == -1) {
+		fprintf(stderr, _("Requested fill size %s invalid"), optarg);
+		fprintf(stderr, "\n");
+		exit(1);
 	    }
 	    fill_flag_used = TRUE;
 	    break;
@@ -3298,7 +3281,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	char *operating_dir_cpy = operating_dir;
 #endif
 #ifndef DISABLE_WRAPPING
-	int wrap_at_cpy = wrap_at;
+	ssize_t wrap_at_cpy = wrap_at;
 #endif
 #ifndef NANO_SMALL
 	char *backup_dir_cpy = backup_dir;
@@ -3309,7 +3292,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 #ifndef DISABLE_SPELLER
 	char *alt_speller_cpy = alt_speller;
 #endif
-	int tabsize_cpy = tabsize;
+	ssize_t tabsize_cpy = tabsize;
 	long flags_cpy = flags;
 
 #ifndef DISABLE_OPERATINGDIR
@@ -3528,7 +3511,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     titlebar(NULL);
 
     if (startline > 0)
-	do_gotoline(startline, 0);
+	do_gotoline(startline, FALSE);
 
 #ifndef NANO_SMALL
     /* Return here after a SIGWINCH. */
diff --git a/src/proto.h b/src/proto.h
index 2a428df0..810cc43c 100644
--- a/src/proto.h
+++ b/src/proto.h
@@ -22,15 +22,13 @@
 /* Externs. */
 
 #include <sys/stat.h>
-
 #ifdef HAVE_REGEX_H
 #include <regex.h>
 #endif
-
 #include "nano.h"
 
 #ifndef DISABLE_WRAPJUSTIFY
-extern int wrap_at;
+extern ssize_t wrap_at;
 #endif
 extern int editwinrows;
 extern int current_x, current_y, totlines;
@@ -40,7 +38,7 @@ extern int mark_beginx;
 #endif
 extern long totsize;
 extern long flags;
-extern int tabsize;
+extern ssize_t tabsize;
 extern int search_last_line;
 extern int currslen;
 
@@ -403,7 +401,7 @@ char *replace_line(const char *needle);
 int do_replace_loop(const char *needle, const filestruct *real_current,
 	size_t *real_current_x, int wholewords);
 void do_replace(void);
-void do_gotoline(int line, int save_pos);
+void do_gotoline(ssize_t line, int save_pos);
 void do_gotoline_void(void);
 #if defined (ENABLE_MULTIBUFFER) || !defined (DISABLE_SPELLER)
 void do_gotopos(int line, int pos_x, int pos_y, int pos_placewewant);
@@ -438,6 +436,7 @@ int is_blank_char(int c);
 #endif
 int is_cntrl_char(int c);
 int num_of_digits(int n);
+int parse_num(const char *str, ssize_t *val);
 void align(char **strp);
 void null_at(char **data, size_t index);
 void unsunder(char *str, size_t true_len);
diff --git a/src/rcfile.c b/src/rcfile.c
index 09c96cf8..242d5007 100644
--- a/src/rcfile.c
+++ b/src/rcfile.c
@@ -476,7 +476,7 @@ void parse_colors(char *ptr)
 void parse_rcfile(FILE *rcstream)
 {
     char *buf, *ptr, *keyword, *option;
-    int set = 0, i, j;
+    int set = 0, i;
 
     buf = charalloc(1024);
     while (fgets(buf, 1023, rcstream) != 0) {
@@ -571,18 +571,10 @@ void parse_rcfile(FILE *rcstream)
 #endif
 #ifndef DISABLE_WRAPJUSTIFY
 			    if (!strcasecmp(rcopts[i].name, "fill")) {
-				char *first_error;
-
-				/* Using strtol() instead of atoi() lets
-				 * us accept 0 while checking other
-				 * errors. */
-				j = (int)strtol(option, &first_error, 10);
-				if (errno == ERANGE || *option == '\0' || *first_error != '\0')
+				if (parse_num(option, &wrap_at) == -1)
 				    rcfile_error(
-					N_("Requested fill size %d invalid"),
-					j);
-				else
-				    wrap_at = j;
+					N_("Requested fill size %s invalid"),
+					option);
 			    } else
 #endif
 #ifndef NANO_SMALL
@@ -630,17 +622,10 @@ void parse_rcfile(FILE *rcstream)
 			    else
 #endif
 			    if (!strcasecmp(rcopts[i].name, "tabsize")) {
-				char *first_error;
-
-				/* Using strtol instead of atoi lets us
-				 * accept 0 while checking other
-				 * errors. */
-				j = (int)strtol(option, &first_error, 10);
-				if (errno == ERANGE || *option == '\0' || *first_error != '\0')
-				    rcfile_error(N_("Requested tab size %d invalid"),
-					j);
-				else
-				    tabsize = j;
+				if (parse_num(option, &tabsize) == -1)
+				    rcfile_error(
+					N_("Requested tab size %s invalid"),
+					option);
 			    }
 			} else
 			    SET(rcopts[i].flag);
diff --git a/src/search.c b/src/search.c
index 590b677f..1e24d814 100644
--- a/src/search.c
+++ b/src/search.c
@@ -238,11 +238,9 @@ int search_init(int replacing)
 #ifndef NANO_SMALL
 	    search_history.current = search_history.next;
 #endif
-	    i = (int)strtol(answer, &buf, 10);	/* Just testing answer here. */
-	    if (!(errno == ERANGE || *answer == '\0' || *buf != '\0'))
-		do_gotoline(-1, FALSE);
-	    else
-		do_gotoline_void();
+	   /* If answer parses as an integer, put it up on the
+	    * statusbar. */
+	    do_gotoline(parse_num(answer, NULL), FALSE);
 	    /* Fall through. */
 	default:
 	    return -1;
@@ -828,7 +826,7 @@ void do_replace(void)
     replace_abort();
 }
 
-void do_gotoline(int line, int save_pos)
+void do_gotoline(ssize_t line, int save_pos)
 {
     if (line <= 0) {		/* Ask for it */
 	char *ans = mallocstrcpy(NULL, answer);
diff --git a/src/utils.c b/src/utils.c
index 65cd6819..3cb91748 100644
--- a/src/utils.c
+++ b/src/utils.c
@@ -21,11 +21,12 @@
 
 #include "config.h"
 
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <unistd.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
 #include <ctype.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 #include <assert.h>
 #include "proto.h"
 #include "nano.h"
@@ -83,6 +84,22 @@ int num_of_digits(int n)
     return i;
 }
 
+/* Read an int from str, and store it in *val (if val is not NULL).  On
+ * error, we return -1 and don't change *val. */
+int parse_num(const char *str, ssize_t *val)
+{
+    char *first_error;
+    ssize_t j;
+
+    assert(str != NULL);
+    j = (ssize_t)strtol(str, &first_error, 10);
+    if (errno == ERANGE || *str == '\0' || *first_error != '\0')
+	return -1;
+    if (val != NULL)
+	*val = j;
+    return 0;
+}
+
 /* Fix the memory allocation for a string. */
 void align(char **strp)
 {