diff --git a/src/global.c b/src/global.c
index 9b0334b5..be8ce563 100644
--- a/src/global.c
+++ b/src/global.c
@@ -66,6 +66,12 @@ filestruct *cutbuffer = NULL;	/* A place to store cut text */
 openfilestruct *open_files = NULL;	/* The list of open files */
 #endif
 
+#if !defined(NANO_SMALL) && defined(ENABLE_NANORC)
+char *whitespace = NULL;	/* Characters used when displaying
+				   the first characters of tabs and
+				   spaces. */
+#endif
+
 #ifndef DISABLE_JUSTIFY
 char *punct = NULL;		/* Closing punctuation that can end
 				   sentences. */
@@ -78,11 +84,6 @@ char *quotestr = NULL;		/* Quote string.  The default value is
 
 #ifndef NANO_SMALL
 char *backup_dir = NULL;	/* Backup directory. */
-#ifdef ENABLE_NANORC
-char *whitespace = NULL;	/* Characters used when displaying
-				   the first characters of tabs and
-				   spaces. */
-#endif
 #endif
 
 int resetstatuspos;		/* Hack for resetting the status bar 
diff --git a/src/nano.c b/src/nano.c
index e8addff0..99c0a2fe 100644
--- a/src/nano.c
+++ b/src/nano.c
@@ -1283,7 +1283,7 @@ int do_wrap(filestruct *inptr)
  * create the new wrap line.  Finally, we clean up. */
 
 /* Step 1, finding where to wrap.  We are going to add a new-line
- * after a white-space character.  In this step, we set wrap_loc as the
+ * after a whitespace character.  In this step, we set wrap_loc as the
  * location of this replacement.
  *
  * Where should we break the line?  We need the last "legal wrap point"
diff --git a/src/proto.h b/src/proto.h
index e38ae641..68565c0d 100644
--- a/src/proto.h
+++ b/src/proto.h
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ extern int search_last_line;
 extern int search_offscreen;
 extern int currslen;
 
+#if !defined(NANO_SMALL) && defined(ENABLE_NANORC)
+extern char *whitespace;
+#endif
+
 #ifndef DISABLE_JUSTIFY
 extern char *punct;
 extern char *brackets;
@@ -54,9 +58,6 @@ extern char *quotestr;
 
 #ifndef NANO_SMALL
 extern char *backup_dir;
-#ifdef ENABLE_NANORC
-extern char *whitespace;
-#endif
 #endif
 
 extern WINDOW *topwin, *edit, *bottomwin;
diff --git a/src/rcfile.c b/src/rcfile.c
index 0dbad5fb..fa99dcee 100644
--- a/src/rcfile.c
+++ b/src/rcfile.c
@@ -548,6 +548,9 @@ void parse_rcfile(FILE *rcstream)
 #ifndef DISABLE_WRAPJUSTIFY
 				|| !strcasecmp(rcopts[i].name, "fill")
 #endif
+#ifndef NANO_SMALL
+				|| !strcasecmp(rcopts[i].name, "whitespace")
+#endif
 #ifndef DISABLE_JUSTIFY
 				|| !strcasecmp(rcopts[i].name, "punct")
 				|| !strcasecmp(rcopts[i].name, "brackets")
@@ -555,7 +558,6 @@ void parse_rcfile(FILE *rcstream)
 #endif
 #ifndef NANO_SMALL
 			        || !strcasecmp(rcopts[i].name, "backupdir")
-				|| !strcasecmp(rcopts[i].name, "whitespace")
 #endif
 #ifndef DISABLE_SPELLER
 				|| !strcasecmp(rcopts[i].name, "speller")
@@ -594,6 +596,19 @@ void parse_rcfile(FILE *rcstream)
 				    wrap_at = j;
 			    } else
 #endif
+#ifndef NANO_SMALL
+			    if (!strcasecmp(rcopts[i].name, "whitespace")) {
+				size_t ws_len;
+				whitespace = mallocstrcpy(NULL, option);
+				ws_len = strlen(whitespace);
+				if (ws_len != 2 || (ws_len == 2 && (is_cntrl_char(whitespace[0]) || is_cntrl_char(whitespace[1])))) {
+				    rcfile_error(_("Two non-control characters required"));
+				    free(whitespace);
+				    whitespace = NULL;
+				} else
+				    SET(WHITESPACE_DISPLAY);
+			    } else
+#endif
 #ifndef DISABLE_JUSTIFY
 			    if (!strcasecmp(rcopts[i].name, "punct")) {
 				punct = mallocstrcpy(NULL, option);
@@ -616,18 +631,6 @@ void parse_rcfile(FILE *rcstream)
 			    if (!strcasecmp(rcopts[i].name, "backupdir"))
 				backup_dir = mallocstrcpy(NULL, option);
 			    else
-
-			    if (!strcasecmp(rcopts[i].name, "whitespace")) {
-				size_t ws_len;
-				whitespace = mallocstrcpy(NULL, option);
-				ws_len = strlen(whitespace);
-				if (ws_len != 2 || (ws_len == 2 && (is_cntrl_char(whitespace[0]) || is_cntrl_char(whitespace[1])))) {
-				    rcfile_error(_("Two non-control characters required"));
-				    free(whitespace);
-				    whitespace = NULL;
-				} else
-				    SET(WHITESPACE_DISPLAY);
-			    } else
 #endif
 #ifndef DISABLE_SPELLER
 			    if (!strcasecmp(rcopts[i].name, "speller"))