diff --git a/dmenu.c b/dmenu.c
index 65f25ce..d9e490a 100644
--- a/dmenu.c
+++ b/dmenu.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ enum { SchemeNorm, SchemeSel, SchemeOut, SchemeLast }; /* color schemes */
 
 struct item {
 	char *text;
+	char *stext;
 	struct item *left, *right;
 	int out;
 };
@@ -123,7 +124,7 @@ drawitem(struct item *item, int x, int y, int w)
 	else
 		drw_setscheme(drw, scheme[SchemeNorm]);
 
-	return drw_text(drw, x, y, w, bh, lrpad / 2, item->text, 0);
+	return drw_text(drw, x, y, w, bh, lrpad / 2, item->stext, 0);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -165,7 +166,7 @@ drawmenu(void)
 		}
 		x += w;
 		for (item = curr; item != next; item = item->right)
-			x = drawitem(item, x, 0, MIN(TEXTW(item->text), mw - x - TEXTW(">")));
+			x = drawitem(item, x, 0, MIN(TEXTW(item->stext), mw - x - TEXTW(">")));
 		if (next) {
 			w = TEXTW(">");
 			drw_setscheme(drw, scheme[SchemeNorm]);
@@ -534,6 +535,10 @@ readstdin(void)
 			*p = '\0';
 		if (!(items[i].text = strdup(buf)))
 			die("cannot strdup %u bytes:", strlen(buf) + 1);
+		if ((p = strchr(buf, '\t')))
+			*p = '\0';
+		if (!(items[i].stext = strdup(buf)))
+			die("cannot strdup %u bytes:", strlen(buf) + 1);
 		items[i].out = 0;
 		drw_font_getexts(drw->fonts, buf, strlen(buf), &tmpmax, NULL);
 		if (tmpmax > inputw) {