diff --git a/cmd/micro/actions.go b/cmd/micro/actions.go
index 87ac4c91..009f4bd8 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/actions.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/actions.go
@@ -463,7 +463,8 @@ func (v *View) InsertNewline(usePlugin bool) bool {
 			v.Cursor.Right()
 		}
 
-		if IsSpacesOrTabs(v.Buf.Line(v.Cursor.Y - 1)) {
+		// Remove the whitespaces if keepautoindent setting is off
+		if IsSpacesOrTabs(v.Buf.Line(v.Cursor.Y - 1)) && !v.Buf.Settings["keepautoindent"].(bool) {
 			line := v.Buf.Line(v.Cursor.Y - 1)
 			v.Buf.Remove(Loc{0, v.Cursor.Y - 1}, Loc{Count(line), v.Cursor.Y - 1})
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/micro/settings.go b/cmd/micro/settings.go
index b11a0614..240ee771 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/settings.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/settings.go
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ func GetOption(name string) interface{} {
 func DefaultGlobalSettings() map[string]interface{} {
 	return map[string]interface{}{
 		"autoindent":   true,
+		"keepautoindent": false,
 		"autosave":     false,
 		"colorcolumn":  float64(0),
 		"colorscheme":  "default",
@@ -209,6 +210,7 @@ func DefaultGlobalSettings() map[string]interface{} {
 func DefaultLocalSettings() map[string]interface{} {
 	return map[string]interface{}{
 		"autoindent":   true,
+		"keepautoindent": false,
 		"autosave":     false,
 		"colorcolumn":  float64(0),
 		"cursorline":   true,