diff -ur mutt-1.1.11.orig/curs_main.c mutt-1.1.11/curs_main.c
--- mutt-1.1.11.orig/curs_main.c	Sun Apr 16 16:38:52 2000
+++ mutt-1.1.11/curs_main.c	Mon Apr 17 18:54:09 2000
@@ -399,8 +399,8 @@
   
   menu = mutt_new_menu ();
   menu->menu = MENU_MAIN;
-  menu->offset = 1;
-  menu->pagelen = LINES - 3;
+  menu->offset = 1 + BlankLines;
+  menu->pagelen = LINES - 3 - 2*BlankLines;
   menu->make_entry = index_make_entry;
   menu->color = index_color;
   menu->current = ci_first_message ();
diff -ur mutt-1.1.11.orig/globals.h mutt-1.1.11/globals.h
--- mutt-1.1.11.orig/globals.h	Fri Mar  3 11:10:08 2000
+++ mutt-1.1.11/globals.h	Mon Apr 17 18:54:09 2000
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@
 
 WHERE unsigned short Counter INITVAL (0);
 
+WHERE short BlankLines;
 WHERE short HistSize;
 WHERE short PagerContext;
 WHERE short PagerIndexLines;
diff -ur mutt-1.1.11.orig/init.h mutt-1.1.11/init.h
--- mutt-1.1.11.orig/init.h	Sun Apr 16 16:38:53 2000
+++ mutt-1.1.11/init.h	Mon Apr 17 18:54:09 2000
@@ -254,6 +254,12 @@
   ** notifying you of new mail.  This is independent of the setting of the
   ** ``$$beep'' variable.
   */
+  { "blank_lines",	DT_NUM,	 R_NONE, UL &BlankLines, 0 },
+  /*
+  ** .pp
+  ** This variable controls the number of blank lines below help line and
+  ** above status line. Should not be set to big values.
+  */
   { "bounce_delivered", DT_BOOL, R_NONE, OPTBOUNCEDELIVERED, 1 },
   /*
   ** .pp
diff -ur mutt-1.1.11.orig/menu.c mutt-1.1.11/menu.c
--- mutt-1.1.11.orig/menu.c	Fri Mar  3 11:10:10 2000
+++ mutt-1.1.11/menu.c	Mon Apr 17 18:54:09 2000
@@ -125,13 +125,13 @@
     SETCOLOR (MT_COLOR_STATUS);
     mvprintw (option (OPTSTATUSONTOP) ? LINES-2 : 0, 0, "%-*.*s", COLS, COLS, menu->help);
     SETCOLOR (MT_COLOR_NORMAL);
-    menu->offset = 1;
-    menu->pagelen = LINES - 3;
+    menu->offset = 1 + BlankLines;
+    menu->pagelen = LINES - 3 - 2*BlankLines;
   }
   else
   {
-    menu->offset = option (OPTSTATUSONTOP) ? 1 : 0;
-    menu->pagelen = LINES - 2;
+    menu->offset = (option (OPTSTATUSONTOP) ? 1 : 0) + BlankLines;
+    menu->pagelen = LINES - 2 - 2*BlankLines;
   }
 
   mutt_show_error ();
diff -ur mutt-1.1.11.orig/pager.c mutt-1.1.11/pager.c
--- mutt-1.1.11.orig/pager.c	Fri Mar  3 11:10:11 2000
+++ mutt-1.1.11/pager.c	Mon Apr 17 18:55:37 2000
@@ -1510,9 +1510,9 @@
       {
 	indexoffset = 0;
 	statusoffset = IsHeader (extra) ? indexlen : 0;
-	bodyoffset = statusoffset + 1;
+	bodyoffset = statusoffset + 1 + (PagerIndexLines > 0 ? 0 : BlankLines);
 	helpoffset = LINES - 2;
-	bodylen = helpoffset - bodyoffset;
+	bodylen = helpoffset - bodyoffset - BlankLines;
 	if (!option (OPTHELP))
 	  bodylen++;
       }
@@ -1523,8 +1523,9 @@
 	statusoffset = LINES - 2;
 	if (!option (OPTHELP))
 	  indexoffset = 0;
-	bodyoffset = indexoffset + (IsHeader (extra) ? indexlen : 0);
-	bodylen = statusoffset - bodyoffset;
+	bodyoffset = indexoffset + (IsHeader (extra) ? indexlen : 0) +
+	  (PagerIndexLines > 0 ? 0 : BlankLines);
+	bodylen = statusoffset - bodyoffset - BlankLines;
       }
 
       if (option (OPTHELP))
diff -ur mutt-1.1.11.orig/patchlist.c mutt-1.1.11/patchlist.c
--- mutt-1.1.11.orig/patchlist.c	Sun Apr 16 16:38:53 2000
+++ mutt-1.1.11/patchlist.c	Mon Apr 17 18:54:09 2000
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@
   /* DO NOT MODIFY BEFORE THIS LINE */
 
 
-
+  printf("Feature patch: blank_lines          1.1.11 by Michal Kochanowicz\n"
+         "     based on: blank_line           1.0pre3i by Ken Weingold / Claus Aßmann\n");
 
 
   /* DO NOT MODIFY AFTER THIS LINE */