diff --git a/Ack.pm b/Ack.pm
index d695d06..8c495a1 100644
--- a/Ack.pm
+++ b/Ack.pm
@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@ sub get_command_line_options {
         'color|colour!'         => \$opt{color},
         'color-match=s'         => \$ENV{ACK_COLOR_MATCH},
         'color-filename=s'      => \$ENV{ACK_COLOR_FILENAME},
+        'column!'               => \$opt{column},
         count                   => \$opt{count},
         'env!'                  => sub { }, # ignore this option, it is handled beforehand
         f                       => \$opt{f},
@@ -703,6 +704,7 @@ Search output:
   -H, --with-filename   Print the filename for each match
   -h, --no-filename     Suppress the prefixing filename on output
   -c, --count           Show number of lines matching per file
+  --column              Show the column number of the first match
 
   -A NUM, --after-context=NUM
                         Print NUM lines of trailing context after matching
@@ -943,6 +945,7 @@ sub print_blank_line        { App::Ack::print( "\n" ) }
 sub print_separator         { App::Ack::print( "--\n" ) }
 sub print_filename          { App::Ack::print( $_[0], $_[1] ) }
 sub print_line_no           { App::Ack::print( $_[0], $_[1] ) }
+sub print_column_no         { App::Ack::print( $_[0], $_[1] ) }
 sub print_count {
     my $filename = shift;
     my $nmatches = shift;
@@ -1100,6 +1103,7 @@ sub print_match_or_context {
     my $color = $opt->{color};
     my $heading = $opt->{heading};
     my $show_filename = $opt->{show_filename};
+    my $show_column = $opt->{with_column};
 
     if ( $show_filename ) {
         if ( not defined $display_filename ) {
@@ -1137,6 +1141,8 @@ sub print_match_or_context {
             }
         }
         else {
+            my $col = $-[0] + 1;
+
             if ( $color && $is_match && $regex &&
                  s/$regex/Term::ANSIColor::colored( substr($_, $-[0], $+[0] - $-[0]), $ENV{ACK_COLOR_MATCH} )/eg ) {
                 # At the end of the line reset the color and remove newline
@@ -1146,6 +1152,9 @@ sub print_match_or_context {
                 # remove any kind of newline at the end of the line
                 s/[\r\n]*\z//;
             }
+            if ( $show_column ) {
+                App::Ack::print_column_no( $col, $sep );
+            }
             App::Ack::print($_ . "\n");
         }
         $any_output = 1;
diff --git a/Changes b/Changes
index ca8290e..3eba6ad 100644
--- a/Changes
+++ b/Changes
@@ -13,8 +13,12 @@ NEXT
     let you define ACK_COLOR_MATCH and ACK_COLOR_FILENAME from the
     command line.
 
+    Added new switch --column to display the column of the first
+    hit on the row.  Thanks to Eric Van Dewoestine.
+
     [FIXES]
-    More tweaks to get the detection of input and output pipes working.
+    More tweaks to get the detection of input and output pipes
+    working.
 
     Fixed an amazingly bad call to cmp_ok() in t/ack-passthru.t.
 
diff --git a/MANIFEST b/MANIFEST
index f2ac36b..ecc3b4a 100644
--- a/MANIFEST
+++ b/MANIFEST
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ t/ack-a.t
 t/ack-binary.t
 t/ack-c.t
 t/ack-color.t
+t/ack-column.t
 t/ack-env.t
 t/ack-g.t
 t/ack-group.t
diff --git a/ack b/ack
index 4ade1a7..aae8c82 100755
--- a/ack
+++ b/ack
@@ -221,6 +221,11 @@ Sets the color to be used for filenames.
 
 Sets the color to be used for matches.
 
+=item B<--column>
+
+Show the column number of the first match.  This is helpful for editors
+that can place your cursor at a given position.
+
 =item B<--env>, B<--noenv>
 
 B<--noenv> disables all environment processing. No F<.ackrc> is read
@@ -791,6 +796,7 @@ L<http://ack.googlecode.com/svn/>
 How appropriate to have I<ack>nowledgements!
 
 Thanks to everyone who has contributed to ack in any way, including
+Eric Van Dewoestine.
 Sitaram Chamarty,
 Adam James,
 Richard Carlsson,
@@ -1197,6 +1203,7 @@ sub get_command_line_options {
         'color|colour!'         => \$opt{color},
         'color-match=s'         => \$ENV{ACK_COLOR_MATCH},
         'color-filename=s'      => \$ENV{ACK_COLOR_FILENAME},
+        'column!'               => \$opt{column},
         count                   => \$opt{count},
         'env!'                  => sub { }, # ignore this option, it is handled beforehand
         f                       => \$opt{f},
@@ -1621,6 +1628,7 @@ Search output:
   -H, --with-filename   Print the filename for each match
   -h, --no-filename     Suppress the prefixing filename on output
   -c, --count           Show number of lines matching per file
+  --column              Show the column number of the first match
 
   -A NUM, --after-context=NUM
                         Print NUM lines of trailing context after matching
@@ -1831,6 +1839,7 @@ sub print_blank_line        { App::Ack::print( "\n" ) }
 sub print_separator         { App::Ack::print( "--\n" ) }
 sub print_filename          { App::Ack::print( $_[0], $_[1] ) }
 sub print_line_no           { App::Ack::print( $_[0], $_[1] ) }
+sub print_column_no         { App::Ack::print( $_[0], $_[1] ) }
 sub print_count {
     my $filename = shift;
     my $nmatches = shift;
@@ -1976,6 +1985,7 @@ sub print_match_or_context {
     my $color = $opt->{color};
     my $heading = $opt->{heading};
     my $show_filename = $opt->{show_filename};
+    my $show_column = $opt->{with_column};
 
     if ( $show_filename ) {
         if ( not defined $display_filename ) {
@@ -2013,6 +2023,8 @@ sub print_match_or_context {
             }
         }
         else {
+            my $col = $-[0] + 1;
+
             if ( $color && $is_match && $regex &&
                  s/$regex/Term::ANSIColor::colored( substr($_, $-[0], $+[0] - $-[0]), $ENV{ACK_COLOR_MATCH} )/eg ) {
                 # At the end of the line reset the color and remove newline
@@ -2022,6 +2034,9 @@ sub print_match_or_context {
                 # remove any kind of newline at the end of the line
                 s/[\r\n]*\z//;
             }
+            if ( $show_column ) {
+                App::Ack::print_column_no( $col, $sep );
+            }
             App::Ack::print($_ . "\n");
         }
         $any_output = 1;
diff --git a/ack-base b/ack-base
index 73639d9..d57dce6 100755
--- a/ack-base
+++ b/ack-base
@@ -213,6 +213,11 @@ Sets the color to be used for filenames.
 
 Sets the color to be used for matches.
 
+=item B<--column>
+
+Show the column number of the first match.  This is helpful for editors
+that can place your cursor at a given position.
+
 =item B<--env>, B<--noenv>
 
 B<--noenv> disables all environment processing. No F<.ackrc> is read
@@ -783,6 +788,7 @@ L<http://ack.googlecode.com/svn/>
 How appropriate to have I<ack>nowledgements!
 
 Thanks to everyone who has contributed to ack in any way, including
+Eric Van Dewoestine.
 Sitaram Chamarty,
 Adam James,
 Richard Carlsson,
diff --git a/ack-help.txt b/ack-help.txt
index 6e12377..841648c 100644
--- a/ack-help.txt
+++ b/ack-help.txt
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ Search output:
   -H, --with-filename   Print the filename for each match
   -h, --no-filename     Suppress the prefixing filename on output
   -c, --count           Show number of lines matching per file
+  --column              Show the column number of the first match
 
   -A NUM, --after-context=NUM
                         Print NUM lines of trailing context after matching
diff --git a/t/ack-column.t b/t/ack-column.t
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7305fe5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/ack-column.t
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+#!perl
+
+use warnings;
+use strict;
+
+use Test::More tests => 4;
+
+use File::Next ();
+
+use lib 't';
+use Util;
+
+prep_environment();
+
+my $weasel = File::Next::reslash( 't/text/science-of-myth.txt' );
+
+WITH_COLUMNS: {
+    my @expected = split( /\n/, <<'HERE' );
+3:4:In the case of Christianity and Judaism there exists the belief
+6:1:The Buddhists believe that the functional aspects override the myth
+7:8:While other religions use the literal core to build foundations with
+8:11:See, half the world sees the myth as fact, and it's seen as a lie by the other half
+9:5:And the simple truth is that it's none of that 'cause
+10:24:Somehow no matter what the world keeps turning
+14:43:In fact, for better understanding we take the facts of science and apply them
+15:35:And if both factors keep evolving then we continue getting information
+16:17:But closing off the possibilities makes it hard to see the bigger picture
+18:10:Consider the case of the woman whose faith helped her make it through
+22:18:And if it works, then it gets the job done
+23:24:Somehow no matter what the world keeps turning
+26:9:    -- "The Science Of Myth", Screeching Weasel
+HERE
+    @expected = map { "${weasel}:$_" } @expected;
+
+    my @files = ( $weasel );
+    my @args = qw( the -w --with-filename --column );
+    my @results = run_ack( @args, @files );
+
+    sets_match( \@results, \@expected, 'Checking column numbers' );
+}
+
+
+WITHOUT_COLUMNS: {
+    my @expected = split( /\n/, <<'HERE' );
+3:In the case of Christianity and Judaism there exists the belief
+6:The Buddhists believe that the functional aspects override the myth
+7:While other religions use the literal core to build foundations with
+8:See, half the world sees the myth as fact, and it's seen as a lie by the other half
+9:And the simple truth is that it's none of that 'cause
+10:Somehow no matter what the world keeps turning
+14:In fact, for better understanding we take the facts of science and apply them
+15:And if both factors keep evolving then we continue getting information
+16:But closing off the possibilities makes it hard to see the bigger picture
+18:Consider the case of the woman whose faith helped her make it through
+22:And if it works, then it gets the job done
+23:Somehow no matter what the world keeps turning
+26:    -- "The Science Of Myth", Screeching Weasel
+HERE
+    @expected = map { "${weasel}:$_" } @expected;
+
+    my @files = ( $weasel );
+    my @args = qw( the -w --with-filename --no-column );
+    my @results = run_ack( @args, @files );
+
+    sets_match( \@results, \@expected, 'Checking without column numbers' );
+}
+