diff --git a/DOCS/mplayer.1 b/DOCS/mplayer.1
index 0711bf44fb..ffcba68937 100644
--- a/DOCS/mplayer.1
+++ b/DOCS/mplayer.1
@@ -774,6 +774,9 @@ If FreeType support is enabled, the old font support can't be used.
 .B \-noautosub
 Turns off automatic loading of subtitle files.
 .TP
+.B \-nooverlapsub
+Turns off support for overlapping subtitles.
+.TP
 .B \-osdlevel <0\-2> (MPLAYER only)
 Specifies which mode the OSD should start in (0: none, 1: seek, 2: seek+timer,
 default is 1).
diff --git a/cfg-common.h b/cfg-common.h
index 0291708cad..731434784e 100644
--- a/cfg-common.h
+++ b/cfg-common.h
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@
 	{"ifo", &spudec_ifo, CONF_TYPE_STRING, 0, 0, 0, NULL},
 	// enable Closed Captioning display
 	{"subcc", &subcc_enabled, CONF_TYPE_FLAG, 0, 0, 1, NULL},
+	{"nooverlapsub", &suboverlap_enabled, CONF_TYPE_FLAG, 0, 0, 0, NULL},
 #endif
 #ifdef USE_OSD
 	{"font", &font_name, CONF_TYPE_STRING, 0, 0, 0, NULL},
diff --git a/libvo/sub.c b/libvo/sub.c
index 67003cf9a1..075431df5e 100644
--- a/libvo/sub.c
+++ b/libvo/sub.c
@@ -351,7 +351,20 @@ inline static void vo_update_text_sub(mp_osd_obj_t* obj,int dxs,int dys){
 		 lastk=k;
 		 lastStripPosition=j;
 		 lastxsize=xsize;
-	      } else if ((font=vo_font->font[c])>=0){
+ 	      } else if ((!suboverlap_enabled) && ((font = vo_font->font[c]) >= 0)) {
+ 		/*
+ 		   With overlapping subtitles, we need to comment this out,
+ 		   beacuse that part of the code creates subtitles with the
+ 		   last line blank (" "): in this case previous 'if' statement
+ 		   is false an following 'if' is not executed. When, instead,
+ 		   a subtitle with a non-blank last line arrives, the following
+ 		   code is executed, and the result is a small 'jump' of the
+ 		   subtiles. We can not simply delete the following, unless
+ 		   having the last subtitle line partly drawn outside the
+ 		   screen, so, some lines forward, we introduce an increment
+ 		   which affects both blank and non-blank lines.
+ 		   *sfalco*
+ 		 */
 		  if (vo_font->pic_a[font]->h > h){
 		     h=vo_font->pic_a[font]->h;
 		  }
@@ -396,6 +409,13 @@ inline static void vo_update_text_sub(mp_osd_obj_t* obj,int dxs,int dys){
 	  }
       }
 
+    /*
+       Here is the little increment we talked about before. '40' is the
+       ASCII code for '(', which, hopefully, is the highest char of the
+       font.
+       *sfalco*
+     */
+    if(suboverlap_enabled) obj->y -= vo_font->pic_a[vo_font->font[40]]->h - vo_font->height;
     if (obj->y >= (dys * sub_pos / 100)){
 	int old=obj->y;
 	obj->y = dys * sub_pos /100;
diff --git a/libvo/sub.h b/libvo/sub.h
index 5646535f42..ead5a131ff 100644
--- a/libvo/sub.h
+++ b/libvo/sub.h
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ extern char *sub_cp;
 #endif
 extern int sub_pos;
 extern int sub_visibility;
+extern int suboverlap_enabled;
 
 //extern void vo_draw_text_osd(int dxs,int dys,void (*draw_alpha)(int x0,int y0, int w,int h, unsigned char* src, unsigned char *srca, int stride));
 //extern void vo_draw_text_progbar(int dxs,int dys,void (*draw_alpha)(int x0,int y0, int w,int h, unsigned char* src, unsigned char *srca, int stride));
diff --git a/mencoder.c b/mencoder.c
index bc9786f6b4..464ae64794 100644
--- a/mencoder.c
+++ b/mencoder.c
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ float sub_delay=0;
 float sub_fps=0;
 int   sub_auto = 0;
 int   subcc_enabled=0;
+int   suboverlap_enabled = 1;
 
 #ifdef USE_SUB
 static subtitle* subtitles=NULL;
diff --git a/mplayer.c b/mplayer.c
index e1138e4e55..f51d4769ce 100644
--- a/mplayer.c
+++ b/mplayer.c
@@ -256,6 +256,7 @@ int   sub_auto = 1;
 char *vobsub_name=NULL;
 /*DSP!!char *dsp=NULL;*/
 int   subcc_enabled=0;
+int suboverlap_enabled = 1;
 #ifdef USE_SUB
 subtitle* subtitles=NULL;
 float sub_last_pts = -303;
diff --git a/subreader.c b/subreader.c
index 3e374c26f9..deb55bb52c 100644
--- a/subreader.c
+++ b/subreader.c
@@ -1048,7 +1048,7 @@ subtitle* sub_read_file (char *filename, float fps) {
     }
 
     adjust_subs_time(first, 6.0, fps, 0);	/* ~6 secs AST */
-
+if(suboverlap_enabled){
 // here we manage overlapping subtitles
     sub_orig = sub_num;
     n_first = sub_num;
@@ -1057,7 +1057,7 @@ subtitle* sub_read_file (char *filename, float fps) {
     second = NULL;
 // for each subtitle in first[]
     for (sub_first = 0; sub_first < n_first; ++sub_first) {
-	while (first[sub_first].start <= first[sub_first].end) {
+	while (first[sub_first].start < first[sub_first].end) {
 	    unsigned long end_time = first[sub_first].end;
 	    int lines_to_add = 0, sub_to_add, event, ls, lf;
 
@@ -1144,6 +1144,11 @@ subtitle* sub_read_file (char *filename, float fps) {
     }
 
     return second;
+} else { //if(suboverlap_enabled)
+    adjust_subs_time(first, 6.0, fps, 1);	/* ~6 secs AST */
+
+    return first;
+}
 }
 
 #if 0
diff --git a/subreader.h b/subreader.h
index 3da5b1939d..61922d46a3 100644
--- a/subreader.h
+++ b/subreader.h
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 extern int sub_uses_time;
 extern int sub_errs;
 extern int sub_num;         // number of subtitle structs
+extern int suboverlap_enabled;
 
 // subtitle formats
 #define SUB_INVALID   -1