diff --git a/src/pyj/read_book/view.pyj b/src/pyj/read_book/view.pyj
index 36ad615ceb..9db62a88f3 100644
--- a/src/pyj/read_book/view.pyj
+++ b/src/pyj/read_book/view.pyj
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # License: GPL v3 Copyright: 2016, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
 
 from __python__ import bound_methods
+from book_list.globals import get_session_data
 from elementmaker import E
 from gettext import gettext as _
 from read_book.globals import messenger, iframe_id
@@ -30,12 +31,19 @@ class View:
     def __init__(self, container, ui):
         self.ui = ui
         self.loaded_resources = {}
+        sd = get_session_data()
         container.appendChild(
             E.div(style='width: 100vw; height: 100vh; overflow: hidden; display: flex; align-items: stretch',  # container for horizontally aligned panels
                   E.div(style='display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: stretch; flex-grow:2',  # container for iframe and any other panels in the same column
                     E.div(style='flex-grow: 2; display:flex; align-items: stretch',  # container for iframe and its overlay
-                        E.iframe(id=iframe_id, seamless=True, sandbox='allow-popups allow-scripts', style='flex-grow: 2'),
-                        E.div(style='position: absolute; top:0; left:0; width: 100%; height: 100%; display:none'),  # overlay container
+                        E.div(style='width:{}px; height:100%'.format(sd.get('margin_side', 20)), id='book-left-margin'),
+                        E.div(style='flex-grow:2; display:flex; align-items:stretch; flex-direction: column', # container for top and bottom margins
+                            E.div(style='height:{}px; width:100%'.format(sd.get('margin_top', 20)), id='book-top-margin'),
+                            E.iframe(id=iframe_id, seamless=True, sandbox='allow-popups allow-scripts', style='flex-grow: 2'),
+                            E.div(style='height:{}px; width:100%'.format(sd.get('margin_bottom', 20)), id='book-bottom-margin'),
+                        ),
+                        E.div(style='width:{}px; height:100%'.format(sd.get('margin_side', 20)), id='book-right-margin'),
+                        E.div(style='position: absolute; top:0; left:0; width: 100%; height: 100%; display:none', id='book-overlay'),  # overlay
                     )
                 )
             )
@@ -59,6 +67,16 @@ class View:
     def iframe(self):
         return document.getElementById(iframe_id)
 
+    def set_margins(self, margin_side=None, margin_top=None, margin_bottom=None):
+        sd = get_session_data()
+        margin_side = sd.get('margin_side') if margin_side is None else margin_side
+        margin_top = sd.get('margin_top') if margin_top is None else margin_top
+        margin_bottom = sd.get('margin_bottom') if margin_bottom is None else margin_bottom
+        document.getElementById('book-left-margin').style.width = margin_side + 'px'
+        document.getElementById('book-right-margin').style.width = margin_side + 'px'
+        document.getElementById('book-top-margin').style.height = margin_top + 'px'
+        document.getElementById('book-bottom-margin').style.height = margin_bottom + 'px'
+
     def create_src_doc(self):
         iframe_script = self.ui.interface_data.main_js.replace(/is_running_in_iframe\s*=\s*false/, 'is_running_in_iframe = true')
         self.ui.interface_data.main_js = None
@@ -122,6 +140,7 @@ class View:
         if self.currently_showing.loading:
             return
         self.currently_showing = {'name':name, 'cfi':cfi, 'initial_scroll_fraction':initial_scroll_fraction, 'loading':True}
+        self.set_margins(0, 0, 0) if name is self.book.manifest.title_page_name else self.set_margins()
         load_resources(self.ui.db, self.book, name, self.loaded_resources, self.show_spine_item)
 
     def goto_doc_boundary(self, data):
diff --git a/src/pyj/session.pyj b/src/pyj/session.pyj
index 8ebd65fb31..68325d2080 100644
--- a/src/pyj/session.pyj
+++ b/src/pyj/session.pyj
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@ defaults = {
     'sort_tags_by': 'name', # other choices: popularity, rating
     'hide_empty_categories': 'no',
     'and_search_terms': False,  # how to add search terms to the search expression from the Tag Browser
+
+    # Book reader settings
+    'margin_side': 20,
+    'margin_top': 20,
+    'margin_bottom': 20,
 }
 
 def storage_available(which):