diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/smart/__init__.py b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/smart/__init__.py
index 3ef356517a..828998d119 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/smart/__init__.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/smart/__init__.py
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ __copyright__ = '2014, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>'
 
 class NullSmarts(object):
 
+    override_tab_stop_width = None
+
     def __init__(self, editor):
         pass
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/smart/python.py b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/smart/python.py
index f785484644..5e285960e8 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/smart/python.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/smart/python.py
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ def get_leading_whitespace_on_line(editor, previous=False):
 
 class Smarts(NullSmarts):
 
+    override_tab_stop_width = 4
+
     def handle_key_press(self, ev, editor):
         key = ev.key()
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/text.py b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/text.py
index e5d2517cb9..a8b8040e19 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/text.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/text.py
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ class TextEdit(PlainTextEdit):
         self.apply_theme(theme)
         w = self.fontMetrics()
         self.space_width = w.width(' ')
-        tw = 4 if self.syntax == 'python' else prefs['editor_tab_stop_width']
+        tw = self.smarts.override_tab_stop_width if self.smarts.override_tab_stop_width is not None else prefs['editor_tab_stop_width']
         self.setTabStopWidth(tw * self.space_width)
         if dictionaries_changed:
             self.highlighter.rehighlight()
@@ -220,12 +220,12 @@ class TextEdit(PlainTextEdit):
         sclass = get_smarts(syntax)
         if sclass is not None:
             self.smarts = sclass(self)
+            if self.smarts.override_tab_stop_width is not None:
+                self.setTabStopWidth(self.smarts.override_tab_stop_width * self.space_width)
         self.setPlainText(unicodedata.normalize('NFC', unicode(text)))
         if process_template and QPlainTextEdit.find(self, '%CURSOR%'):
             c = self.textCursor()
             c.insertText('')
-        if syntax == 'python':
-            self.setTabStopWidth(4 * self.space_width)
 
     def change_document_name(self, newname):
         self.highlighter.doc_name = newname