diff --git a/src/cache.c b/src/cache.c
index 708c99e..c72b333 100644
--- a/src/cache.c
+++ b/src/cache.c
@@ -74,6 +74,35 @@ init_cache(void)
 	help_dict_user = irc_dictionary_create(strcasecmp);
 }
 
+/* 
+ * removes tabs from src, replaces with 8 spaces, and returns the length
+ * of the new string.  if the new string would be greater than destlen,
+ * it is truncated to destlen - 1
+ */
+static size_t
+untabify(char *dest, const char *src, size_t destlen)
+{
+	size_t x = 0, i;
+	const char *s = src;
+	char *d = dest;
+
+	while(*s != '\0' && x < destlen - 1)
+	{
+		if(*s == '\t')
+		{
+			for(i = 0; i < 8 && x < destlen - 1; i++, x++, d++)
+				*d = ' ';
+			s++;
+		} else 
+		{
+			*d++ = *s++;
+			x++;
+		}
+	}
+	*d = '\0';
+	return x;
+}
+
 /* cache_file()
  *
  * inputs	- file to cache, files "shortname", flags to set