diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index b2e3c2bf8..84a97de50 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # CHANGES IN bookdown VERSION 0.42
 
+- New option in `gitbook`'s font settings menu to control line spacing (thanks, @hayden-MB, #1479).
 
 # CHANGES IN bookdown VERSION 0.41
 
diff --git a/inst/resources/gitbook/js/plugin-fontsettings.js b/inst/resources/gitbook/js/plugin-fontsettings.js
index a70f0fb37..e743148f8 100644
--- a/inst/resources/gitbook/js/plugin-fontsettings.js
+++ b/inst/resources/gitbook/js/plugin-fontsettings.js
@@ -60,6 +60,13 @@ gitbook.require(["gitbook", "lodash", "jQuery"], function(gitbook, _, $) {
         saveFontSettings();
     };
 
+    // Increase or decrease line spacing
+    function changeSpacing(e, inc = true) {
+        e.preventDefault();
+        inc ? fontState.spacing++ : (fontState.spacing > 10 && fontState.spacing--);
+        saveFontSettings();
+    }
+
     function update() {
         var $book = gitbook.state.$book;
 
@@ -74,6 +81,9 @@ gitbook.require(["gitbook", "lodash", "jQuery"], function(gitbook, _, $) {
             $book[0].className = $book[0].className.replace(/\bcolor-theme-\S+/g, '');
             $book.addClass("color-theme-"+fontState.theme);
         }
+        var lineHeight = fontState.spacing / 10;
+        $book.find('section').css('line-height', lineHeight);
+        $('.font-settings .spacing-reduce').prop('disabled', lineHeight <= 1);
     };
 
     function init(config) {
@@ -87,7 +97,8 @@ gitbook.require(["gitbook", "lodash", "jQuery"], function(gitbook, _, $) {
         fontState = gitbook.storage.get("fontState", {
             size: config.size || 2,
             family: FAMILY[config.family || "sans"],
-            theme: THEMES[config.theme || "white"]
+            theme: THEMES[config.theme || "white"],
+            spacing: config.spacing || 17,
         });
 
         update();
@@ -139,6 +150,18 @@ gitbook.require(["gitbook", "lodash", "jQuery"], function(gitbook, _, $) {
                         text: 'Night',
                         onClick: _.partial(changeColorTheme, 2)
                     }
+                
+                ],
+                [
+                    {
+                    className: 'spacing-reduce',
+                    text: 'Spacing -',
+                    onClick: e => changeSpacing(e, false)
+                    },
+                    {
+                    text: 'Spacing +',
+                    onClick: changeSpacing
+                    }
                 ]
             ]
         });