diff --git a/src/drawscreen.c b/src/drawscreen.c
index 0cddff3..694b9da 100644
--- a/src/drawscreen.c
+++ b/src/drawscreen.c
@@ -2552,11 +2552,11 @@
 	    wp->w_botline = lnum;
 
 	// Make sure the rest of the screen is blank
-	// put '~'s on rows that aren't part of the file.
+	// write the 'fill_eob' character to rows that aren't part of the file
 	if (WIN_IS_POPUP(wp))
 	    win_draw_end(wp, ' ', ' ', FALSE, row, wp->w_height, HLF_AT);
 	else
-	    win_draw_end(wp, '~', ' ', FALSE, row, wp->w_height, HLF_EOB);
+	    win_draw_end(wp, fill_eob, ' ', FALSE, row, wp->w_height, HLF_EOB);
     }
 
 #ifdef SYN_TIME_LIMIT
diff --git a/src/globals.h b/src/globals.h
index 4daa092..3ad4227 100644
--- a/src/globals.h
+++ b/src/globals.h
@@ -1363,6 +1363,7 @@
 EXTERN int	fill_vert INIT(= ' ');
 EXTERN int	fill_fold INIT(= '-');
 EXTERN int	fill_diff INIT(= '-');
+EXTERN int	fill_eob INIT(= '~');
 
 #ifdef FEAT_FOLDING
 EXTERN int	disable_fold_update INIT(= 0);
diff --git a/src/optiondefs.h b/src/optiondefs.h
index 9961bd4..3e76c8a 100644
--- a/src/optiondefs.h
+++ b/src/optiondefs.h
@@ -952,7 +952,7 @@
 			    SCTX_INIT},
     {"fillchars",   "fcs",  P_STRING|P_VI_DEF|P_RALL|P_ONECOMMA|P_NODUP,
 			    (char_u *)&p_fcs, PV_NONE,
-			    {(char_u *)"vert:|,fold:-", (char_u *)0L}
+			    {(char_u *)"vert:|,fold:-,eob:~", (char_u *)0L}
 			    SCTX_INIT},
     {"fixendofline",  "fixeol", P_BOOL|P_VI_DEF|P_RSTAT,
 			    (char_u *)&p_fixeol, PV_FIXEOL,
diff --git a/src/screen.c b/src/screen.c
index cd727ed..b3944a7 100644
--- a/src/screen.c
+++ b/src/screen.c
@@ -4765,6 +4765,7 @@
 	{&fill_vert,	"vert"},
 	{&fill_fold,	"fold"},
 	{&fill_diff,	"diff"},
+	{&fill_eob,	"eob"},
     };
     static struct charstab lcstab[] =
     {
@@ -4812,7 +4813,10 @@
 		lcs_tab3 = NUL;
 	    }
 	    else
+	    {
 		fill_diff = '-';
+		fill_eob = '~';
+	    }
 	}
 	p = *varp;
 	while (*p)
diff --git a/src/testdir/test_display.vim b/src/testdir/test_display.vim
index bfcb485..5bf9e5e 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test_display.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/test_display.vim
@@ -257,4 +257,26 @@
   call StopVimInTerminal(buf)
 endfunc
 
+" Test for 'eob' (EndOfBuffer) item in 'fillchars'
+func Test_eob_fillchars()
+  " default value
+  call assert_match('eob:\~', &fillchars)
+  " invalid values
+  call assert_fails(':set fillchars=eob:', 'E474:')
+  call assert_fails(':set fillchars=eob:xy', 'E474:')
+  call assert_fails(':set fillchars=eob:\255', 'E474:')
+  call assert_fails(':set fillchars=eob:<ff>', 'E474:')
+  " default is ~
+  new
+  call assert_equal('~', Screenline(2))
+  set fillchars=eob:+
+  redraw!
+  call assert_equal('+', Screenline(2))
+  set fillchars=eob:\ 
+  redraw!
+  call assert_equal(' ', nr2char(screenchar(2, 1)))
+  set fillchars&
+  close
+endfunc
+
 " vim: shiftwidth=2 sts=2 expandtab
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index eeddd86..71b180f 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -751,6 +751,8 @@
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
 /**/
+    2508,
+/**/
     2507,
 /**/
     2506,