diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 8da9c258..19e2a2ca 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -314,10 +314,17 @@ parse_section_main(const char *key, const char *value, struct config *conf,
             conf->scrollback.indicator.format
                 = SCROLLBACK_INDICATOR_FORMAT_LINENO;
         } else {
-            LOG_ERR("%s:%d: 'scrollback-indicator-format must be one "
-                    "of 'percent' or 'line'",
-                    path, lineno);
-            return false;
+            free(conf->scrollback.indicator.text);
+            conf->scrollback.indicator.text = NULL;
+
+            size_t len = mbstowcs(NULL, value, -1);
+            if (len < 0) {
+                LOG_ERRNO("%s:%d: invalid scrollback-indicator-format value", path, lineno);
+                return false;
+            }
+
+            conf->scrollback.indicator.text = calloc(len + 1, sizeof(wchar_t));
+            mbstowcs(conf->scrollback.indicator.text, value, len);
         }
     }
 
@@ -967,7 +974,8 @@ config_load(struct config *conf, const char *conf_path)
             .lines = 1000,
             .indicator = {
                 .position = SCROLLBACK_INDICATOR_POSITION_RELATIVE,
-                .format = SCROLLBACK_INDICATOR_FORMAT_PERCENTAGE,
+                .format = SCROLLBACK_INDICATOR_FORMAT_TEXT,
+                .text = wcsdup(L""),
             },
         },
         .colors = {
@@ -1119,6 +1127,7 @@ config_free(struct config conf)
     free(conf.shell);
     free(conf.title);
     free(conf.app_id);
+    free(conf.scrollback.indicator.text);
     tll_foreach(conf.fonts, it)
         config_font_destroy(&it->item);
     tll_free(conf.fonts);
diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index eee01e65..9de282a0 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -51,8 +51,11 @@ struct config {
 
             enum {
                 SCROLLBACK_INDICATOR_FORMAT_PERCENTAGE,
-                SCROLLBACK_INDICATOR_FORMAT_LINENO
+                SCROLLBACK_INDICATOR_FORMAT_LINENO,
+                SCROLLBACK_INDICATOR_FORMAT_TEXT,
             } format;
+
+            wchar_t *text;
         } indicator;
     } scrollback;
 
diff --git a/doc/footrc.5.scd b/doc/footrc.5.scd
index f23d7a36..6bba164f 100644
--- a/doc/footrc.5.scd
+++ b/doc/footrc.5.scd
@@ -78,8 +78,9 @@ in this order:
 
 *scrollback-indicator-format*
 	Which format to use when displaying the scrollback position
-	indicator. Either _percentage_ or _line_. This option is ignored
-	if *scrollback-indicator-position=none*. Default: _percentage_.
+	indicator. Either _percentage_, _line_, or a custom fixed
+	string. This option is ignored if
+	*scrollback-indicator-position=none*. Default: _empty string_.
 
 *workers*
 	Number of threads to use for rendering. Set to 0 to disable
diff --git a/footrc b/footrc
index 900ce149..30eeee39 100644
--- a/footrc
+++ b/footrc
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # font=monospace
 # scrollback=1000
 # scrollback-indicator-position=relative
-# scrollback-indicator-format=percentage
+# scrollback-indicator-format=
 # geometry=700x500
 # pad=2x2
 # initial-window-mode=windowed
diff --git a/render.c b/render.c
index 195839fb..92b546ed 100644
--- a/render.c
+++ b/render.c
@@ -1358,20 +1358,26 @@ render_scrollback_position(struct terminal *term)
         ? 1.0
         : (double)rebased_view / term->grid->num_rows;
 
-    wchar_t text[64];
+    wchar_t _text[64];
+    const wchar_t *text = _text;
     int cell_count;
 
     /* *What* to render */
     switch (term->conf->scrollback.indicator.format) {
     case SCROLLBACK_INDICATOR_FORMAT_PERCENTAGE:
-        swprintf(text, sizeof(text) / sizeof(text[0]), L"%u%%", (int)(100 * percent));
+        swprintf(_text, sizeof(_text) / sizeof(_text[0]), L"%u%%", (int)(100 * percent));
         cell_count = 3;
         break;
 
     case SCROLLBACK_INDICATOR_FORMAT_LINENO:
-        swprintf(text, sizeof(text) / sizeof(text[0]), L"%d", rebased_view + 1);
+        swprintf(_text, sizeof(_text) / sizeof(_text[0]), L"%d", rebased_view + 1);
         cell_count = 1 + (int)log10(term->grid->num_rows);
         break;
+
+    case SCROLLBACK_INDICATOR_FORMAT_TEXT:
+        text = term->conf->scrollback.indicator.text;
+        cell_count = wcslen(text);
+        break;
     }
 
     const int scale = term->scale;