diff --git a/app/src/processing/mode/java/PdeKeyListener.java b/app/src/processing/mode/java/PdeKeyListener.java
index e1acd5fad..c1ba6c30d 100644
--- a/app/src/processing/mode/java/PdeKeyListener.java
+++ b/app/src/processing/mode/java/PdeKeyListener.java
@@ -194,6 +194,9 @@ public class PdeKeyListener {
         textarea.setSelectedText(spaces(tabSize));
         event.consume();
         return true;
+      } else if (!Preferences.getBoolean("editor.tabs.expand")) {
+        textarea.setSelectedText("\t");
+        event.consume();
       }
       break;