--- a/src/builtins.cc
+++ b/src/builtins.cc
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // builtins.cc                                           -*- C++ -*-
 /*
 
-Copyright (C) 1992, 1993 John W. Eaton
+Copyright (C) 1992, 1993, 1994 John W. Eaton
 
 This file is part of Octave.
 
@@ -721,6 +721,9 @@
     "if a function does not return any values explicitly, return the\n\
 last computed value", },
 
+  { "save_precision", "??", set_save_precision,
+    "number of significant figures kept by the ASCII save command", },
+
   { "silent_functions", "false", silent_functions,
     "suppress printing results in called functions", },
 
@@ -845,6 +848,9 @@
   tmp =  new tree_constant (4.0 * atan (1.0));
   bind_builtin_variable ("pi", tmp, 1, 1);
 
+  tmp =  new tree_constant (17.0);
+  bind_builtin_variable ("save_precision", tmp, 0, 1);
+
   tmp =  new tree_constant (0.0);
   bind_builtin_variable ("stdin", tmp, 1, 1);
 

--- a/src/user-prefs.cc
+++ b/src/user-prefs.cc
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // user-prefs.cc                                              -*- C++ -*-
 /*
 
-Copyright (C) 1992, 1993 John W. Eaton
+Copyright (C) 1992, 1993, 1994 John W. Eaton
 
 This file is part of Octave.
 
@@ -401,6 +401,35 @@
 }
 
 int
+set_save_precision (void)
+{
+  int status = 0;
+
+  static int kludge = 0;
+
+  double val;
+  if (builtin_real_scalar_variable ("save_precision", val) == 0)
+    {
+      int ival = NINT (val);
+      if (ival >= 0 && (double) ival == val)
+	{
+	  user_pref.save_precision = ival;
+	  return status;
+	}
+    }
+
+  if (kludge == 0)
+    kludge++;
+  else
+    {
+      warning ("invalid value specified for save_precision");
+      status = -1;
+    }
+
+  return status;
+}
+
+int
 sv_loadpath (void)
 {
   int status = 0;

--- a/src/user-prefs.h
+++ b/src/user-prefs.h
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // user-prefs.h                                              -*- C++ -*-
 /*
 
-Copyright (C) 1992, 1993 John W. Eaton
+Copyright (C) 1992, 1993, 1994 John W. Eaton
 
 This file is part of Octave.
 
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
   int page_screen_output;
   int output_max_field_width;
   int output_precision;
+  int save_precision;
 
   char *loadpath;
   char *info_file;
@@ -82,6 +83,7 @@
 
 extern int set_output_max_field_width (void);
 extern int set_output_precision (void);
+extern int set_save_precision (void);
 
 extern int sv_loadpath (void);
 extern int sv_info_file (void);