diff --git a/doc.go b/doc.go
index da7fe6ed..4bd3e84f 100644
--- a/doc.go
+++ b/doc.go
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ The following options can be used to customize the behavior of lf:
 	dirfirst         bool      (default true)
 	dironly          bool      (default false)
 	dirpreviews      bool      (default false)
-	drawbox          bool      (default false)
+	drawbox          string    (default "none")
 	dupfilefmt       string    (default '%f.~%n~')
 	errorfmt         string    (default "\033[7;31;47m")
 	filesep          string    (default "\n")
@@ -718,9 +718,9 @@ Show only directories.
 
 If enabled, directories will also be passed to the previewer script. This allows custom previews for directories.
 
-	drawbox        bool      (default false)
+	drawbox        string    (default "none")
 
-Draw boxes around panes with box drawing characters.
+Draw boxes around panes with box drawing characters. "outline" draws a box around all panes. "separators" draws vertical lines between all panes. "both" or "true" draws both outline and separators. "none" or "false" draws neither outline nor separators.
 
 	dupfilefmt        string      (default '%f.~%n~')
 
diff --git a/docstring.go b/docstring.go
index a16a31c1..376905b2 100644
--- a/docstring.go
+++ b/docstring.go
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ The following options can be used to customize the behavior of lf:
     dirfirst         bool      (default true)
     dironly          bool      (default false)
     dirpreviews      bool      (default false)
-    drawbox          bool      (default false)
+    drawbox          string    (default "none")
     dupfilefmt       string    (default '%f.~%n~')
     errorfmt         string    (default "\033[7;31;47m")
     filesep          string    (default "\n")
@@ -759,9 +759,12 @@ Show only directories.
 If enabled, directories will also be passed to the previewer script. This allows
 custom previews for directories.
 
-    drawbox        bool      (default false)
+    drawbox        string    (default "none")
 
-Draw boxes around panes with box drawing characters.
+Draw boxes around panes with box drawing characters. "outline" draws a box
+around all panes. "separators" draws vertical lines between all panes. "both"
+or "true" draws both outline and separators. "none" or "false" draws neither
+outline nor separators.
 
     dupfilefmt        string      (default '%f.~%n~')
 
diff --git a/eval.go b/eval.go
index ff04308e..ee13d2a6 100644
--- a/eval.go
+++ b/eval.go
@@ -192,12 +192,16 @@ func (e *setExpr) eval(app *app, args []string) {
 		}
 		gOpts.dirpreviews = !gOpts.dirpreviews
 	case "drawbox":
-		if e.val == "" || e.val == "true" {
-			gOpts.drawbox = true
-		} else if e.val == "false" {
-			gOpts.drawbox = false
+		if e.val == "" || e.val == "true" || e.val == "both" {
+			gOpts.drawbox = "both"
+		} else if e.val == "false" || e.val == "none" {
+			gOpts.drawbox = "none"
+		} else if e.val == "outline" {
+			gOpts.drawbox = "outline"
+		} else if e.val == "separators" {
+			gOpts.drawbox = "separators"
 		} else {
-			app.ui.echoerr("drawbox: value should be empty, 'true', or 'false'")
+			app.ui.echoerr("drawbox: value should be empty, 'true', 'false', 'both', 'none', 'outline', or 'separators'")
 			return
 		}
 		app.ui.renew()
@@ -211,7 +215,7 @@ func (e *setExpr) eval(app *app, args []string) {
 			app.ui.echoerrf("nodrawbox: unexpected value: %s", e.val)
 			return
 		}
-		gOpts.drawbox = false
+		gOpts.drawbox = "none"
 		app.ui.renew()
 		if app.nav.height != app.ui.wins[0].h {
 			app.nav.height = app.ui.wins[0].h
@@ -223,7 +227,11 @@ func (e *setExpr) eval(app *app, args []string) {
 			app.ui.echoerrf("drawbox!: unexpected value: %s", e.val)
 			return
 		}
-		gOpts.drawbox = !gOpts.drawbox
+		if gOpts.drawbox == "none" {
+			gOpts.drawbox = "both"
+		} else {
+			gOpts.drawbox = "none"
+		}
 		app.ui.renew()
 		if app.nav.height != app.ui.wins[0].h {
 			app.nav.height = app.ui.wins[0].h
diff --git a/lf.1 b/lf.1
index f7682fa0..57c36185 100644
--- a/lf.1
+++ b/lf.1
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ The following options can be used to customize the behavior of lf:
     dirfirst         bool      (default true)
     dironly          bool      (default false)
     dirpreviews      bool      (default false)
-    drawbox          bool      (default false)
+    drawbox          string    (default "none")
     dupfilefmt       string    (default '%f.~%n~')
     errorfmt         string    (default "\e033[7;31;47m")
     filesep          string    (default "\en")
@@ -874,10 +874,10 @@ Show only directories.
 If enabled, directories will also be passed to the previewer script. This allows custom previews for directories.
 .PP
 .EX
-    drawbox        bool      (default false)
+    drawbox        string    (default "none")
 .EE
 .PP
-Draw boxes around panes with box drawing characters.
+Draw boxes around panes with box drawing characters. "outline" draws a box around all panes. "separators" draws vertical lines between all panes. "both" or "true" draws both outline and separators. "none" or "false" draws neither outline nor separators.
 .PP
 .EX
     dupfilefmt        string      (default '%f.~%n~')
diff --git a/opts.go b/opts.go
index bbce7997..d58ed047 100644
--- a/opts.go
+++ b/opts.go
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ var gOpts struct {
 	dircounts        bool
 	dironly          bool
 	dirpreviews      bool
-	drawbox          bool
+	drawbox          string
 	dupfilefmt       string
 	globsearch       bool
 	icons            bool
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ func init() {
 	gOpts.dircounts = false
 	gOpts.dironly = false
 	gOpts.dirpreviews = false
-	gOpts.drawbox = false
+	gOpts.drawbox = "none"
 	gOpts.dupfilefmt = "%f.~%n~"
 	gOpts.borderfmt = "\033[0m"
 	gOpts.cursoractivefmt = "\033[7m"
diff --git a/ui.go b/ui.go
index 9a181201..f787e37a 100644
--- a/ui.go
+++ b/ui.go
@@ -445,8 +445,8 @@ func (win *win) printDir(screen tcell.Screen, dir *dir, context *dirContext, dir
 
 		// make space for select marker, and leave another space at the end
 		maxWidth := win.w - lnwidth - 2
-		// make extra space to separate windows if drawbox is not enabled
-		if !gOpts.drawbox {
+		// make extra space to separate windows if drawbox separators are not enabled
+		if gOpts.drawbox == "none" || gOpts.drawbox == "outline" {
 			maxWidth -= 1
 		}
 
@@ -522,7 +522,7 @@ func getWidths(wtot int) []int {
 	wlen := len(gOpts.ratios)
 	widths := make([]int, wlen)
 
-	if gOpts.drawbox {
+	if gOpts.drawbox == "both" || gOpts.drawbox == "separators" {
 		wtot -= (wlen + 1)
 	}
 
@@ -546,9 +546,14 @@ func getWins(screen tcell.Screen) []*win {
 	wacc := 0
 	wlen := len(widths)
 	for i := 0; i < wlen; i++ {
-		if gOpts.drawbox {
+		if gOpts.drawbox == "both" {
 			wacc++
 			wins = append(wins, newWin(widths[i], htot-4, wacc, 2))
+		} else if gOpts.drawbox == "separators" {
+			wacc++
+			wins = append(wins, newWin(widths[i], htot-2, wacc, 1))
+		} else if gOpts.drawbox == "outline" {
+			wins = append(wins, newWin(widths[i], htot-4, wacc, 2))
 		} else {
 			wins = append(wins, newWin(widths[i], htot-2, wacc, 1))
 		}
@@ -966,29 +971,39 @@ func (ui *ui) drawBox() {
 
 	w, h := ui.screen.Size()
 
-	for i := 1; i < w-1; i++ {
-		ui.screen.SetContent(i, 1, tcell.RuneHLine, nil, st)
-		ui.screen.SetContent(i, h-2, tcell.RuneHLine, nil, st)
-	}
+	if gOpts.drawbox == "both" || gOpts.drawbox == "outline" {
+		for i := 1; i < w-1; i++ {
+			ui.screen.SetContent(i, 1, tcell.RuneHLine, nil, st)
+			ui.screen.SetContent(i, h-2, tcell.RuneHLine, nil, st)
+		}
 
-	for i := 2; i < h-2; i++ {
-		ui.screen.SetContent(0, i, tcell.RuneVLine, nil, st)
-		ui.screen.SetContent(w-1, i, tcell.RuneVLine, nil, st)
-	}
+		for i := 2; i < h-2; i++ {
+			ui.screen.SetContent(0, i, tcell.RuneVLine, nil, st)
+			ui.screen.SetContent(w-1, i, tcell.RuneVLine, nil, st)
+		}
 
-	ui.screen.SetContent(0, 1, tcell.RuneULCorner, nil, st)
-	ui.screen.SetContent(w-1, 1, tcell.RuneURCorner, nil, st)
-	ui.screen.SetContent(0, h-2, tcell.RuneLLCorner, nil, st)
-	ui.screen.SetContent(w-1, h-2, tcell.RuneLRCorner, nil, st)
+		ui.screen.SetContent(0, 1, tcell.RuneULCorner, nil, st)
+		ui.screen.SetContent(w-1, 1, tcell.RuneURCorner, nil, st)
+		ui.screen.SetContent(0, h-2, tcell.RuneLLCorner, nil, st)
+		ui.screen.SetContent(w-1, h-2, tcell.RuneLRCorner, nil, st)
+	}
 
 	wacc := 0
-	for wind := 0; wind < len(ui.wins)-1; wind++ {
-		wacc += ui.wins[wind].w + 1
-		ui.screen.SetContent(wacc, 1, tcell.RuneTTee, nil, st)
-		for i := 2; i < h-2; i++ {
-			ui.screen.SetContent(wacc, i, tcell.RuneVLine, nil, st)
+	top := tcell.RuneTTee
+	bottom := tcell.RuneBTee
+	if gOpts.drawbox == "separators" {
+		top = tcell.RuneVLine
+		bottom = tcell.RuneVLine
+	}
+	if gOpts.drawbox == "both" || gOpts.drawbox == "separators" {
+		for wind := 0; wind < len(ui.wins)-1; wind++ {
+			wacc += ui.wins[wind].w + 1
+			ui.screen.SetContent(wacc, 1, top, nil, st)
+			for i := 2; i < h-2; i++ {
+				ui.screen.SetContent(wacc, i, tcell.RuneVLine, nil, st)
+			}
+			ui.screen.SetContent(wacc, h-2, bottom, nil, st)
 		}
-		ui.screen.SetContent(wacc, h-2, tcell.RuneBTee, nil, st)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1069,7 +1084,7 @@ func (ui *ui) draw(nav *nav) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if gOpts.drawbox {
+	if gOpts.drawbox != "none" {
 		ui.drawBox()
 	}
 
@@ -1081,7 +1096,7 @@ func (ui *ui) draw(nav *nav) {
 		ui.menuWin.h = len(lines) - 1
 		ui.menuWin.y = ui.wins[0].h - ui.menuWin.h
 
-		if gOpts.drawbox {
+		if gOpts.drawbox == "outline" || gOpts.drawbox == "both" {
 			ui.menuWin.y += 2
 		}