Index: org/gjt/sp/jedit/textarea/TextArea.java
===================================================================
--- org/gjt/sp/jedit/textarea/TextArea.java	(revision 11614)
+++ org/gjt/sp/jedit/textarea/TextArea.java	(working copy)
@@ -5775,6 +5775,41 @@
 	{
 		this.maxLineLen = maxLineLen;
 
+		/**
+			Makes soft word-wrap mode behave like the CSS "max-width" property:
+
+			1. When the window width is less than the maximum, the wrapping
+			   behaves like wrap-margin is 0 (fits to the window).
+
+			2. When the window width is greater than the maximum, the wrapping behaves
+			   like fixed wrap-margin (wrapping restricted to the maximum width).
+
+			@see discussion of this feature at:
+			     http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/forum.php?thread_id=31224167&forum_id=5663
+		*/
+		if(softWrap)
+		{
+			// determine width of maximum rendered line
+			char[] foo = new char[maxLineLen];
+			for(int i = 0; i < foo.length; i++)
+			{
+				foo[i] = ' ';
+			}
+
+			int maxRenderedLineLen = (int)painter.getFont().getStringBounds(
+				foo,0,foo.length,
+				painter.getFontRenderContext())
+				.getWidth();
+
+
+			if(painter.getWidth() < maxRenderedLineLen)
+			{
+				wrapToWidth = true;
+				wrapMargin = painter.getWidth() - charWidth * 3;
+				return;
+			}
+		}
+
 		if(maxLineLen <= 0)
 		{
 			if(softWrap)