diff --git a/doc/Guidebook.mn b/doc/Guidebook.mn
index 2ed8cfc1d..57a7cd3a8 100644
--- a/doc/Guidebook.mn
+++ b/doc/Guidebook.mn
@@ -4568,6 +4568,9 @@ Control what parts of the score list you are shown at the end (for example
 Only the first letter of each category (\(oqt\(cq, \(oqa\(cq, or \(oqo\(cq)
 is necessary.
 Persistent.
+.lp showdamage
+Whenever your character takes damage, show a message of the damage taken,
+and the amount of hit points left.
 .lp "showexp "
 Show your accumulated experience points on bottom line (default off).
 Persistent.
@@ -5990,6 +5993,8 @@ of moving 8 units at a time.
 Prevent updates to the status lines at the bottom of the screen, if
 your screen-reader reads those lines. The same information can be
 seen via the \(lq#attributes\(rq command.
+.lp showdamage
+Give a message of damage taken and how many hit points are left.
 .hn 2
 Global Configuration for System Administrators
 .pg
diff --git a/doc/Guidebook.tex b/doc/Guidebook.tex
index 9f8f610ff..9729006d6 100644
--- a/doc/Guidebook.tex
+++ b/doc/Guidebook.tex
@@ -4999,6 +4999,10 @@ Control what parts of the score list you are shown at the end (for example,
 letter of each category (`{\tt t}', `{\tt a}' or `{\tt o}') is necessary.
 Persistent.
 %.lp
+\item[\ib{showdamage}]
+Whenever your character takes damage, show a message of the damage taken,
+and the amount of hit points left.
+%.lp
 \item[\ib{showexp}]
 Show your accumulated experience points on bottom line (default off).
 Persistent.
@@ -6609,6 +6613,9 @@ of moving 8 units at a time.
 Prevent updates to the status lines at the bottom of the screen, if
 your screen-reader reads those lines. The same information can be
 seen via the {\tt \#attributes} command.
+%.lp
+\item[\ib{showdamage}]
+Give a message of damage taken and how many hit points are left.
 \elist
 
 %.hn2
diff --git a/doc/fixes3-7-0.txt b/doc/fixes3-7-0.txt
index 7b9a8732f..063a0fae0 100644
--- a/doc/fixes3-7-0.txt
+++ b/doc/fixes3-7-0.txt
@@ -2493,7 +2493,7 @@ erinyes overhaul; they now attempt to punish heroes who have violated their
 	alignment and get stronger with greater alignment abuse
 accessibility options to tell where on map a message happened (accessiblemsg),
 	to notify when a monster is spotted (spot_monsters), and when
-	a monster moved (mon_movement)
+	a monster moved (mon_movement), when hero takes damage (showdamage)
 if hero is punished or tethered to a buried iron ball and has no inventory (or
 	only carries gold or embedded dragon scales or both), a nymph might
 	remove the chain when finding nothing else to steal
diff --git a/include/extern.h b/include/extern.h
index ac5ec9dd2..a59fc9f0f 100644
--- a/include/extern.h
+++ b/include/extern.h
@@ -1109,6 +1109,7 @@ extern void end_running(boolean);
 extern void nomul(int);
 extern void unmul(const char *);
 extern int saving_grace(int);
+extern void showdamage(int);
 extern void losehp(int, const char *, schar) ;
 extern int weight_cap(void);
 extern int inv_weight(void);
diff --git a/include/flag.h b/include/flag.h
index 2a0dba48d..e71e8c6da 100644
--- a/include/flag.h
+++ b/include/flag.h
@@ -213,6 +213,7 @@ struct accessibility_data {
  * and probably warrant a structure of their own elsewhere some day.
  */
 struct instance_flags {
+    boolean showdamage;
     boolean debug_fuzzer;  /* fuzz testing */
     boolean defer_plname;  /* X11 hack: askname() might not set gp.plname */
     boolean herecmd_menu;  /* use menu when mouseclick on yourself */
diff --git a/include/optlist.h b/include/optlist.h
index ca47ea81b..6b3a5c425 100644
--- a/include/optlist.h
+++ b/include/optlist.h
@@ -620,6 +620,9 @@ static int optfn_##a(int, int, boolean, char *, char *);
     NHOPTB(selectsaved, Advanced, 0, opt_out, set_in_config,
            On, Yes, No, No, NoAlias, &iflags.wc2_selectsaved, Term_False,
            (char *)0)
+    NHOPTB(showdamage, Status, 0, opt_in, set_in_game,
+           Off, Yes, No, No, NoAlias, &iflags.showdamage, Term_False,
+           "show damage hero takes in message line")
     NHOPTB(showexp, Status, 0, opt_in, set_in_game,
            Off, Yes, No, No, NoAlias, &flags.showexp, Term_False,
            "show experience points in status line")
diff --git a/src/hack.c b/src/hack.c
index 5251b202a..2a3661cd9 100644
--- a/src/hack.c
+++ b/src/hack.c
@@ -3965,6 +3965,16 @@ saving_grace(int dmg)
     return dmg;
 }
 
+/* show a message how much damage you received */
+void
+showdamage(int dmg)
+{
+    if (!iflags.showdamage)
+        return;
+
+    pline("[HP %i, %i left]", -dmg, Upolyd ? u.mh : u.uhp);
+}
+
 void
 losehp(int n, const char *knam, schar k_format)
 {
@@ -3979,6 +3989,7 @@ losehp(int n, const char *knam, schar k_format)
     end_running(TRUE);
     if (Upolyd) {
         u.mh -= n;
+        showdamage(n);
         if (u.mhmax < u.mh)
             u.mhmax = u.mh;
         if (u.mh < 1)
@@ -3990,6 +4001,7 @@ losehp(int n, const char *knam, schar k_format)
 
     n = saving_grace(n);
     u.uhp -= n;
+    showdamage(n);
     if (u.uhp > u.uhpmax)
         u.uhpmax = u.uhp; /* perhaps n was negative */
     if (u.uhp < 1) {
diff --git a/src/mhitu.c b/src/mhitu.c
index 5e83af60c..25c3e5fd4 100644
--- a/src/mhitu.c
+++ b/src/mhitu.c
@@ -1810,11 +1810,13 @@ mdamageu(struct monst *mtmp, int n)
     disp.botl = TRUE;
     if (Upolyd) {
         u.mh -= n;
+        showdamage(n);
         if (u.mh < 1)
             rehumanize();
     } else {
         n = saving_grace(n);
         u.uhp -= n;
+        showdamage(n);
         if (u.uhp < 1)
             done_in_by(mtmp, DIED);
     }