diff --git a/qt/python/mantidqt/widgets/codeeditor/interpreter.py b/qt/python/mantidqt/widgets/codeeditor/interpreter.py
index 847070ff1fc855650f62706de4a584dad2c7b54d..6d0c2efe8edf29c5ec68b9106ceb908fbbc89f00 100644
--- a/qt/python/mantidqt/widgets/codeeditor/interpreter.py
+++ b/qt/python/mantidqt/widgets/codeeditor/interpreter.py
@@ -33,8 +33,9 @@ from mantidqt.widgets.codeeditor.execution import PythonCodeExecution
 IDLE_STATUS_MSG = "Status: Idle"
 RUNNING_STATUS_MSG = "Status: Running"
 
-# Editor colors
+# Editor
 CURRENTLINE_BKGD_COLOR = QColor(247, 236, 248)
+TAB_WIDTH = 4
 
 
 class PythonFileInterpreter(QWidget):
@@ -71,6 +72,10 @@ class PythonFileInterpreter(QWidget):
     def _setup_editor(self, default_content):
         editor = self.editor
 
+        # use tabs not spaces for indentation
+        editor.setIndentationsUseTabs(False)
+        editor.setTabWidth(TAB_WIDTH)
+
         # show current editing line but in a softer color
         editor.setCaretLineBackgroundColor(CURRENTLINE_BKGD_COLOR)
         editor.setCaretLineVisible(True)
diff --git a/qt/python/mantidqt/widgets/src/_widgetscore.sip b/qt/python/mantidqt/widgets/src/_widgetscore.sip
index b50084aff3d661c067066170b13a659dbf1876bf..06ef1537e534e9007f95eba2593eeb61709de596 100644
--- a/qt/python/mantidqt/widgets/src/_widgetscore.sip
+++ b/qt/python/mantidqt/widgets/src/_widgetscore.sip
@@ -86,10 +86,12 @@ public:
 
   void setCaretLineBackgroundColor (const QColor & col);
   void setCaretLineVisible(bool enable);
+  void setIndentationsUseTabs(bool tabs);
   void setFileName(const QString &filename);
   void setMarginWidth(int margin, int width);
   void setReadOnly(bool ro);
   void setSelection(int lineFrom, int indexFrom, int lineTo, int indexTo);
+  void setTabWidth(int width);
   void setText(const QString &text);
 
 public slots: