diff --git a/Lib/idlelib/config-main.def b/Lib/idlelib/config-main.def
index 28ae94161d5c03..f866bbc848e67d 100644
--- a/Lib/idlelib/config-main.def
+++ b/Lib/idlelib/config-main.def
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ font-size= 10
 font-bold= 0
 encoding= none
 line-numbers-default= 0
+strip-trailing-whitespace-on-save= 1
 
 [PyShell]
 auto-squeeze-min-lines= 50
diff --git a/Lib/idlelib/configdialog.py b/Lib/idlelib/configdialog.py
index aaf319bbe1befd..640c2f7e88a7e5 100644
--- a/Lib/idlelib/configdialog.py
+++ b/Lib/idlelib/configdialog.py
@@ -1848,6 +1848,9 @@ def create_page_general(self):
                 frame_context: Frame
                     context_title: Label
                     (*)context_int: Entry - context_lines
+                frame_strip_trailing_space_save: Frame
+                    strip_trailing_space_save_title: Label
+                    (*)strip_trailing_space_save_bool: Checkbutton - strip_trailing_space_save
             frame_shell: LabelFrame
                 frame_auto_squeeze_min_lines: Frame
                     auto_squeeze_min_lines_title: Label
@@ -1891,6 +1894,9 @@ def create_page_general(self):
                 ('main', 'EditorWindow', 'line-numbers-default'))
         self.context_lines = tracers.add(
                 StringVar(self), ('extensions', 'CodeContext', 'maxlines'))
+        self.strip_trailing_space_save = tracers.add(
+                BooleanVar(self),
+                ('main', 'EditorWindow', 'strip-trailing-whitespace-on-save'))
 
         # Create widgets:
         # Section frames.
@@ -1987,6 +1993,14 @@ def create_page_general(self):
                 validatecommand=self.digits_only, validate='key',
         )
 
+        frame_strip_trailing_space_save = Frame(frame_editor, borderwidth=0)
+        strip_trailing_space_save_title = Label(
+                frame_strip_trailing_space_save,
+                text='Strip Trailing Whitespace on Save')
+        self.strip_trailing_space_save_bool = Checkbutton(
+                frame_strip_trailing_space_save,
+                variable=self.strip_trailing_space_save, width=1)
+
         # Frame_shell.
         frame_auto_squeeze_min_lines = Frame(frame_shell, borderwidth=0)
         auto_squeeze_min_lines_title = Label(frame_auto_squeeze_min_lines,
@@ -2069,6 +2083,11 @@ def create_page_general(self):
         frame_context.pack(side=TOP, padx=5, pady=0, fill=X)
         context_title.pack(side=LEFT, anchor=W, padx=5, pady=5)
         self.context_int.pack(side=TOP, padx=5, pady=5)
+        # frame_strip_trailing_space_save.
+        frame_strip_trailing_space_save.pack(side=TOP, padx=5, pady=0, fill=X)
+        strip_trailing_space_save_title.pack(
+                side=LEFT, anchor=W,padx=5, pady=5)
+        self.strip_trailing_space_save_bool.pack(side=LEFT, padx=5, pady=5)
 
         # frame_auto_squeeze_min_lines
         frame_auto_squeeze_min_lines.pack(side=TOP, padx=5, pady=0, fill=X)
@@ -2113,6 +2132,9 @@ def load_general_cfg(self):
                 'main', 'EditorWindow', 'line-numbers-default', type='bool'))
         self.context_lines.set(idleConf.GetOption(
                 'extensions', 'CodeContext', 'maxlines', type='int'))
+        self.strip_trailing_space_save.set(
+                idleConf.GetOption('main', 'EditorWindow',
+                    'strip-trailing-whitespace-on-save', type='bool'))
 
         # Set variables for shell windows.
         self.auto_squeeze_min_lines.set(idleConf.GetOption(
diff --git a/Lib/idlelib/idle_test/test_configdialog.py b/Lib/idlelib/idle_test/test_configdialog.py
index 1f14ed1f264730..92891f81cd8279 100644
--- a/Lib/idlelib/idle_test/test_configdialog.py
+++ b/Lib/idlelib/idle_test/test_configdialog.py
@@ -1139,6 +1139,11 @@ def test_cursor_blink(self):
         self.page.cursor_blink_bool.invoke()
         self.assertEqual(mainpage, {'EditorWindow': {'cursor-blink': 'False'}})
 
+    def test_strip_trailing_space_on_save(self):
+        self.page.strip_trailing_space_save_bool.invoke()
+        name = 'strip-trailing-whitespace-on-save'
+        self.assertEqual(mainpage, {'EditorWindow': {name: 'False'}})
+
     def test_autocomplete_wait(self):
         self.page.auto_wait_int.delete(0, 'end')
         self.page.auto_wait_int.insert(0, '11')
diff --git a/Lib/idlelib/iomenu.py b/Lib/idlelib/iomenu.py
index 4b2833b8ca56f3..aefd48e7deed71 100644
--- a/Lib/idlelib/iomenu.py
+++ b/Lib/idlelib/iomenu.py
@@ -371,6 +371,11 @@ def save_a_copy(self, event):
         return "break"
 
     def writefile(self, filename):
+        strip = idleConf.GetOption(
+                'main', 'EditorWindow',
+                'strip-trailing-whitespace-on-save', type='bool')
+        if strip:
+            self.editwin.Rstrip(self.editwin).do_rstrip()
         text = self.fixnewlines()
         chars = self.encode(text)
         try:
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/IDLE/2019-11-16-23-54-30.bpo-33046.VMwGaW.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/IDLE/2019-11-16-23-54-30.bpo-33046.VMwGaW.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..8e84ab4f102142
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/IDLE/2019-11-16-23-54-30.bpo-33046.VMwGaW.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Add an option to IDLE to automatically strip trailing whitespace when saving
+a file.  The option is enabled by default.