diff -up dstat-0.7.2/docs/dstat.1.bits dstat-0.7.2/docs/dstat.1
--- dstat-0.7.2/docs/dstat.1.bits	2010-06-15 00:26:19.000000000 +0200
+++ dstat-0.7.2/docs/dstat.1	2012-09-03 14:26:57.930801564 +0200
@@ -137,6 +137,9 @@ expand \-C, \-D, \-I, \-N and \-S discov
 \-v, \-\-vmstat
 equals \-pmgdsc \-D total
 .TP
+\-\-bits
+force bits for values expressed in bytes
+.TP
 \-\-float
 force float values on screen (mutual exclusive with
 \fB\-\-integer\fR)
diff -up dstat-0.7.2/dstat.bits dstat-0.7.2/dstat
--- dstat-0.7.2/dstat.bits	2010-06-11 08:08:01.000000000 +0200
+++ dstat-0.7.2/dstat	2012-09-03 14:23:42.056447576 +0200
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ pluginpath = [
 class Options:
     def __init__(self, args):
         self.args = args
+        self.bits = False
         self.blackonwhite = False
         self.count = -1
         self.cpulist = None
@@ -112,7 +113,7 @@ class Options:
 
         try:
             opts, args = getopt.getopt(args, 'acdfghilmno:prstTvyC:D:I:M:N:S:V',
-                ['all', 'all-plugins', 'bw', 'blackonwhite', 'debug',
+                ['all', 'all-plugins', 'bits', 'bw', 'blackonwhite', 'debug',
                  'filesystem', 'float', 'full', 'help', 'integer',
                  'list', 'mods', 'modules', 'nocolor', 'noheaders', 'noupdate',
                  'output=', 'pidfile=', 'profile', 'version', 'vmstat'] + allplugins)
@@ -175,6 +176,8 @@ class Options:
                 plugins = {}.fromkeys(allplugins).keys()
                 plugins.sort()
                 self.plugins += plugins
+            elif opt in ['--bits']:
+                self.bits = True
             elif opt in ['--bw', '--black-on-white']:
                 self.blackonwhite = True
             elif opt in ['--debug']:
@@ -301,6 +304,7 @@ Dstat options:
   -f, --full             automatically expand -C, -D, -I, -N and -S lists
   -v, --vmstat           equals -pmgdsc -D total
 
+  --bits                 force bits for values expressed in bytes
   --float                force float values on screen
   --integer              force integer values on screen
 
@@ -428,10 +432,10 @@ class dstat:
         ret = theme['title']
         if isinstance(self.name, types.StringType):
             width = self.statwidth()
-            return ret + self.name[0:width].center(width).replace(' ', '-') + theme['default']
+            return ret + self.name[0:width].center(width, char['space']).replace(' ', '-') + theme['default']
         for i, name in enumerate(self.name):
             width = self.colwidth()
-            ret = ret + name[0:width].center(width).replace(' ', '-')
+            ret = ret + name[0:width].center(width, char['space']).replace(' ', '-')
             if i + 1 != len(self.name):
                 if op.color:
                     ret = ret + theme['frame'] + char['dash'] + theme['title']
@@ -443,13 +447,13 @@ class dstat:
         ret = ''
         if isinstance(self.name, types.StringType):
             for i, nick in enumerate(self.nick):
-                ret = ret + theme['subtitle'] + nick[0:self.width].center(self.width) + theme['default']
+                ret = ret + theme['subtitle'] + nick[0:self.width].center(self.width, char['space']) + theme['default']
                 if i + 1 != len(self.nick): ret = ret + char['space']
             return ret
         else:
             for i, name in enumerate(self.name):
                 for j, nick in enumerate(self.nick):
-                    ret = ret + theme['subtitle'] + nick[0:self.width].center(self.width) + theme['default']
+                    ret = ret + theme['subtitle'] + nick[0:self.width].center(self.width, char['space']) + theme['default']
                     if j + 1 != len(self.nick): ret = ret + char['space']
                 if i + 1 != len(self.name): ret = ret + theme['frame'] + char['colon']
             return ret
@@ -679,7 +683,7 @@ class dstat_cpu24(dstat):
 class dstat_disk(dstat):
     def __init__(self):
         self.nick = ('read', 'writ')
-        self.type = 'd'
+        self.type = 'b'
         self.diskfilter = re.compile('^(dm-\d+|md\d+|[hsv]d[a-z]+\d+)$')
         self.open('/proc/diskstats')
         self.cols = 2
@@ -745,7 +749,7 @@ class dstat_disk(dstat):
 class dstat_disk24(dstat):
     def __init__(self):
         self.nick = ('read', 'writ')
-        self.type = 'd'
+        self.type = 'b'
         self.diskfilter = re.compile('(dm-\d+|md\d+|[hsv]d[a-z]+\d+)')
         self.open('/proc/partitions')
         if self.fd and not self.discover:
@@ -810,7 +814,7 @@ class dstat_disk24(dstat):
 class dstat_disk24old(dstat):
     def __init__(self):
         self.nick = ('read', 'writ')
-        self.type = 'd'
+        self.type = 'b'
         self.diskfilter = re.compile('(dm-\d+|md\d+|[hsv]d[a-z]+\d+)')
         self.regexp = re.compile('^\((\d+),(\d+)\):\(\d+,\d+,(\d+),\d+,(\d+)\)$')
         self.open('/proc/stat')
@@ -1188,7 +1192,7 @@ class dstat_mem(dstat):
 class dstat_net(dstat):
     def __init__(self):
         self.nick = ('recv', 'send')
-        self.type = 'd'
+        self.type = 'b'
         self.totalfilter = re.compile('^(lo|bond\d+|face|.+\.\d+)$')
         self.open('/proc/net/dev')
         self.cols = 2
@@ -1599,6 +1603,7 @@ char = {
     'space': ' ',
     'dash': '-',
     'plus': '+',
+    'underscore': '_',
 }
 
 def set_theme():
@@ -1863,7 +1868,7 @@ def cprintlist(varlist, type, width, sca
     ret = sep = ''
     for var in varlist:
         ret = ret + sep + cprint(var, type, width, scale)
-        sep = ' '
+        sep = char['space']
     return ret
 
 def cprint(var, type = 'f', width = 4, scale = 1000):
@@ -1882,14 +1887,18 @@ def cprint(var, type = 'f', width = 4, s
     ### If this is a negative value, return a dash
     if var < 0:
         if unit:
-            return theme['error'] + '-'.rjust(width) + ' ' + theme['default']
+            return theme['error'] + '-'.rjust(width, char['space']) + char['space'] + theme['default']
         else:
-            return theme['error'] + '-'.rjust(width) + theme['default']
+            return theme['error'] + '-'.rjust(width, char['space']) + theme['default']
 
-    if base == 1024:
-        units = ('B', 'k', 'M', 'G', 'T', 'P', 'E', 'Z', 'Y')
+    if base != 1024:
+        units = (char['space'], 'k', 'M', 'G', 'T', 'P', 'E', 'Z', 'Y')
+    elif op.bits and type in ('b', ):
+        units = ('b', 'k', 'M', 'G', 'T', 'P', 'E', 'Z', 'Y')
+        base = scale = 1000
+        var = var * 8.0
     else:
-        units = (' ', 'k', 'M', 'G', 'T', 'P', 'E', 'Z', 'Y')
+        units = ('B', 'k', 'M', 'G', 'T', 'P', 'E', 'Z', 'Y')
 
     if step == op.delay:
         colors = theme['colors_lo']
@@ -1901,11 +1910,11 @@ def cprint(var, type = 'f', width = 4, s
         cunit = theme['unit_hi']
 
     ### Convert value to string given base and field-length
-    if op.integer and type in ('d', 'p', 'f'):
+    if op.integer and type in ('b', 'd', 'p', 'f'):
         ret, c = dchg(var, width, base)
-    elif op.float and type in ('d', 'p', 'f'):
+    elif op.float and type in ('b', 'd', 'p', 'f'):
         ret, c = fchg(var, width, base)
-    elif type in ('d', 'p'):
+    elif type in ('b', 'd', 'p'):
         ret, c = dchg(var, width, base)
     elif type in ('f'):
         ret, c = fchg(var, width, base)
@@ -1925,23 +1934,23 @@ def cprint(var, type = 'f', width = 4, s
         color = colors[int(var/scale)%len(colors)]
     elif type in ('p'):
         color = colors[int(round(var)/scale)%len(colors)]
-    elif type in ('d', 'f'):
+    elif type in ('b', 'd', 'f'):
         color = colors[c%len(colors)]
     else:
         color = ctext
 
     ### Justify value to left if string
     if type in ('s',):
-        ret = color + ret.ljust(width)
+        ret = color + ret.ljust(width, char['space'])
     else:
-        ret = color + ret.rjust(width)
+        ret = color + ret.rjust(width, char['space'])
 
     ### Add unit to output
     if unit:
         if c != -1 and round(var) != 0:
             ret += cunit + units[c]
         else:
-            ret += ' '
+            ret += char['space']
 
     return ret