diff --git a/openglcanvas.cpp b/openglcanvas.cpp
index a4544c158cad84f10009dc2ff4e7267a2ab219ca..361dd04c59d6c76548313c5d9bae2a3d1506b045 100644
--- a/openglcanvas.cpp
+++ b/openglcanvas.cpp
@@ -38,8 +38,6 @@ OpenGLCanvas::OpenGLCanvas(QWidget *parent) :
     time_timer.setInterval(0);
     connect(&time_timer, SIGNAL(timeout()), this, SLOT(slotTimer()));
     time_start = time_time.time();
-
-    fprintf(stderr,"scale=%f\nfov_max=%f\n",scale,fov_max);
 }
 
 void OpenGLCanvas::slotTimer(void) {
@@ -151,6 +149,7 @@ void OpenGLCanvas::read_config_file(){
     shader_dir[0]='\0';
     input_image_file=(char*)malloc(512*sizeof(char));
     input_image_file[0]='\0';
+    char *max_fov_str=(char*)malloc(64*sizeof(char));
     struct stat testbuf;
     if(stat(filepath,&testbuf)){
         fprintf(stderr,"~/.panorc does not exist\n");
@@ -180,6 +179,13 @@ void OpenGLCanvas::read_config_file(){
                 input_image_file[strlen(line)-12]='\0';
                 fprintf(stderr,"input_image_file=%s\n",input_image_file);
             }
+            // check for 'max_fov' option
+            if(!strncmp(line,"max_fov=",8)){
+                strcpy(max_fov_str,line+8);
+                max_fov_str[strlen(line)-9]='\0';
+                fov_max=atof(max_fov_str);
+                fprintf(stderr,"max_fov=%f\n",fov_max);
+            }
         }
         fclose(rcfile);
     }
diff --git a/openglcanvas.h b/openglcanvas.h
index ac854b0461b2b359ddaee4889403a9a231c43a56..f0e0617ed76fd4581dd834edaffbb51ab072c2ed 100644
--- a/openglcanvas.h
+++ b/openglcanvas.h
@@ -95,7 +95,6 @@ private:
     //float windowWidth;
     //float windowHeight;
 
-    // options set in the rc file
     char* shader_dir;
     char* input_image_file;