diff -ur emacs23-23.1+1/src/dispextern.h emacs23-23.1+1+tty-italics/src/dispextern.h
--- emacs23-23.1+1/src/dispextern.h	2009-06-21 05:38:14.000000000 +0100
+++ emacs23-23.1+1+tty-italics/src/dispextern.h	2009-10-30 13:57:02.000000000 +0000
@@ -1553,6 +1553,7 @@
      color of the TTY.  */
   unsigned tty_bold_p : 1;
   unsigned tty_dim_p : 1;
+  unsigned tty_italic_p : 1;
   unsigned tty_underline_p : 1;
   unsigned tty_alt_charset_p : 1;
   unsigned tty_reverse_p : 1;
diff -ur emacs23-23.1+1/src/term.c emacs23-23.1+1+tty-italics/src/term.c
--- emacs23-23.1+1/src/term.c	2009-06-29 04:34:26.000000000 +0100
+++ emacs23-23.1+1+tty-italics/src/term.c	2009-10-30 14:04:27.000000000 +0000
@@ -1978,6 +1978,9 @@
     if (MAY_USE_WITH_COLORS_P (tty, NC_DIM))
       OUTPUT1_IF (tty, tty->TS_enter_dim_mode);
 
+  if (face->tty_italic_p) // italic always ok with colours, man 5 terminfo
+    OUTPUT1_IF (tty, tty->TS_enter_italic_mode);
+
   /* Alternate charset and blinking not yet used.  */
   if (face->tty_alt_charset_p
       && MAY_USE_WITH_COLORS_P (tty, NC_ALT_CHARSET))
@@ -2032,6 +2035,7 @@
 	 may not turn off alt-char-mode.  */
       if (face->tty_bold_p
 	  || face->tty_dim_p
+          || face->tty_italic_p
 	  || face->tty_reverse_p
 	  || face->tty_alt_charset_p
 	  || face->tty_blinking_p
@@ -2086,6 +2090,9 @@
   TTY_CAPABLE_P_TRY (tty, TTY_CAP_DIM, 		tty->TS_enter_dim_mode, 	NC_DIM);
   TTY_CAPABLE_P_TRY (tty, TTY_CAP_BLINK, 	tty->TS_enter_blink_mode, 	NC_BLINK);
   TTY_CAPABLE_P_TRY (tty, TTY_CAP_ALT_CHARSET, 	tty->TS_enter_alt_charset_mode, NC_ALT_CHARSET);
+  // italic does not collide with colours (man 5 terminfo)
+  if ( (caps & TTY_CAP_ITALIC) && !tty->TS_enter_italic_mode )
+    return 0;
 
   /* We can do it!  */
   return 1;
@@ -3654,6 +3661,7 @@
   tty->TS_exit_underline_mode = tgetstr ("ue", address);
   tty->TS_enter_bold_mode = tgetstr ("md", address);
   tty->TS_enter_dim_mode = tgetstr ("mh", address);
+  tty->TS_enter_italic_mode = tgetstr ("ZH", address);
   tty->TS_enter_blink_mode = tgetstr ("mb", address);
   tty->TS_enter_reverse_mode = tgetstr ("mr", address);
   tty->TS_enter_alt_charset_mode = tgetstr ("as", address);
diff -ur emacs23-23.1+1/src/termchar.h emacs23-23.1+1+tty-italics/src/termchar.h
--- emacs23-23.1+1/src/termchar.h	2009-06-21 05:38:18.000000000 +0100
+++ emacs23-23.1+1+tty-italics/src/termchar.h	2009-10-30 14:00:25.000000000 +0000
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@
                                    each as vpos and hpos) */
 
   char *TS_enter_bold_mode;     /* "md" -- turn on bold (extra bright mode).  */
+  char *TS_enter_italic_mode;   /* "ZH" -- turn on italic mode */
   char *TS_enter_dim_mode;      /* "mh" -- turn on half-bright mode.  */
   char *TS_enter_blink_mode;    /* "mb" -- enter blinking mode.  */
   char *TS_enter_reverse_mode;  /* "mr" -- enter reverse video mode.  */
diff -ur emacs23-23.1+1/src/xfaces.c emacs23-23.1+1+tty-italics/src/xfaces.c
--- emacs23-23.1+1/src/xfaces.c	2009-07-28 15:59:30.000000000 +0100
+++ emacs23-23.1+1+tty-italics/src/xfaces.c	2009-10-30 14:13:15.000000000 +0000
@@ -5168,8 +5168,7 @@
       || !UNSPECIFIEDP (attrs[LFACE_SWIDTH_INDEX])
       || !UNSPECIFIEDP (attrs[LFACE_OVERLINE_INDEX])
       || !UNSPECIFIEDP (attrs[LFACE_STRIKE_THROUGH_INDEX])
-      || !UNSPECIFIEDP (attrs[LFACE_BOX_INDEX])
-      || !UNSPECIFIEDP (attrs[LFACE_SLANT_INDEX]))
+      || !UNSPECIFIEDP (attrs[LFACE_BOX_INDEX]))
     return 0;
 
 
@@ -5220,6 +5219,15 @@
 	test_caps |= TTY_CAP_INVERSE;
     }
 
+  /* italic */
+  val = attrs[LFACE_SLANT_INDEX];
+  if( !UNSPECIFIEDP (val) )
+    {
+      if (face_attr_equal_p (val, def_attrs[LFACE_SLANT_INDEX]))
+        return 0;		/* same as default */
+      else
+        test_caps |= TTY_CAP_ITALIC;
+    }
 
   /* Color testing.  */
 
@@ -6155,8 +6163,10 @@
   slant = FONT_SLANT_NAME_NUMERIC (attrs[LFACE_SLANT_INDEX]);
   if (weight > 100)
     face->tty_bold_p = 1;
-  if (weight < 100 || slant != 100)
+  if (weight < 100)
     face->tty_dim_p = 1;
+  if(slant != 100)
+    face->tty_italic_p = 1;
   if (!NILP (attrs[LFACE_UNDERLINE_INDEX]))
     face->tty_underline_p = 1;
   if (!NILP (attrs[LFACE_INVERSE_INDEX]))