diff --git a/autoload/tagbar.vim b/autoload/tagbar.vim
index 68d8f94e..e83dfc75 100644
--- a/autoload/tagbar.vim
+++ b/autoload/tagbar.vim
@@ -879,24 +879,15 @@ function! s:OpenWindow(flags) abort
     endif
 
     let s:window_opening = 1
-    if g:tagbar_position =~# '\v(bottom|right)'
-        let openpos = 'rightbelow '
-    else
-        let openpos = 'leftabove '
-    endif
-    if g:tagbar_position =~# '\v(left|right)'
+    if g:tagbar_position =~# 'vertical'
+        let size = g:tagbar_width
         let mode = 'vertical '
-        let width = g:tagbar_width
     else
+        let size = g:tagbar_height
         let mode = ''
-        if g:tagbar_height > 0
-            let width = g:tagbar_height
-        else
-            let width = g:tagbar_vertical
-        endif
     endif
-    exe 'silent keepalt ' . openpos . mode . width . 'split ' . s:TagbarBufName()
-    exe 'silent ' . mode . 'resize ' . width
+    exe 'silent keepalt ' . g:tagbar_position . size . 'split ' . s:TagbarBufName()
+    exe 'silent ' . mode . 'resize ' . size
     unlet s:window_opening
 
     call s:InitWindow(autoclose)
@@ -2294,7 +2285,7 @@ function! s:ShowInPreviewWin() abort
     " We want the preview window to be relative to the file window in normal
     " (horizontal) mode, and relative to the Tagbar window in vertical mode,
     " to make the best use of space.
-    if g:tagbar_position !~# '\v(top|bottom)'
+    if g:tagbar_position =~# 'vertical'
         call s:GotoFileWindow(taginfo.fileinfo, 1)
         call s:mark_window()
     endif
@@ -2305,7 +2296,7 @@ function! s:ShowInPreviewWin() abort
         silent execute
             \ g:tagbar_previewwin_pos . ' pedit ' .
             \ fnameescape(taginfo.fileinfo.fpath)
-        if g:tagbar_position =~# '\v(top|bottom)'
+        if g:tagbar_position !~# 'vertical'
             silent execute 'vertical resize ' . g:tagbar_width
         endif
         " Remember that the preview window was opened by Tagbar so we can
@@ -2313,7 +2304,7 @@ function! s:ShowInPreviewWin() abort
         let s:pwin_by_tagbar = 1
     endif
 
-    if g:tagbar_position =~# '\v(top|bottom)'
+    if g:tagbar_position !~# 'vertical'
         call s:GotoFileWindow(taginfo.fileinfo, 1)
         call s:mark_window()
     endif
diff --git a/doc/tagbar.txt b/doc/tagbar.txt
index 3695ed3e..04383aeb 100644
--- a/doc/tagbar.txt
+++ b/doc/tagbar.txt
@@ -446,24 +446,26 @@ configuration files.
 
                                                            *g:tagbar_position*
 g:tagbar_position~
-Default: 'right'
+Default: 'botright vertical'
 
-By default the Tagbar window will be opened on the right-hand side of vim. Set
-this option to one of 'left', 'right', 'bottom', or 'top' to open in the
-corresponding position instead. This can be useful when activating Tagbar at
-the same time as another plugin which creates a new window. It allows for more
-granular control of the Tagbar position in relation to the current active
-window.
+By default the Tagbar window will be opened on the right-hand side of vim in a
+vertical split. Set this option to one of the standart vim split options such
+as 'topleft', 'botright', 'leftabove', or 'rightbelow' to open in the
+corresponding position instead. If desiring a vertically split window, then
+include a ' vertical' in the field value as well. This can be useful when
+activating Tagbar at the same time as another plugin which creates a new
+window. It allows for more granular control of the Tagbar position in
+relation to the current active window.
 
-If set to 'top' of 'bottom', |g:tagbar_height| will be used to determine the
-window height for the tagbar window.
+If using a vertical split, |g:tagbar_width| will be used to determine the
+window width for the tagbar window. Else |g:tagbar_height| will be used to
+determine the window height for the tagbar window.
 
-if set to 'left' or 'right', |g:tagbar_width| will be used to determine the
-window width for the tagbar window.
+See |split| for more details on window positioning.
 
 Example:
 >
-        let g:tagbar_position = 'left'
+        let g:tagbar_position = 'leftabove'
 <
                                                                *g:tagbar_left*
 g:tagbar_left~
@@ -505,20 +507,20 @@ Example:
 g:tagbar_height~
 Default: 0
 
-If |g:tagbar_position| is set to 'bottom' or 'top', then this value is used to
-determine the height of the Tagbar window.
-See |g:tagbar_left| for configuring the position of the window.
+If |g:tagbar_position| does not include a 'vertical' option, then this
+value is used to determine the height of the Tagbar window.
 
 Example:
 >
         let g:tagbar_height = 30
 <
+
                                                               *g:tagbar_width*
 g:tagbar_width~
 Default: 40
 
-If |g:tagbar_position| is set to 'left' or 'right', then this value is used to
-determine the width of the Tagbar window in characters.
+If |g:tagbar_position| does include a 'vertical' options, then this value is
+used to determine the width of the Tagbar window in characters.
 
 Example:
 >
diff --git a/plugin/tagbar.vim b/plugin/tagbar.vim
index 596f74df..dc7f4741 100644
--- a/plugin/tagbar.vim
+++ b/plugin/tagbar.vim
@@ -50,27 +50,37 @@ endfunction
 
 function! s:setup_options() abort
     if exists('g:tagbar_position')
-        if g:tagbar_position !~# '\v(top|bottom)'
-            let previewwin_pos = 'topleft'
-        else
+        " Map older deprecated values to correct values
+        if g:tagbar_position ==# 'top'
+            let g:tagbar_position = 'leftabove'
+        elseif g:tagbar_position ==# 'bottom'
+            let g:tagbar_position = 'rightbelow'
+        elseif g:tagbar_position ==# 'left'
+            let g:tagbar_position = 'topleft vertical'
+        elseif g:tagbar_position ==# 'right'
+            let g:tagbar_position = 'botright vertical'
+        endif
+        if g:tagbar_position !~# 'vertical'
             let previewwin_pos = 'rightbelow vertical'
+        else
+            let previewwin_pos = 'topleft'
         endif
         let default_pos = g:tagbar_position
     else
         if exists('g:tagbar_vertical') && g:tagbar_vertical > 0
             let previewwin_pos = 'rightbelow vertical'
             if exists('g:tagbar_left') && g:tagbar_left
-                let default_pos = 'top'
+                let default_pos = 'leftabove'
             else
-                let default_pos = 'bottom'
+                let default_pos = 'rightbelow'
             endif
             let g:tagbar_height = g:tagbar_vertical
         elseif exists('g:tagbar_left') && g:tagbar_left
             let previewwin_pos = 'topleft'
-            let default_pos = 'left'
+            let default_pos = 'topleft vertical'
         else
             let previewwin_pos = 'topleft'
-            let default_pos = 'right'
+            let default_pos = 'botright vertical'
         endif
     endif
     let options = [
@@ -86,6 +96,7 @@ function! s:setup_options() abort
         \ ['height', 10],
         \ ['indent', 2],
         \ ['left', 0],
+        \ ['position', default_pos],
         \ ['previewwin_pos', previewwin_pos],
         \ ['show_balloon', 1],
         \ ['show_visibility', 1],
@@ -94,7 +105,6 @@ function! s:setup_options() abort
         \ ['sort', 1],
         \ ['systemenc', &encoding],
         \ ['vertical', 0],
-        \ ['position', default_pos],
         \ ['width', 40],
         \ ['zoomwidth', 1],
         \ ['silent', 0],