diff --git a/notmuch-client.h b/notmuch-client.h
index d36b9ec1..bd75211e 100644
--- a/notmuch-client.h
+++ b/notmuch-client.h
@@ -183,6 +183,14 @@ notmuch_config_set_user_other_email (notmuch_config_t *config,
 				     const char *other_email[],
 				     size_t length);
 
+char **
+notmuch_config_get_new_tags (notmuch_config_t *config,
+			     size_t *length);
+void
+notmuch_config_set_new_tags (notmuch_config_t *config,
+			     const char *new_tags[],
+			     size_t length);
+
 notmuch_bool_t
 debugger_is_active (void);
 
diff --git a/notmuch-config.c b/notmuch-config.c
index cc05f6c4..ebddbf88 100644
--- a/notmuch-config.c
+++ b/notmuch-config.c
@@ -37,6 +37,12 @@ static const char database_config_comment[] =
     " Notmuch will store its database within a sub-directory of the path\n"
     " configured here named \".notmuch\".\n";
 
+static const char messages_config_comment[] =
+    " Messages configuration\n"
+    "\n"
+    " The only value supported here is 'new_tags' which lists the tags that\n"
+    " should be applied to new messages.\n";
+
 static const char user_config_comment[] =
     " User configuration\n"
     "\n"
@@ -62,6 +68,8 @@ struct _notmuch_config {
     char *user_primary_email;
     char **user_other_email;
     size_t user_other_email_length;
+    char **new_tags;
+    size_t new_tags_length;
 };
 
 static int
@@ -169,6 +177,7 @@ notmuch_config_open (void *ctx,
 {
     GError *error = NULL;
     int is_new = 0;
+    size_t tmp;
     char *notmuch_config_env = NULL;
 
     if (is_new_ret)
@@ -198,6 +207,8 @@ notmuch_config_open (void *ctx,
     config->user_primary_email = NULL;
     config->user_other_email = NULL;
     config->user_other_email_length = 0;
+    config->new_tags = NULL;
+    config->new_tags_length = 0;
 
     if (! g_key_file_load_from_file (config->key_file,
 				     config->filename,
@@ -267,6 +278,11 @@ notmuch_config_open (void *ctx,
 	}
     }
 
+    if (notmuch_config_get_new_tags (config, &tmp) == NULL) {
+        const char *tags[] = { "unread", "inbox" };
+	notmuch_config_set_new_tags (config, tags, 2);
+    }
+
     /* When we create a new configuration file here, we  add some
      * comments to help the user understand what can be done. */
     if (is_new) {
@@ -274,6 +290,8 @@ notmuch_config_open (void *ctx,
 				toplevel_config_comment, NULL);
 	g_key_file_set_comment (config->key_file, "database", NULL,
 				database_config_comment, NULL);
+	g_key_file_set_comment (config->key_file, "messages", NULL,
+				messages_config_comment, NULL);
 	g_key_file_set_comment (config->key_file, "user", NULL,
 				user_config_comment, NULL);
     }
@@ -455,3 +473,48 @@ notmuch_config_set_user_other_email (notmuch_config_t *config,
     talloc_free (config->user_other_email);
     config->user_other_email = NULL;
 }
+
+char **
+notmuch_config_get_new_tags (notmuch_config_t *config,
+			     size_t *length)
+{
+    char **tags;
+    size_t tags_length;
+    unsigned int i;
+
+    if (config->new_tags == NULL) {
+	tags = g_key_file_get_string_list (config->key_file,
+					   "messages", "new_tags",
+					   &tags_length, NULL);
+	if (tags) {
+	    config->new_tags = talloc_size (config,
+					    sizeof (char *) *
+					    (tags_length + 1));
+	    for (i = 0; i < tags_length; i++)
+		config->new_tags[i] = talloc_strdup (config->new_tags,
+						     tags[i]);
+	    config->new_tags[i] = NULL;
+
+	    g_strfreev (tags);
+
+	    config->new_tags_length = tags_length;
+	}
+    }
+
+    *length = config->new_tags_length;
+    return config->new_tags;
+}
+
+void
+notmuch_config_set_new_tags (notmuch_config_t *config,
+			     const char *new_tags[],
+			     size_t length)
+{
+    g_key_file_set_string_list (config->key_file,
+				"messages", "new_tags",
+				new_tags, length);
+
+    talloc_free (config->new_tags);
+    config->new_tags = NULL;
+}
+
diff --git a/notmuch-new.c b/notmuch-new.c
index 484d9462..6432c664 100644
--- a/notmuch-new.c
+++ b/notmuch-new.c
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ typedef struct _filename_list {
 typedef struct {
     int output_is_a_tty;
     int verbose;
+    char **new_tags;
+    size_t new_tags_length;
 
     int total_files;
     int processed_files;
@@ -93,13 +95,6 @@ _filename_list_add (_filename_list_t *list,
     list->tail = &node->next;
 }
 
-static void
-tag_inbox_and_unread (notmuch_message_t *message)
-{
-    notmuch_message_add_tag (message, "inbox");
-    notmuch_message_add_tag (message, "unread");
-}
-
 static void
 add_files_print_progress (add_files_state_t *state)
 {
@@ -222,6 +217,7 @@ add_files_recursive (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
     notmuch_filenames_t *db_subdirs = NULL;
     struct stat st;
     notmuch_bool_t is_maildir, new_directory;
+    const char **tag;
 
     if (stat (path, &st)) {
 	fprintf (stderr, "Error reading directory %s: %s\n",
@@ -412,7 +408,8 @@ add_files_recursive (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
 	/* success */
 	case NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS:
 	    state->added_messages++;
-	    tag_inbox_and_unread (message);
+	    for (tag=state->new_tags; *tag != NULL; tag++)
+	        notmuch_message_add_tag (message, *tag);
 	    break;
 	/* Non-fatal issues (go on to next file) */
 	case NOTMUCH_STATUS_DUPLICATE_MESSAGE_ID:
@@ -739,6 +736,7 @@ notmuch_new_command (void *ctx, int argc, char *argv[])
     if (config == NULL)
 	return 1;
 
+    add_files_state.new_tags = notmuch_config_get_new_tags (config, &add_files_state.new_tags_length);
     db_path = notmuch_config_get_database_path (config);
 
     dot_notmuch_path = talloc_asprintf (ctx, "%s/%s", db_path, ".notmuch");