diff --git a/lib/notmuch.h b/lib/notmuch.h
index f9efd79e..da556e50 100644
--- a/lib/notmuch.h
+++ b/lib/notmuch.h
@@ -442,6 +442,33 @@ notmuch_database_open_with_config (const char *database_path,
 				   const char *profile,
 				   notmuch_database_t **database,
 				   char **error_message);
+
+
+/**
+ * Loads configuration from config file, database, and/or defaults
+ *
+ * For description of arguments, @see notmuch_database_open_with_config
+ *
+ * @retval NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS: Successfully loaded (some) configuration.
+ *
+ * @retval NOTMUCH_STATUS_OUT_OF_MEMORY: Out of memory.
+ *
+ * @retval NOTMUCH_STATUS_FILE_ERROR: An error occurred trying to open the
+ *	database or config file (such as permission denied, or file not found,
+ *	etc.)
+ *
+ * @retval NOTMUCH_STATUS_XAPIAN_EXCEPTION: A Xapian exception occurred.
+ *
+ * @since libnotmuch 5.4 (notmuch 0.32)
+ */
+
+notmuch_status_t
+notmuch_database_load_config (const char *database_path,
+			      const char *config_path,
+			      const char *profile,
+			      notmuch_database_t **database,
+			      char **error_message);
+
 /**
  * Create a new notmuch database located at 'database_path', using
  * configuration in 'config_path'.
diff --git a/lib/open.cc b/lib/open.cc
index 9bb313da..6c3ef46f 100644
--- a/lib/open.cc
+++ b/lib/open.cc
@@ -738,3 +738,99 @@ notmuch_database_reopen (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
     notmuch->open = true;
     return NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
 }
+
+notmuch_status_t
+_maybe_load_config_from_database (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
+				  GKeyFile *key_file,
+				  const char *database_path,
+				  const char *profile)
+{
+    char *message; /* ignored */
+
+    if (_db_dir_exists (database_path, &message))
+	return NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+
+    _set_database_path (notmuch, database_path);
+
+    if (_notmuch_choose_xapian_path (notmuch, database_path, &notmuch->xapian_path, &message))
+	return NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+
+    (void) _finish_open (notmuch, profile, NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_ONLY, key_file, &message);
+
+    return NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+notmuch_status_t
+notmuch_database_load_config (const char *database_path,
+			      const char *config_path,
+			      const char *profile,
+			      notmuch_database_t **database,
+			      char **status_string)
+{
+    notmuch_status_t status = NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS, warning = NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+    void *local = talloc_new (NULL);
+    notmuch_database_t *notmuch = NULL;
+    char *message = NULL;
+    GKeyFile *key_file = NULL;
+    bool split = false;
+
+    _init_libs ();
+
+    notmuch = _alloc_notmuch ();
+    if (! notmuch) {
+	status = NOTMUCH_STATUS_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
+	goto DONE;
+    }
+
+    status = _load_key_file (config_path, profile, &key_file);
+    switch (status) {
+    case NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS:
+    case NOTMUCH_STATUS_NO_CONFIG:
+	warning = status;
+	break;
+    default:
+	message = strdup ("Error: cannot load config file.\n");
+	goto DONE;
+    }
+
+    status = _choose_database_path (local, profile, key_file,
+				    &database_path, &split, &message);
+    switch (status) {
+    /* weirdly NULL_POINTER is what is returned if we fail to find
+     * a database */
+    case NOTMUCH_STATUS_NULL_POINTER:
+    case NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS:
+	break;
+    default:
+	goto DONE;
+    }
+
+    if (database_path) {
+	status = _maybe_load_config_from_database (notmuch, key_file, database_path, profile);
+	if (status)
+	    goto DONE;
+    }
+
+    if (key_file) {
+	status = _notmuch_config_load_from_file (notmuch, key_file);
+	if (status)
+	    goto DONE;
+    }
+    status = _notmuch_config_load_defaults (notmuch);
+    if (status)
+	goto DONE;
+
+  DONE:
+    talloc_free (local);
+
+    if (status_string)
+	*status_string = message;
+
+    if (database)
+	*database = notmuch;
+
+    if (status)
+	return status;
+    else
+	return warning;
+}
diff --git a/test/T590-libconfig.sh b/test/T590-libconfig.sh
index 310668a9..dc9964cf 100755
--- a/test/T590-libconfig.sh
+++ b/test/T590-libconfig.sh
@@ -538,7 +538,7 @@ cat c_head - c_tail <<'EOF' | test_C %NULL% '' %NULL%
    printf("test.key2 = %s\n", val);
 }
 EOF
-NOTMUCH_CONFIG=${old_NOTMUCH_CONFIG}
+export NOTMUCH_CONFIG=${old_NOTMUCH_CONFIG}
 unset NOTMUCH_DATABASE
 cat <<'EOF' >EXPECTED
 == stdout ==
@@ -549,7 +549,7 @@ EOF
 test_expect_equal_file EXPECTED OUTPUT
 
 test_begin_subtest "NOTMUCH_DATABASE overrides config"
-old_path=$(notmuch config get database.path)
+cp notmuch-config notmuch-config.bak
 notmuch config set database.path /nonexistent
 export NOTMUCH_DATABASE=${MAIL_DIR}
 cat c_head - c_tail <<'EOF' | test_C %NULL% '' %NULL%
@@ -568,8 +568,184 @@ test.key1 = testvalue1
 test.key2 = testvalue2
 == stderr ==
 EOF
-notmuch config set database.path "${old_path}"
+cp notmuch-config.bak notmuch-config
+test_expect_equal_file EXPECTED OUTPUT
+
+cat <<EOF > c_head2
+#include <string.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <notmuch-test.h>
+
+int main (int argc, char** argv)
+{
+   notmuch_database_t *db;
+   char *val;
+   notmuch_status_t stat;
+   char *msg = NULL;
+
+   for (int i = 1; i < argc; i++)
+      if (strcmp (argv[i], "%NULL%") == 0) argv[i] = NULL;
+
+   stat = notmuch_database_load_config (argv[1],
+                                        argv[2],
+                                        argv[3],
+                                        &db,
+                                        &msg);
+   if (stat != NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS  && stat != NOTMUCH_STATUS_NO_CONFIG) {
+     fprintf (stderr, "error opening database\n%d: %s\n%s\n", stat,
+	      notmuch_status_to_string (stat), msg ? msg : "");
+     exit (1);
+   }
+EOF
+
+
+test_begin_subtest "notmuch_database_get_config (ndlc)"
+echo NOTMUCH_CONFIG=$NOTMUCH_CONFIG
+echo NOTMUCH_PROFILE=$NOTMUCH_PROFILE
+echo HOME=$HOME
+cat c_head2 - c_tail <<'EOF' | test_C ${MAIL_DIR} %NULL% %NULL%
+{
+   EXPECT0(notmuch_database_get_config (db, "test.key1", &val));
+   printf("test.key1 = %s\n", val);
+   EXPECT0(notmuch_database_get_config (db, "test.key2", &val));
+   printf("test.key2 = %s\n", val);
+}
+EOF
+cat <<'EOF' >EXPECTED
+== stdout ==
+test.key1 = testvalue1
+test.key2 = testvalue2
+== stderr ==
+EOF
 test_expect_equal_file EXPECTED OUTPUT
 
 
+test_begin_subtest "notmuch_database_get_config_list: all pairs (ndlc)"
+cat c_head2 - c_tail <<'EOF' | test_C ${MAIL_DIR} ${NOTMUCH_CONFIG} %NULL%
+{
+   notmuch_config_list_t *list;
+   EXPECT0(notmuch_database_get_config_list (db, "", &list));
+   for (; notmuch_config_list_valid (list); notmuch_config_list_move_to_next (list)) {
+      printf("%s %s\n", notmuch_config_list_key (list), notmuch_config_list_value(list));
+   }
+   notmuch_config_list_destroy (list);
+}
+EOF
+cat <<'EOF' >EXPECTED
+== stdout ==
+aaabefore beforeval
+key with spaces value, with, spaces!
+test.key1 testvalue1
+test.key2 testvalue2
+zzzafter afterval
+== stderr ==
+EOF
+test_expect_equal_file EXPECTED OUTPUT
+
+test_begin_subtest "notmuch_database_get_config_list: one prefix (ndlc)"
+cat c_head2 - c_tail <<'EOF' | test_C ${MAIL_DIR} ${NOTMUCH_CONFIG} %NULL%
+{
+   notmuch_config_list_t *list;
+   EXPECT0(notmuch_database_get_config_list (db, "test.key", &list));
+   for (; notmuch_config_list_valid (list); notmuch_config_list_move_to_next (list)) {
+      printf("%s %s\n", notmuch_config_list_key (list), notmuch_config_list_value(list));
+   }
+   notmuch_config_list_destroy (list);
+}
+EOF
+cat <<'EOF' >EXPECTED
+== stdout ==
+test.key1 testvalue1
+test.key2 testvalue2
+== stderr ==
+EOF
+test_expect_equal_file EXPECTED OUTPUT
+
+test_begin_subtest "list by keys (ndlc)"
+notmuch config set search.exclude_tags "foo;bar;fub"
+notmuch config set new.ignore "sekrit_junk"
+cat c_head2 - c_tail <<'EOF' | test_C ${MAIL_DIR} %NULL% %NULL%
+{
+    notmuch_config_key_t key;
+    for (key = NOTMUCH_CONFIG_FIRST;
+	 key < NOTMUCH_CONFIG_LAST;
+	 key = (notmuch_config_key_t)(key + 1)) {
+	const char *val = notmuch_config_get (db, key);
+        printf("%s\n", val ? val : "NULL" );
+    }
+}
+EOF
+cat <<'EOF' >EXPECTED
+== stdout ==
+MAIL_DIR
+MAIL_DIR
+MAIL_DIR/.notmuch/hooks
+MAIL_DIR/.notmuch/backups
+foo;bar;fub
+unread;inbox;
+sekrit_junk
+true
+test_suite@notmuchmail.org
+test_suite_other@notmuchmail.org;test_suite@otherdomain.org
+Notmuch Test Suite
+== stderr ==
+EOF
+test_expect_equal_file EXPECTED OUTPUT
+
+test_begin_subtest "load default values (ndlc, nonexistent config)"
+cat c_head2 - c_tail <<'EOF' | test_C ${MAIL_DIR} /nonexistent %NULL%
+{
+    notmuch_config_key_t key;
+    for (key = NOTMUCH_CONFIG_FIRST;
+	 key < NOTMUCH_CONFIG_LAST;
+	 key = (notmuch_config_key_t)(key + 1)) {
+	const char *val = notmuch_config_get (db, key);
+	printf("%s\n", val ? val : "NULL" );
+    }
+}
+EOF
+cat <<'EOF' >EXPECTED
+== stdout ==
+MAIL_DIR
+MAIL_DIR
+MAIL_DIR/.notmuch/hooks
+MAIL_DIR/.notmuch/backups
+
+inbox;unread
+NULL
+true
+NULL
+NULL
+NULL
+== stderr ==
+EOF
+test_expect_equal_file EXPECTED OUTPUT
+
+backup_database
+test_begin_subtest "override config from \${HOME}/.notmuch-config (ndlc)"
+ovconfig=${HOME}/.notmuch-config
+cp ${NOTMUCH_CONFIG} ${ovconfig}
+old_NOTMUCH_CONFIG=${NOTMUCH_CONFIG}
+unset NOTMUCH_CONFIG
+notmuch --config=${ovconfig} config set test.key1 overridden-home
+cat c_head2 - c_tail <<'EOF' | test_C ${MAIL_DIR} %NULL% %NULL%
+{
+   EXPECT0(notmuch_database_get_config (db, "test.key1", &val));
+   printf("test.key1 = %s\n", val);
+   EXPECT0(notmuch_database_get_config (db, "test.key2", &val));
+   printf("test.key2 = %s\n", val);
+}
+EOF
+rm -f ${ovconfig}
+NOTMUCH_CONFIG=${old_NOTMUCH_CONFIG}
+cat <<'EOF' >EXPECTED
+== stdout ==
+test.key1 = overridden-home
+test.key2 = testvalue2
+== stderr ==
+EOF
+test_expect_equal_file EXPECTED OUTPUT
+restore_database
+
+
 test_done