diff --git a/notmuch-client.h b/notmuch-client.h
index 517c010a..62ede28e 100644
--- a/notmuch-client.h
+++ b/notmuch-client.h
@@ -235,6 +235,14 @@ void
 notmuch_config_set_maildir_synchronize_flags (notmuch_config_t *config,
 					      notmuch_bool_t synchronize_flags);
 
+const char **
+notmuch_config_get_auto_exclude_tags (notmuch_config_t *config, size_t *length);
+
+void
+notmuch_config_set_auto_exclude_tags (notmuch_config_t *config,
+				      const char *list[],
+				      size_t length);
+
 int
 notmuch_run_hook (const char *db_path, const char *hook);
 
diff --git a/notmuch-config.c b/notmuch-config.c
index d697138a..3d4d5b9f 100644
--- a/notmuch-config.c
+++ b/notmuch-config.c
@@ -84,6 +84,15 @@ static const char maildir_config_comment[] =
     "\tand update tags, while the \"notmuch tag\" and \"notmuch restore\"\n"
     "\tcommands will notice tag changes and update flags in filenames\n";
 
+static const char search_config_comment[] =
+    " Search configuration\n"
+    "\n"
+    " The following option is supported here:\n"
+    "\n"
+    "\tauto_exclude_tags      A ;-separated list of tags that will be\n"
+    "\t excluded from search results by default.  Using an excluded tag\n"
+    "\t in a query will override that exclusion.\n";
+
 struct _notmuch_config {
     char *filename;
     GKeyFile *key_file;
@@ -96,6 +105,8 @@ struct _notmuch_config {
     const char **new_tags;
     size_t new_tags_length;
     notmuch_bool_t maildir_synchronize_flags;
+    const char **auto_exclude_tags;
+    size_t auto_exclude_tags_length;
 };
 
 static int
@@ -221,6 +232,7 @@ notmuch_config_open (void *ctx,
     int file_had_new_group;
     int file_had_user_group;
     int file_had_maildir_group;
+    int file_had_search_group;
 
     if (is_new_ret)
 	*is_new_ret = 0;
@@ -252,6 +264,8 @@ notmuch_config_open (void *ctx,
     config->new_tags = NULL;
     config->new_tags_length = 0;
     config->maildir_synchronize_flags = TRUE;
+    config->auto_exclude_tags = NULL;
+    config->auto_exclude_tags_length = 0;
 
     if (! g_key_file_load_from_file (config->key_file,
 				     config->filename,
@@ -295,6 +309,7 @@ notmuch_config_open (void *ctx,
     file_had_new_group = g_key_file_has_group (config->key_file, "new");
     file_had_user_group = g_key_file_has_group (config->key_file, "user");
     file_had_maildir_group = g_key_file_has_group (config->key_file, "maildir");
+    file_had_search_group = g_key_file_has_group (config->key_file, "search");
 
 
     if (notmuch_config_get_database_path (config) == NULL) {
@@ -345,6 +360,11 @@ notmuch_config_open (void *ctx,
 	notmuch_config_set_new_tags (config, tags, 2);
     }
 
+    if (notmuch_config_get_auto_exclude_tags (config, &tmp) == NULL) {
+	const char *tags[] = { "deleted", "spam" };
+	notmuch_config_set_auto_exclude_tags (config, tags, 2);
+    }
+
     error = NULL;
     config->maildir_synchronize_flags =
 	g_key_file_get_boolean (config->key_file,
@@ -387,6 +407,11 @@ notmuch_config_open (void *ctx,
 				maildir_config_comment, NULL);
     }
 
+    if (! file_had_search_group) {
+	g_key_file_set_comment (config->key_file, "search", NULL,
+				search_config_comment, NULL);
+    }
+
     if (is_new_ret)
 	*is_new_ret = is_new;
 
@@ -597,6 +622,23 @@ notmuch_config_set_new_tags (notmuch_config_t *config,
 		     &(config->new_tags));
 }
 
+const char **
+notmuch_config_get_auto_exclude_tags (notmuch_config_t *config, size_t *length)
+{
+    return _config_get_list (config, "search", "auto_exclude_tags",
+			     &(config->auto_exclude_tags),
+			     &(config->auto_exclude_tags_length), length);
+}
+
+void
+notmuch_config_set_auto_exclude_tags (notmuch_config_t *config,
+				      const char *list[],
+				      size_t length)
+{
+    _config_set_list (config, "search", "auto_exclude_tags", list, length,
+		      &(config->auto_exclude_tags));
+}
+
 /* Given a configuration item of the form <group>.<key> return the
  * component group and key. If any error occurs, print a message on
  * stderr and return 1. Otherwise, return 0.
diff --git a/notmuch-count.c b/notmuch-count.c
index 0982f99f..f77861ee 100644
--- a/notmuch-count.c
+++ b/notmuch-count.c
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ notmuch_count_command (void *ctx, int argc, char *argv[])
     char *query_str;
     int opt_index;
     int output = OUTPUT_MESSAGES;
+    const char **auto_exclude_tags;
+    size_t auto_exclude_tags_length;
+    unsigned int i;
 
     notmuch_opt_desc_t options[] = {
 	{ NOTMUCH_OPT_KEYWORD, &output, "output", 'o',
@@ -75,6 +78,11 @@ notmuch_count_command (void *ctx, int argc, char *argv[])
 	return 1;
     }
 
+    auto_exclude_tags = notmuch_config_get_auto_exclude_tags
+	(config, &auto_exclude_tags_length);
+    for (i = 0; i < auto_exclude_tags_length; i++)
+	notmuch_query_add_tag_exclude (query, auto_exclude_tags[i]);
+
     switch (output) {
     case OUTPUT_MESSAGES:
 	printf ("%u\n", notmuch_query_count_messages (query));
diff --git a/notmuch-search.c b/notmuch-search.c
index 4baab561..8867aabc 100644
--- a/notmuch-search.c
+++ b/notmuch-search.c
@@ -423,6 +423,9 @@ notmuch_search_command (void *ctx, int argc, char *argv[])
     output_t output = OUTPUT_SUMMARY;
     int offset = 0;
     int limit = -1; /* unlimited */
+    const char **auto_exclude_tags;
+    size_t auto_exclude_tags_length;
+    unsigned int i;
 
     enum { NOTMUCH_FORMAT_JSON, NOTMUCH_FORMAT_TEXT }
 	format_sel = NOTMUCH_FORMAT_TEXT;
@@ -490,6 +493,11 @@ notmuch_search_command (void *ctx, int argc, char *argv[])
 
     notmuch_query_set_sort (query, sort);
 
+    auto_exclude_tags = notmuch_config_get_auto_exclude_tags
+	(config, &auto_exclude_tags_length);
+    for (i = 0; i < auto_exclude_tags_length; i++)
+	notmuch_query_add_tag_exclude (query, auto_exclude_tags[i]);
+
     switch (output) {
     default:
     case OUTPUT_SUMMARY:
diff --git a/test/search b/test/search
index a7a0b18d..bf965e7d 100755
--- a/test/search
+++ b/test/search
@@ -129,4 +129,22 @@ add_message '[subject]="utf8-message-body-subject"' '[date]="Sat, 01 Jan 2000 12
 output=$(notmuch search "bödý" | notmuch_search_sanitize)
 test_expect_equal "$output" "thread:XXX   2000-01-01 [1/1] Notmuch Test Suite; utf8-message-body-subject (inbox unread)"
 
+test_begin_subtest "Exclude \"deleted\" messages from search"
+generate_message '[subject]="Not deleted"'
+generate_message '[subject]="Deleted"'
+notmuch new > /dev/null
+notmuch tag +deleted id:$gen_msg_id
+output=$(notmuch search subject:deleted | notmuch_search_sanitize)
+test_expect_equal "$output" "thread:XXX   2001-01-05 [1/1] Notmuch Test Suite; Not deleted (inbox unread)"
+
+test_begin_subtest "Exclude \"deleted\" messages from search, overridden"
+output=$(notmuch search subject:deleted and tag:deleted | notmuch_search_sanitize)
+test_expect_equal "$output" "thread:XXX   2001-01-05 [1/1] Notmuch Test Suite; Deleted (deleted inbox unread)"
+
+test_begin_subtest "Exclude \"deleted\" messages from threads"
+add_message '[subject]="Not deleted reply"' '[in-reply-to]="<$gen_msg_id>"'
+output=$(notmuch search subject:deleted | notmuch_search_sanitize)
+test_expect_equal "$output" "thread:XXX   2001-01-05 [1/1] Notmuch Test Suite; Not deleted (inbox unread)
+thread:XXX   2001-01-05 [1/2] Notmuch Test Suite; Not deleted reply (deleted inbox unread)"
+
 test_done