diff --git a/emacs/notmuch-show.el b/emacs/notmuch-show.el
index eee4da98..82d11c92 100644
--- a/emacs/notmuch-show.el
+++ b/emacs/notmuch-show.el
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ any given message."
   :group 'notmuch
   :type 'boolean)
 
-(defcustom notmuch-indent-messages-width 1
+(defcustom notmuch-show-indent-messages-width 1
   "Width of message indentation in threads.
 
 Messages are shown indented according to their depth in a thread.
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ unchanged ADDRESS if parsing fails."
   "Insert a notmuch style headerline based on HEADERS for a
 message at DEPTH in the current thread."
   (let ((start (point)))
-    (insert (notmuch-show-spaces-n (* notmuch-indent-messages-width depth))
+    (insert (notmuch-show-spaces-n (* notmuch-show-indent-messages-width depth))
 	    (notmuch-show-clean-address (plist-get headers :From))
 	    " ("
 	    date
@@ -739,7 +739,7 @@ current buffer, if possible."
     (setq content-end (point-marker))
 
     ;; Indent according to the depth in the thread.
-    (indent-rigidly content-start content-end (* notmuch-indent-messages-width depth))
+    (indent-rigidly content-start content-end (* notmuch-show-indent-messages-width depth))
 
     (setq message-end (point-max-marker))
 
diff --git a/test/emacs b/test/emacs
index ca824453..f36718e7 100755
--- a/test/emacs
+++ b/test/emacs
@@ -52,21 +52,21 @@ test_expect_equal_file OUTPUT $EXPECTED/notmuch-show-thread-maildir-storage
 
 test_begin_subtest "Basic notmuch-show view in emacs default indentation"
 maildir_storage_thread=$(notmuch search --output=threads id:20091117190054.GU3165@dottiness.seas.harvard.edu)
-test_emacs "(let ((notmuch-indent-messages-width 1))
+test_emacs "(let ((notmuch-show-indent-messages-width 1))
 	      (notmuch-show \"$maildir_storage_thread\")
 	      (test-output))"
 test_expect_equal_file OUTPUT $EXPECTED/notmuch-show-thread-maildir-storage
 
 test_begin_subtest "Basic notmuch-show view in emacs without indentation"
 maildir_storage_thread=$(notmuch search --output=threads id:20091117190054.GU3165@dottiness.seas.harvard.edu)
-test_emacs "(let ((notmuch-indent-messages-width 0))
+test_emacs "(let ((notmuch-show-indent-messages-width 0))
 	      (notmuch-show \"$maildir_storage_thread\")
 	      (test-output))"
 test_expect_equal_file OUTPUT $EXPECTED/notmuch-show-thread-maildir-storage-without-indentation
 
 test_begin_subtest "Basic notmuch-show view in emacs with fourfold indentation"
 maildir_storage_thread=$(notmuch search --output=threads id:20091117190054.GU3165@dottiness.seas.harvard.edu)
-test_emacs "(let ((notmuch-indent-messages-width 4))
+test_emacs "(let ((notmuch-show-indent-messages-width 4))
 	      (notmuch-show \"$maildir_storage_thread\")
 	      (test-output))"
 test_expect_equal_file OUTPUT $EXPECTED/notmuch-show-thread-maildir-storage-with-fourfold-indentation