diff --git a/emacs/notmuch-show.el b/emacs/notmuch-show.el
index 7325792b..8ba81676 100644
--- a/emacs/notmuch-show.el
+++ b/emacs/notmuch-show.el
@@ -1080,15 +1080,17 @@ buttons for a corresponding notmuch search."
 	(make-text-button (first link) (second link)
 			  :type 'notmuch-button-type
 			  'action `(lambda (arg)
-				     (notmuch-show ,(third link)))
+				     (notmuch-show ,(third link) current-prefix-arg))
 			  'follow-link t
 			  'help-echo "Mouse-1, RET: search for this message"
 			  'face goto-address-mail-face)))))
 
 ;;;###autoload
-(defun notmuch-show (thread-id &optional parent-buffer query-context buffer-name)
+(defun notmuch-show (thread-id &optional elide-toggle parent-buffer query-context buffer-name)
   "Run \"notmuch show\" with the given thread ID and display results.
 
+ELIDE-TOGGLE, if non-nil, inverts the default elide behavior.
+
 The optional PARENT-BUFFER is the notmuch-search buffer from
 which this notmuch-show command was executed, (so that the
 next thread from that buffer can be show when done with this
@@ -1102,7 +1104,7 @@ The optional BUFFER-NAME provides the name of the buffer in
 which the message thread is shown. If it is nil (which occurs
 when the command is called interactively) the argument to the
 function is used."
-  (interactive "sNotmuch show: ")
+  (interactive "sNotmuch show: \nP")
   (let ((buffer-name (generate-new-buffer-name
 		      (or buffer-name
 			  (concat "*notmuch-" thread-id "*")))))
@@ -1112,9 +1114,9 @@ function is used."
     (setq notmuch-show-process-crypto notmuch-crypto-process-mime)
     ;; Set the default value for
     ;; `notmuch-show-elide-non-matching-messages' in this buffer. If
-    ;; there is a prefix argument, invert the default.
+    ;; elide-toggle is set, invert the default.
     (setq notmuch-show-elide-non-matching-messages notmuch-show-only-matching-messages)
-    (if current-prefix-arg
+    (if elide-toggle
 	(setq notmuch-show-elide-non-matching-messages (not notmuch-show-elide-non-matching-messages)))
 
     (setq notmuch-show-thread-id thread-id
diff --git a/emacs/notmuch.el b/emacs/notmuch.el
index c47c6b56..1e53f509 100644
--- a/emacs/notmuch.el
+++ b/emacs/notmuch.el
@@ -510,13 +510,14 @@ If BARE is set then do not prefix with \"thread:\""
   "Return a list of authors for the current region"
   (notmuch-search-properties-in-region :subject beg end))
 
-(defun notmuch-search-show-thread ()
+(defun notmuch-search-show-thread (&optional elide-toggle)
   "Display the currently selected thread."
-  (interactive)
+  (interactive "P")
   (let ((thread-id (notmuch-search-find-thread-id))
 	(subject (notmuch-search-find-subject)))
     (if (> (length thread-id) 0)
 	(notmuch-show thread-id
+		      elide-toggle
 		      (current-buffer)
 		      notmuch-search-query-string
 		      ;; Name the buffer based on the subject.
diff --git a/test/emacs-show b/test/emacs-show
index ae70053a..fb23db4d 100755
--- a/test/emacs-show
+++ b/test/emacs-show
@@ -91,8 +91,7 @@ test_begin_subtest "notmuch-show: elide non-matching messages (w/ prefix arg to
 test_emacs '(let ((notmuch-show-only-matching-messages nil))
 	(notmuch-search "from:lars@seas.harvard.edu and subject:\"Maildir storage\"")
 	(notmuch-test-wait)
-	(let ((current-prefix-arg t))
-	  (notmuch-search-show-thread))
+	(notmuch-search-show-thread t)
 	(notmuch-test-wait)
 	(test-visible-output))'
 test_expect_equal_file OUTPUT $EXPECTED/notmuch-show-elide-non-matching-messages-on