diff --git a/emacs/Makefile.local b/emacs/Makefile.local
index 2d6aedbd..558e68f2 100644
--- a/emacs/Makefile.local
+++ b/emacs/Makefile.local
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 dir := emacs
 emacs_sources := \
 	$(dir)/notmuch-lib.el \
+	$(dir)/notmuch-compat.el \
 	$(dir)/notmuch-parser.el \
 	$(dir)/notmuch.el \
 	$(dir)/notmuch-query.el \
diff --git a/emacs/notmuch-address.el b/emacs/notmuch-address.el
index 10eaab19..34793dbe 100644
--- a/emacs/notmuch-address.el
+++ b/emacs/notmuch-address.el
@@ -136,11 +136,11 @@ toggles the setting in this buffer."
   (interactive)
   (if (local-variable-p 'notmuch-address-command)
       (kill-local-variable 'notmuch-address-command)
-    (setq-local notmuch-address-command 'internal))
+    (notmuch-setq-local notmuch-address-command 'internal))
   (if (boundp 'company-idle-delay)
       (if (local-variable-p 'company-idle-delay)
 	  (kill-local-variable 'company-idle-delay)
-	(setq-local company-idle-delay nil))))
+	(notmuch-setq-local company-idle-delay nil))))
 
 (defun notmuch-address-matching (substring)
   "Returns a list of completion candidates matching SUBSTRING.
diff --git a/emacs/notmuch-company.el b/emacs/notmuch-company.el
index 168315ff..5d75c145 100644
--- a/emacs/notmuch-company.el
+++ b/emacs/notmuch-company.el
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 ;;; Code:
 
 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
+(require 'notmuch-lib)
 
 (defvar notmuch-company-last-prefix nil)
 (make-variable-buffer-local 'notmuch-company-last-prefix)
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@
   ;; internal completion) can still be accessed via standard company
   ;; functions, e.g., company-complete.
   (unless (eq notmuch-address-command 'internal)
-    (setq-local company-idle-delay nil)))
+    (notmuch-setq-local company-idle-delay nil)))
 
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun notmuch-company (command &optional arg &rest _ignore)
diff --git a/emacs/notmuch-compat.el b/emacs/notmuch-compat.el
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c3d827af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/emacs/notmuch-compat.el
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+;; Compatibility functions for emacs 23 and 24 pre 24.4
+
+;; The functions in this file are copied from eamcs 24.4 and are
+;; Copyright (C) 1985-1986, 1992, 1994-1995, 1999-2014 Free Software
+;; Foundation, Inc.
+
+(if (fboundp 'setq-local)
+    (defalias 'notmuch-setq-local 'setq-local)
+  (defmacro notmuch-setq-local (var val)
+    "Set variable VAR to value VAL in current buffer.
+
+Backport of setq-local for emacs without setq-local (pre 24.3)."
+    `(set (make-local-variable ',var) ,val)))
+
+(if (fboundp 'read-char-choice)
+    (defalias 'notmuch-read-char-choice 'read-char-choice)
+  (defun notmuch-read-char-choice (prompt chars &optional inhibit-keyboard-quit)
+  "Read and return one of CHARS, prompting for PROMPT.
+Any input that is not one of CHARS is ignored.
+
+If optional argument INHIBIT-KEYBOARD-QUIT is non-nil, ignore
+keyboard-quit events while waiting for a valid input.
+
+This is an exact copy of this function from emacs 24 for use on
+emacs 23, except with the one emacs 24 only function it calls
+inlined."
+  (unless (consp chars)
+    (error "Called `read-char-choice' without valid char choices"))
+  (let (char done show-help (helpbuf " *Char Help*"))
+    (let ((cursor-in-echo-area t)
+          (executing-kbd-macro executing-kbd-macro)
+	  (esc-flag nil))
+      (save-window-excursion	      ; in case we call help-form-show
+	(while (not done)
+	  (unless (get-text-property 0 'face prompt)
+	    (setq prompt (propertize prompt 'face 'minibuffer-prompt)))
+	  (setq char (let ((inhibit-quit inhibit-keyboard-quit))
+		       (read-key prompt)))
+	  (and show-help (buffer-live-p (get-buffer helpbuf))
+	       (kill-buffer helpbuf))
+	  (cond
+	   ((not (numberp char)))
+	   ;; If caller has set help-form, that's enough.
+	   ;; They don't explicitly have to add help-char to chars.
+	   ((and help-form
+		 (eq char help-char)
+		 (setq show-help t)
+		 ;; This is an inlined copy of help-form-show as that
+		 ;; was introduced in emacs 24 too.
+		 (let ((msg (eval help-form)))
+		   (if (stringp msg)
+		       (with-output-to-temp-buffer " *Char Help*"
+			 (princ msg))))))
+	   ((memq char chars)
+	    (setq done t))
+	   ((and executing-kbd-macro (= char -1))
+	    ;; read-event returns -1 if we are in a kbd macro and
+	    ;; there are no more events in the macro.  Attempt to
+	    ;; get an event interactively.
+	    (setq executing-kbd-macro nil))
+	   ((not inhibit-keyboard-quit)
+	    (cond
+	     ((and (null esc-flag) (eq char ?\e))
+	      (setq esc-flag t))
+	     ((memq char '(?\C-g ?\e))
+	      (keyboard-quit))))))))
+    ;; Display the question with the answer.  But without cursor-in-echo-area.
+    (message "%s%s" prompt (char-to-string char))
+    char)))
+
+;; End of compatibility functions
+
+(provide 'notmuch-compat)
diff --git a/emacs/notmuch-lib.el b/emacs/notmuch-lib.el
index 2f015b0d..23bd81c1 100644
--- a/emacs/notmuch-lib.el
+++ b/emacs/notmuch-lib.el
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 (require 'mm-view)
 (require 'mm-decode)
 (require 'cl)
+(require 'notmuch-compat)
 
 (unless (require 'notmuch-version nil t)
   (defconst notmuch-emacs-version "unknown"
diff --git a/emacs/notmuch-maildir-fcc.el b/emacs/notmuch-maildir-fcc.el
index ea75bb9e..a754b60c 100644
--- a/emacs/notmuch-maildir-fcc.el
+++ b/emacs/notmuch-maildir-fcc.el
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ If CREATE is non-nil then create the folder if necessary."
       ;; typo, or just the user want a new folder, let the user decide
       ;; how to deal with it.
       (error
-       (let ((response (read-char-choice
+       (let ((response (notmuch-read-char-choice
 			"Insert failed: (r)etry, (c)reate folder, (i)gnore, or  (e)dit the header? "
 			'(?r ?c ?i ?e))))
 	 (case response
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ if needed."
     ;; fix it in some way.
     (let* ((prompt (format "Fcc %s is not a maildir: (r)etry, (c)reate folder, (i)gnore, or  (e)dit the header? "
 			   fcc-header))
-	    (response (read-char-choice prompt '(?r ?c ?i ?e))))
+	    (response (notmuch-read-char-choice prompt '(?r ?c ?i ?e))))
 	 (case response
 	       (?r (notmuch-maildir-fcc-file-fcc fcc-header))
 	       (?c (if (file-writable-p fcc-header)