diff --git a/notmuch-config.c b/notmuch-config.c
index 39da8889..0ded6d73 100644
--- a/notmuch-config.c
+++ b/notmuch-config.c
@@ -362,8 +362,12 @@ notmuch_config_open (void *ctx,
     }
 
     if (notmuch_config_get_search_exclude_tags (config, &tmp) == NULL) {
-	const char *tags[] = { "deleted", "spam" };
-	notmuch_config_set_search_exclude_tags (config, tags, 2);
+	if (is_new) {
+	    const char *tags[] = { "deleted", "spam" };
+	    notmuch_config_set_search_exclude_tags (config, tags, 2);
+	} else {
+	    notmuch_config_set_search_exclude_tags (config, NULL, 0);
+	}
     }
 
     error = NULL;
diff --git a/test/search b/test/search
index 99d94bd2..414be356 100755
--- a/test/search
+++ b/test/search
@@ -149,7 +149,6 @@ test_expect_equal "$output" "thread:XXX   2001-01-05 [1/1] Notmuch Test Suite; N
 thread:XXX   2001-01-05 [1/2] Notmuch Test Suite; Not deleted reply (deleted inbox unread)"
 
 test_begin_subtest "Don't exclude \"deleted\" messages from search if not configured"
-test_subtest_known_broken
 notmuch config set search.exclude_tags
 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)