diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index ee8dc6a..8a243c3 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -1027,6 +1027,10 @@ func (config AercConfig) GetUiConfig(params map[ContextType]string) *UIConfig {
 	return &baseUi
 }
 
+func (config *AercConfig) GetContextualUIConfigs() []UIConfigContext {
+	return config.ContextualUis
+}
+
 func (uiConfig UIConfig) GetStyle(so StyleObject) tcell.Style {
 	return uiConfig.style.Get(so)
 }
diff --git a/widgets/account.go b/widgets/account.go
index 725090e..55e76be 100644
--- a/widgets/account.go
+++ b/widgets/account.go
@@ -34,17 +34,14 @@ type AccountView struct {
 	worker  *types.Worker
 	state   *statusline.State
 	newConn bool // True if this is a first run after a new connection/reconnection
+	uiConf  *config.UIConfig
 }
 
 func (acct *AccountView) UiConfig() *config.UIConfig {
-	var folder string
 	if dirlist := acct.Directories(); dirlist != nil {
-		folder = dirlist.Selected()
+		return dirlist.UiConfig()
 	}
-	return acct.conf.GetUiConfig(map[config.ContextType]string{
-		config.UI_CONTEXT_ACCOUNT: acct.AccountConfig().Name,
-		config.UI_CONTEXT_FOLDER:  folder,
-	})
+	return acct.uiConf
 }
 
 func NewAccountView(aerc *Aerc, conf *config.AercConfig, acct *config.AccountConfig,
@@ -61,6 +58,7 @@ func NewAccountView(aerc *Aerc, conf *config.AercConfig, acct *config.AccountCon
 		host:   host,
 		logger: logger,
 		state:  statusline.NewState(acct.Name, len(conf.Accounts) > 1, conf.Statusline),
+		uiConf: acctUiConf,
 	}
 
 	view.grid = ui.NewGrid().Rows([]ui.GridSpec{
diff --git a/widgets/dirlist.go b/widgets/dirlist.go
index 006771a..ad5f048 100644
--- a/widgets/dirlist.go
+++ b/widgets/dirlist.go
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ type DirectoryLister interface {
 	SetMsgStore(string, *lib.MessageStore)
 
 	FilterDirs([]string, []string, bool) []string
+
+	UiConfig() *config.UIConfig
 }
 
 type DirectoryList struct {
@@ -61,6 +63,7 @@ type DirectoryList struct {
 	skipSelect       context.Context
 	skipSelectCancel context.CancelFunc
 	connected        bool
+	uiConf           map[string]*config.UIConfig
 }
 
 func NewDirectoryList(conf *config.AercConfig, acctConf *config.AccountConfig,
@@ -68,6 +71,8 @@ func NewDirectoryList(conf *config.AercConfig, acctConf *config.AccountConfig,
 ) DirectoryLister {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 
+	uiConfMap := make(map[string]*config.UIConfig)
+
 	dirlist := &DirectoryList{
 		aercConf:         conf,
 		acctConf:         acctConf,
@@ -76,6 +81,7 @@ func NewDirectoryList(conf *config.AercConfig, acctConf *config.AccountConfig,
 		worker:           worker,
 		skipSelect:       ctx,
 		skipSelectCancel: cancel,
+		uiConf:           uiConfMap,
 	}
 	uiConf := dirlist.UiConfig()
 	dirlist.spinner = NewSpinner(uiConf)
@@ -92,10 +98,15 @@ func NewDirectoryList(conf *config.AercConfig, acctConf *config.AccountConfig,
 }
 
 func (dirlist *DirectoryList) UiConfig() *config.UIConfig {
-	return dirlist.aercConf.GetUiConfig(map[config.ContextType]string{
+	if ui, ok := dirlist.uiConf[dirlist.Selected()]; ok {
+		return ui
+	}
+	ui := dirlist.aercConf.GetUiConfig(map[config.ContextType]string{
 		config.UI_CONTEXT_ACCOUNT: dirlist.acctConf.Name,
 		config.UI_CONTEXT_FOLDER:  dirlist.Selected(),
 	})
+	dirlist.uiConf[dirlist.Selected()] = ui
+	return ui
 }
 
 func (dirlist *DirectoryList) List() []string {
diff --git a/widgets/msglist.go b/widgets/msglist.go
index df24526..ec14e79 100644
--- a/widgets/msglist.go
+++ b/widgets/msglist.go
@@ -194,14 +194,23 @@ func (ml *MessageList) drawRow(textWidth int, ctx *ui.Context, uid uint32, row i
 		return false
 	}
 
-	confParams := map[config.ContextType]string{
-		config.UI_CONTEXT_ACCOUNT: acct.AccountConfig().Name,
-		config.UI_CONTEXT_FOLDER:  acct.Directories().Selected(),
+	// TODO deprecate subject contextual UIs? Only related setting is styleset,
+	// should implement a better per-message styling method
+	// Check if we have any applicable ContextualUIConfigs
+	confs := ml.aerc.conf.GetContextualUIConfigs()
+	uiConfig := acct.Directories().UiConfig()
+	for _, c := range confs {
+		if c.ContextType == config.UI_CONTEXT_SUBJECT && msg.Envelope != nil {
+			if c.Regex.Match([]byte(msg.Envelope.Subject)) {
+				confParams := map[config.ContextType]string{
+					config.UI_CONTEXT_ACCOUNT: acct.AccountConfig().Name,
+					config.UI_CONTEXT_FOLDER:  acct.Directories().Selected(),
+					config.UI_CONTEXT_SUBJECT: msg.Envelope.Subject,
+				}
+				uiConfig = ml.conf.GetUiConfig(confParams)
+			}
+		}
 	}
-	if msg.Envelope != nil {
-		confParams[config.UI_CONTEXT_SUBJECT] = msg.Envelope.Subject
-	}
-	uiConfig := ml.conf.GetUiConfig(confParams)
 
 	msg_styles := []config.StyleObject{}
 	// unread message