diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 83e3eb2..7fb0cb1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/).
 - Bracketed paste support.
 - Display current directory in `status-line.render-format` with `%p`.
 - Change accounts while composing a message with `:switch-account`.
+- Override `:open` handler on a per-MIME-type basis in `aerc.conf`.
+- Specify opener as the first `:open` param instead of always using default
+  handler (i.e. `:open gimp` to open attachment in GIMP).
 
 ### Changed
 
diff --git a/commands/msgview/open.go b/commands/msgview/open.go
index 82c1acc..bb22026 100644
--- a/commands/msgview/open.go
+++ b/commands/msgview/open.go
@@ -48,10 +48,11 @@ func (Open) Execute(aerc *widgets.Aerc, args []string) error {
 
 	mv.MessageView().FetchBodyPart(p.Index, func(reader io.Reader) {
 		extension := ""
+		mimeType := ""
+
 		// try to determine the correct extension based on mimetype
 		if part, err := mv.MessageView().BodyStructure().PartAtIndex(p.Index); err == nil {
-			mimeType := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", part.MIMEType, part.MIMESubType)
-
+			mimeType = fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", part.MIMEType, part.MIMESubType)
 			if exts, _ := mime.ExtensionsByType(mimeType); len(exts) > 0 {
 				extension = exts[0]
 			}
@@ -71,7 +72,8 @@ func (Open) Execute(aerc *widgets.Aerc, args []string) error {
 		}
 
 		go func() {
-			err = lib.XDGOpen(tmpFile.Name())
+			openers := aerc.Config().Openers
+			err = lib.XDGOpenMime(tmpFile.Name(), mimeType, openers, args[1:])
 			if err != nil {
 				aerc.PushError("open: " + err.Error())
 			}
diff --git a/config/aerc.conf b/config/aerc.conf
index 6e5efe7..0bd96fb 100644
--- a/config/aerc.conf
+++ b/config/aerc.conf
@@ -308,6 +308,20 @@ text/plain=sed 's/^>\+.*/\x1b[36m&\x1b[0m/'
 #text/html=w3m -dump -I UTF-8 -T text/html
 #image/*=catimg -w $(tput cols) -
 
+[openers]
+#
+# Openers allow you to specify the command to use for the :open action on a
+# per-MIME-type basis.
+#
+# {} is expanded as the temporary filename to be opened. If it is not
+# encountered in the command, the temporary filename will be appened to the end
+# of the command.
+#
+# Examples:
+# text/html=surf -dfgms
+# text/plain=gvim {} +125
+# message/rfc822=thunderbird
+
 [triggers]
 #
 # Triggers specify commands to execute when certain events occur.
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 24a1b50..e31d1a1 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/gdamore/tcell/v2"
 	"github.com/go-ini/ini"
+	"github.com/google/shlex"
 	"github.com/imdario/mergo"
 	"github.com/kyoh86/xdg"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/go-homedir"
@@ -257,6 +258,7 @@ type AercConfig struct {
 	ContextualUis   []UIConfigContext
 	General         GeneralConfig
 	Templates       TemplateConfig
+	Openers         map[string][]string
 }
 
 // Input: TimestampFormat
@@ -484,6 +486,16 @@ func (config *AercConfig) LoadConfig(file *ini.File) error {
 			config.Filters = append(config.Filters, filter)
 		}
 	}
+	if openers, err := file.GetSection("openers"); err == nil {
+		for mimeType, command := range openers.KeysHash() {
+			mimeType = strings.ToLower(mimeType)
+			if args, err := shlex.Split(command); err != nil {
+				return err
+			} else {
+				config.Openers[mimeType] = args
+			}
+		}
+	}
 	if viewer, err := file.GetSection("viewer"); err == nil {
 		if err := viewer.MapTo(&config.Viewer); err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -807,6 +819,8 @@ func LoadConfigFromFile(root *string, accts []string) (*AercConfig, error) {
 			QuotedReply:  "quoted_reply",
 			Forwards:     "forward_as_body",
 		},
+
+		Openers: make(map[string][]string),
 	}
 
 	// These bindings are not configurable
@@ -835,6 +849,7 @@ func LoadConfigFromFile(root *string, accts []string) (*AercConfig, error) {
 	logging.Debugf("aerc.conf: [viewer] %#v", config.Viewer)
 	logging.Debugf("aerc.conf: [compose] %#v", config.Compose)
 	logging.Debugf("aerc.conf: [filters] %#v", config.Filters)
+	logging.Debugf("aerc.conf: [openers] %#v", config.Openers)
 	logging.Debugf("aerc.conf: [triggers] %#v", config.Triggers)
 	logging.Debugf("aerc.conf: [templates] %#v", config.Templates)
 
diff --git a/doc/aerc-config.5.scd b/doc/aerc-config.5.scd
index d6b56fa..8b7aa55 100644
--- a/doc/aerc-config.5.scd
+++ b/doc/aerc-config.5.scd
@@ -508,6 +508,25 @@ that aerc does not have alone.
 Note that said email body is converted into UTF-8 before being passed to
 filters.
 
+## OPENERS
+
+Openers allow you to specify the command to use for the *:open* action on a
+per-MIME-type basis. They are configured in the *[openers]* section of
+aerc.conf.
+
+*{}* is expanded as the temporary filename to be opened. If it is not
+encountered in the command, the temporary filename will be appened to the end
+of the command. Environment variables are also expanded. Tilde is not expanded.
+
+Example:
+
+```
+[openers]
+text/html=surf -dfgms
+text/plain=gvim {} +125
+message/rfc822=thunderbird
+```
+
 ## TRIGGERS
 
 Triggers specify commands to execute when certain events occur.
diff --git a/doc/aerc.1.scd b/doc/aerc.1.scd
index 38862a5..355a08d 100644
--- a/doc/aerc.1.scd
+++ b/doc/aerc.1.scd
@@ -392,8 +392,18 @@ message list, the message in the message viewer, etc).
 	at the bottom of the message viewer.
 
 *open* [args...]
-	Saves the current message part in a temporary file and opens it
-	with the system handler. Any given args are forwarded to the open handler
+	Saves the current message part to a temporary file, then opens it. If no
+	arguments are provided, it will open the current MIME part with the
+	matching command in the *[openers]* section of _aerc.conf_. When no match
+	is found in *[openers]*, it falls back to the default system handler.
+
+	When arguments are provided:
+
+	- The first argument must be the program to open the message part with.
+	  Subsequent args are passed to that program.
+	- *{}* will be expanded as the temporary filename to be opened. If it is
+	  not encountered in the arguments, the temporary filename will be
+	  appened to the end of the command.
 
 *save* [-fpa] <path>
 	Saves the current message part to the given path.
diff --git a/lib/open.go b/lib/open.go
index a189980..e091d91 100644
--- a/lib/open.go
+++ b/lib/open.go
@@ -4,16 +4,48 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os/exec"
 	"runtime"
+	"strings"
 
 	"git.sr.ht/~rjarry/aerc/logging"
 )
 
 func XDGOpen(uri string) error {
-	openBin := "xdg-open"
-	if runtime.GOOS == "darwin" {
-		openBin = "open"
+	return XDGOpenMime(uri, "", nil, nil)
+}
+
+func XDGOpenMime(
+	uri string, mimeType string,
+	openers map[string][]string, args []string,
+) error {
+	if len(args) == 0 {
+		// no explicit command provided, lookup opener from mime type
+		opener, ok := openers[mimeType]
+		if ok {
+			args = opener
+		} else {
+			// no opener defined in config, fallback to default
+			if runtime.GOOS == "darwin" {
+				args = append(args, "open")
+			} else {
+				args = append(args, "xdg-open")
+			}
+		}
 	}
-	args := []string{openBin, uri}
+
+	i := 0
+	for ; i < len(args); i++ {
+		if strings.Contains(args[i], "{}") {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	if i < len(args) {
+		// found {} placeholder in args, replace with uri
+		args[i] = strings.Replace(args[i], "{}", uri, 1)
+	} else {
+		// no {} placeholder in args, add uri at the end
+		args = append(args, uri)
+	}
+
 	logging.Infof("running command: %v", args)
 	cmd := exec.Command(args[0], args[1:]...)
 	out, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()