diff --git a/config/style.go b/config/style.go
index fc6f7db..71d39dc 100644
--- a/config/style.go
+++ b/config/style.go
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ const (
 	STYLE_MSGLIST_MARKED
 
 	STYLE_DIRLIST_DEFAULT
+	STYLE_DIRLIST_UNREAD
+	STYLE_DIRLIST_RECENT
 
 	STYLE_COMPLETION_DEFAULT
 	STYLE_COMPLETION_GUTTER
@@ -73,6 +75,8 @@ var StyleNames = map[string]StyleObject{
 	"msglist_marked":  STYLE_MSGLIST_MARKED,
 
 	"dirlist_default": STYLE_DIRLIST_DEFAULT,
+	"dirlist_unread":  STYLE_DIRLIST_UNREAD,
+	"dirlist_recent":  STYLE_DIRLIST_RECENT,
 
 	"completion_default": STYLE_COMPLETION_DEFAULT,
 	"completion_gutter":  STYLE_COMPLETION_GUTTER,
diff --git a/doc/aerc-stylesets.7.scd b/doc/aerc-stylesets.7.scd
index 598a770..3fa5cb8 100644
--- a/doc/aerc-stylesets.7.scd
+++ b/doc/aerc-stylesets.7.scd
@@ -115,6 +115,10 @@ styling.
 :  The messages with the marked flag.
 |  dirlist_default
 :  The default style for directories in the directory list.
+|  dirlist_unread
+:  The style used for directories with unread messages
+|  dirlist_recent
+:  The style used for directories with recent messages
 |  completion_default
 :  The default style for the completion engine.
 |  completion_gutter
@@ -176,8 +180,8 @@ If we specify the global style selected modifer using fnmatch as below:
 This toggles the reverse switch for selected version of all the style objects.
 
 ## Layered styles
-Some styles, (currently only the `msglist\*` ones) are applied in layers. If
-a style differs from the base (in this case `msglist_default`) then that style
+Some styles, (currently the `msglist\*` and `dirlist\*` ones) are applied in layers. If
+a style differs from the base (in this case `\{msglist|dirlist\}_default`) then that style
 applies, unless overridden by a higher layer. The order that `msglist` styles
 are applied in is, from first to last:
 
@@ -190,7 +194,13 @@ msglist_deleted
 msglist_marked
 ```
 
-So, the marked style will override all other msglist styles.
+So, the marked style will override all other msglist styles. The order for `dirlist` styles is:
+
+```
+dirlist_default
+dirlist_unread
+dirlist_recent
+```
 
 ## Colors
 The color values are set using the values accepted by the tcell library.
diff --git a/widgets/dirlist.go b/widgets/dirlist.go
index b6c09dd..5ddb136 100644
--- a/widgets/dirlist.go
+++ b/widgets/dirlist.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"regexp"
 	"sort"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/gdamore/tcell/v2"
@@ -293,14 +294,24 @@ func (dirlist *DirectoryList) Draw(ctx *ui.Context) {
 			break
 		}
 
-		style := dirlist.UiConfig().GetStyle(config.STYLE_DIRLIST_DEFAULT)
+		dirStyle := []config.StyleObject{}
+		s := dirlist.getRUEString(name)
+		switch strings.Count(s, "/") {
+		case 1:
+			dirStyle = append(dirStyle, config.STYLE_DIRLIST_UNREAD)
+		case 2:
+			dirStyle = append(dirStyle, config.STYLE_DIRLIST_RECENT)
+		}
+		style := dirlist.UiConfig().GetComposedStyle(
+			config.STYLE_DIRLIST_DEFAULT, dirStyle)
 		if name == dirlist.selecting {
-			style = dirlist.UiConfig().GetStyleSelected(config.STYLE_DIRLIST_DEFAULT)
+			style = dirlist.UiConfig().GetComposedStyleSelected(
+				config.STYLE_DIRLIST_DEFAULT, dirStyle)
 		}
 		ctx.Fill(0, row, textWidth, 1, ' ', style)
 
 		dirString := dirlist.getDirString(name, textWidth, func() string {
-			return dirlist.getRUEString(name)
+			return s
 		})
 
 		ctx.Printf(0, row, style, dirString)
diff --git a/widgets/dirtree.go b/widgets/dirtree.go
index cf4575f..24094e5 100644
--- a/widgets/dirtree.go
+++ b/widgets/dirtree.go
@@ -90,15 +90,26 @@ func (dt *DirectoryTree) Draw(ctx *ui.Context) {
 		name := dt.displayText(node)
 		rowNr++
 
-		style := dt.UiConfig().GetStyle(config.STYLE_DIRLIST_DEFAULT)
+		dirStyle := []config.StyleObject{}
+		path := dt.getDirectory(node)
+		s := dt.getRUEString(path)
+		switch strings.Count(s, "/") {
+		case 1:
+			dirStyle = append(dirStyle, config.STYLE_DIRLIST_UNREAD)
+		case 2:
+			dirStyle = append(dirStyle, config.STYLE_DIRLIST_RECENT)
+		}
+		style := dt.UiConfig().GetComposedStyle(
+			config.STYLE_DIRLIST_DEFAULT, dirStyle)
 		if i == dt.listIdx {
-			style = dt.UiConfig().GetStyleSelected(config.STYLE_DIRLIST_DEFAULT)
+			style = dt.UiConfig().GetComposedStyleSelected(
+				config.STYLE_DIRLIST_DEFAULT, dirStyle)
 		}
 		ctx.Fill(0, row, textWidth, 1, ' ', style)
 
 		dirString := dt.getDirString(name, textWidth, func() string {
-			if path := dt.getDirectory(node); path != "" {
-				return dt.getRUEString(path)
+			if path != "" {
+				return s
 			}
 			return ""
 		})