diff --git a/doc/aerc-config.5.scd b/doc/aerc-config.5.scd
index d13587c..518fe51 100644
--- a/doc/aerc-config.5.scd
+++ b/doc/aerc-config.5.scd
@@ -254,7 +254,8 @@ These options are configured in the *[ui]* section of aerc.conf.
 	Have a look at *aerc-stylesets*(7) as to how a styleset looks like.
 
 *icon-unencrypted*
-	The icon to display for unencrypted mails.
+	The icon to display for unencrypted mails. The status indicator is only
+	displayed if an icon is set.
 
 	Default: ""
 
@@ -271,9 +272,10 @@ These options are configured in the *[ui]* section of aerc.conf.
 
 *icon-signed-encrypted*
 	The icon to display for signed and encrypted mails where the signature
-	was successfully verified.
+	was successfully verified. The combined icon is only used if set,
+	otherwise the signed and encrypted icons are displayed separately.
 
-	Default: [s|e]
+	Default: ""
 
 *icon-unknown*
 	The icon to display for signed mails which could not be verified due to
diff --git a/widgets/msgviewer.go b/widgets/msgviewer.go
index 0e6af5b..d88785c 100644
--- a/widgets/msgviewer.go
+++ b/widgets/msgviewer.go
@@ -93,9 +93,9 @@ func NewMessageViewer(acct *AccountView,
 		{Strategy: ui.SIZE_EXACT, Size: ui.Const(headerHeight)},
 	}
 
-	if msg.MessageDetails() != nil {
+	if msg.MessageDetails() != nil || conf.Ui.IconUnencrypted != "" {
 		height := 1
-		if msg.MessageDetails().IsSigned && msg.MessageDetails().IsEncrypted {
+		if msg.MessageDetails() != nil && msg.MessageDetails().IsSigned && msg.MessageDetails().IsEncrypted {
 			height = 2
 		}
 		rows = append(rows, ui.GridSpec{Strategy: ui.SIZE_EXACT, Size: ui.Const(height)})
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ func NewMessageViewer(acct *AccountView,
 	borderChar := acct.UiConfig().BorderCharHorizontal
 
 	grid.AddChild(header).At(0, 0)
-	if msg.MessageDetails() != nil {
+	if msg.MessageDetails() != nil || conf.Ui.IconUnencrypted != "" {
 		grid.AddChild(NewPGPInfo(msg.MessageDetails(), acct.UiConfig())).At(1, 0)
 		grid.AddChild(ui.NewFill(borderChar, borderStyle)).At(2, 0)
 		grid.AddChild(switcher).At(3, 0)
diff --git a/widgets/pgpinfo.go b/widgets/pgpinfo.go
index 38118b7..2b21c22 100644
--- a/widgets/pgpinfo.go
+++ b/widgets/pgpinfo.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ func (p *PGPInfo) DrawSignature(ctx *ui.Context) {
 			p.details.SignatureError)
 	} else {
 		icon := p.uiConfig.IconSigned
-		if p.details.IsEncrypted {
+		if p.details.IsEncrypted && p.uiConfig.IconSignedEncrypted != "" {
 			icon = p.uiConfig.IconSignedEncrypted
 		}
 		x := ctx.Printf(0, 0, validStyle, "%s Authentic ", icon)
@@ -55,29 +55,34 @@ func (p *PGPInfo) DrawEncryption(ctx *ui.Context, y int) {
 	validStyle := p.uiConfig.GetStyle(config.STYLE_SUCCESS)
 	defaultStyle := p.uiConfig.GetStyle(config.STYLE_DEFAULT)
 
+	// if a sign-encrypt combination icon is set, use that
 	icon := p.uiConfig.IconEncrypted
-	if p.details.IsSigned && p.details.SignatureValidity == models.Valid {
+	if p.details.IsSigned && p.details.SignatureValidity == models.Valid && p.uiConfig.IconSignedEncrypted != "" {
 		icon = strings.Repeat(" ", utf8.RuneCountInString(p.uiConfig.IconSignedEncrypted))
 	}
 
-	x := ctx.Printf(0, y, validStyle, "%s Encrypted ", icon)
-	x += ctx.Printf(x, y, defaultStyle,
-		"To %s (%8X) ", p.details.DecryptedWith, p.details.DecryptedWithKeyId)
+	x := ctx.Printf(0, y, validStyle, "%s Encrypted", icon)
+	x += ctx.Printf(x+1, y, defaultStyle, "To %s (%8X) ", p.details.DecryptedWith, p.details.DecryptedWithKeyId)
 	if !p.details.IsSigned {
-		x += ctx.Printf(x, y, warningStyle,
-			"(message not signed!)")
+		x += ctx.Printf(x, y, warningStyle, "(message not signed!)")
 	}
 }
 
 func (p *PGPInfo) Draw(ctx *ui.Context) {
+	warningStyle := p.uiConfig.GetStyle(config.STYLE_WARNING)
 	defaultStyle := p.uiConfig.GetStyle(config.STYLE_DEFAULT)
 	ctx.Fill(0, 0, ctx.Width(), ctx.Height(), ' ', defaultStyle)
-	if p.details.IsSigned && p.details.IsEncrypted {
+
+	switch {
+	case p.details == nil && p.uiConfig.IconUnencrypted != "":
+		x := ctx.Printf(0, 0, warningStyle, "%s ", p.uiConfig.IconUnencrypted)
+		ctx.Printf(x, 0, defaultStyle, "message unencrypted and unsigned")
+	case p.details.IsSigned && p.details.IsEncrypted:
 		p.DrawSignature(ctx)
 		p.DrawEncryption(ctx, 1)
-	} else if p.details.IsSigned {
+	case p.details.IsSigned:
 		p.DrawSignature(ctx)
-	} else if p.details.IsEncrypted {
+	case p.details.IsEncrypted:
 		p.DrawEncryption(ctx, 0)
 	}
 }