diff --git a/commands/account/recover.go b/commands/account/recover.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a167d50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/commands/account/recover.go
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+package account
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"errors"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+
+	"git.sr.ht/~rjarry/aerc/models"
+	"git.sr.ht/~rjarry/aerc/widgets"
+	"git.sr.ht/~sircmpwn/getopt"
+)
+
+type Recover struct{}
+
+func init() {
+	register(Recover{})
+}
+
+func (Recover) Aliases() []string {
+	return []string{"recover"}
+}
+
+func (Recover) Complete(aerc *widgets.Aerc, args []string) []string {
+	// file name of temp file is hard-coded in the NewComposer() function
+	files, err := filepath.Glob(
+		filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), "aerc-compose-*.eml"),
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		return []string{}
+	}
+	arg := strings.Join(args, " ")
+	if arg != "" {
+		for i, file := range files {
+			files[i] = strings.Join([]string{arg, file}, " ")
+		}
+	}
+	return files
+}
+
+func (Recover) Execute(aerc *widgets.Aerc, args []string) error {
+	if len(Recover{}.Complete(aerc, args)) == 0 {
+		return errors.New("No messages to recover.")
+	}
+
+	force := false
+
+	opts, optind, err := getopt.Getopts(args, "f")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	for _, opt := range opts {
+		switch opt.Option {
+		case 'f':
+			force = true
+		}
+	}
+
+	if len(args) <= optind {
+		return errors.New("Usage: recover [-f] <file>")
+	}
+
+	acct := aerc.SelectedAccount()
+	if acct == nil {
+		return errors.New("No account selected")
+	}
+
+	readData := func() ([]byte, error) {
+		recoverFile, err := os.Open(args[optind])
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		defer recoverFile.Close()
+		data, err := ioutil.ReadAll(recoverFile)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		return data, nil
+	}
+	data, err := readData()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	composer, err := widgets.NewComposer(aerc, acct,
+		aerc.Config(), acct.AccountConfig(), acct.Worker(),
+		"", nil, models.OriginalMail{})
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	tab := aerc.NewTab(composer, "Recovered")
+	composer.OnHeaderChange("Subject", func(subject string) {
+		tab.Name = subject
+		tab.Content.Invalidate()
+	})
+	go composer.AppendContents(bytes.NewReader(data))
+
+	// remove file if force flag is set
+	if force {
+		err = os.Remove(args[optind])
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}