diff --git a/po/POTFILES.in b/po/POTFILES.in
index d976d5c2..d74839ae 100644
--- a/po/POTFILES.in
+++ b/po/POTFILES.in
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ src/client/util/util-files.vala
 src/client/util/util-gravatar.vala
 src/client/util/util-gtk.vala
 src/client/util/util-international.vala
+src/client/util/util-migrate.vala
 src/client/util/util-random.vala
 src/client/util/util-webkit.vala
 src/console/main.vala
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 0f1e7a19..51396b4b 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -403,6 +403,7 @@ client/util/util-gtk.vala
 client/util/util-international.vala
 client/util/util-random.vala
 client/util/util-webkit.vala
+client/util/util-migrate.vala
 )
 
 set(CONSOLE_SRC
diff --git a/src/client/application/geary-controller.vala b/src/client/application/geary-controller.vala
index 2080f274..4b4fac3f 100644
--- a/src/client/application/geary-controller.vala
+++ b/src/client/application/geary-controller.vala
@@ -245,7 +245,15 @@ public class GearyController : Geary.BaseObject {
         
         // initialize revokable
         save_revokable(null, null);
-        
+
+        // Migrate configuration if necessary.
+        try {
+            Migrate.xdg_config_dir(GearyApplication.instance.get_user_data_directory(),
+                GearyApplication.instance.get_user_config_directory());
+        } catch (Error e) {
+            error("Error migrating configuration directories: %s", e.message);
+        }
+
         // Start Geary.
         try {
             yield Geary.Engine.instance.open_async(GearyApplication.instance.get_user_data_directory(), 
diff --git a/src/client/util/util-migrate.vala b/src/client/util/util-migrate.vala
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1d92f546
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/client/util/util-migrate.vala
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+/* Copyright 2016 Software Freedom Conservancy Inc.
+ *
+ * This software is licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License
+ * (version 2.1 or later).  See the COPYING file in this distribution.
+ */
+
+namespace Migrate {
+    private const string GROUP = "AccountInformation";
+    private const string PRIMARY_EMAIL_KEY = "primary_email";
+    private const string SETTINGS_FILENAME = Geary.AccountInformation.SETTINGS_FILENAME;
+    private const string MIGRATED_FILENAME = ".config_migrated";
+
+    /**
+     * Migrates geary.ini to the XDG configuration directory with the account's email address
+     *
+     * This function iterates through all the account directories in $XDG_DATA_DIR and copies over
+     * geary.ini to ~/.config/geary/<account>/geary.ini. Note that it leaves the
+     * original file untouched.
+     * It also appends a "primary_email" key to the new configuration file to reliaby keep
+     * track of the user's email address.
+     */
+    public static void xdg_config_dir(File user_data_dir, File user_config_dir) throws Error {
+        File new_config_dir;
+        File old_data_dir;
+        File new_config_file;
+        File old_config_file;
+
+        // Create ~/.config/geary
+        try {
+            user_config_dir.make_directory_with_parents();
+        } catch (Error err) {
+            // The user may have already created the directory, so don't throw EXISTS.
+            if (!(err is IOError.EXISTS))
+                throw err;
+        }
+
+        FileEnumerator enumerator;
+        enumerator = user_data_dir.enumerate_children ("standard::*",
+            FileQueryInfoFlags.NOFOLLOW_SYMLINKS, null);
+
+        FileInfo? info;
+        string email;
+        File is_migrated;
+        while ((info = enumerator.next_file(null)) != null) {
+            if (info.get_file_type() != FileType.DIRECTORY)
+                continue;
+
+            email = info.get_name();
+
+            // Skip the directory if its name is not a valid email address.
+            if (!Geary.RFC822.MailboxAddress.is_valid_address(email))
+                continue;
+
+            old_data_dir = user_data_dir.get_child(email);
+            new_config_dir = user_config_dir.get_child(email);
+
+            // Skip the directory if ~/.local/share/geary/<account>/geary.ini does not exist.
+            old_config_file = old_data_dir.get_child(SETTINGS_FILENAME);
+            if (!old_config_file.query_exists())
+                continue;
+
+            // Skip the directory if ~/.local/share/geary/<account>/.config_migrated exists.
+            is_migrated = old_data_dir.get_child(MIGRATED_FILENAME);
+            if (is_migrated.query_exists())
+                continue;
+
+            if (!new_config_dir.query_exists()) {
+                try {
+                    new_config_dir.make_directory_with_parents();
+                } catch (Error e) {
+                    debug("Cannot make directory, %s", e.message);
+                    continue;
+                }
+            }
+
+            new_config_file = new_config_dir.get_child(SETTINGS_FILENAME);
+            if (new_config_file.query_exists())
+                continue;
+
+            try {
+                old_config_file.copy(new_config_file, FileCopyFlags.NONE);
+            } catch (Error err) {
+                debug("Error copying over to %s", new_config_dir.get_path());
+                continue;
+            }
+            KeyFile key_file = new KeyFile();
+            try {
+                key_file.load_from_file(new_config_file.get_path(), KeyFileFlags.NONE);
+            } catch (Error err) {
+                debug("Error opening %s", new_config_file.get_path());
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            // Write the primary email key in the new config file.
+            key_file.set_value(GROUP, PRIMARY_EMAIL_KEY, email);
+            string data = key_file.to_data();
+            try {
+                new_config_file.replace_contents(data.data, null, false, FileCreateFlags.NONE,
+                null);
+            } catch (Error e) {
+                debug("Error writing email %s to config file", email);
+                continue;
+            }
+            is_migrated.create(FileCreateFlags.PRIVATE);
+        }
+    }
+}