diff --git a/src/client/ui/main-window.vala b/src/client/ui/main-window.vala
index fee64804..abccf574 100644
--- a/src/client/ui/main-window.vala
+++ b/src/client/ui/main-window.vala
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ public class MainWindow : Gtk.Window {
         
         yield current_folder.open_async(true);
         
-        current_folder.lazy_list_email_async(1, 1000, Geary.Email.Field.ENVELOPE,
+        current_folder.lazy_list_email_async(1, 1000, MessageListStore.REQUIRED_FIELDS,
             on_list_email_ready);
     }
     
diff --git a/src/client/ui/message-list-store.vala b/src/client/ui/message-list-store.vala
index 3a69a73f..94f3c422 100644
--- a/src/client/ui/message-list-store.vala
+++ b/src/client/ui/message-list-store.vala
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@
  */
 
 public class MessageListStore : Gtk.TreeStore {
+    public const Geary.Email.Field REQUIRED_FIELDS =
+        Geary.Email.Field.ENVELOPE | Geary.Email.Field.PROPERTIES;
+    
     public enum Column {
         DATE,
         FROM,
@@ -56,17 +59,28 @@ public class MessageListStore : Gtk.TreeStore {
         set_sort_column_id(TreeSortable.DEFAULT_SORT_COLUMN_ID, Gtk.SortType.DESCENDING);
     }
     
-    // The Email should've been fetched with Geary.Email.Field.ENVELOPE, at least.
+    // The Email should've been fetched with REQUIRED_FIELDS.
     public void append_envelope(Geary.Email envelope) {
         assert(envelope.fields.fulfills(Geary.Email.Field.ENVELOPE));
         
         Gtk.TreeIter iter;
         append(out iter, null);
         
+        string? pre = null;;
+        string? post = null;
+        if (envelope.properties != null) {
+            pre = envelope.properties.is_unread() ? "<b>" : null;
+            post = envelope.properties.is_unread() ? "</b>" : null;
+        }
+        
+        string date = to_markup(Date.pretty_print(envelope.date.value), pre, post);
+        string from = to_markup(envelope.from[0].get_short_address(), pre, post);
+        string subject = to_markup(envelope.subject.value, pre, post);
+        
         set(iter,
-            Column.DATE, Date.pretty_print(envelope.date.value),
-            Column.FROM, envelope.from[0].get_short_address(),
-            Column.SUBJECT, envelope.subject.value,
+            Column.DATE, date,
+            Column.FROM, from,
+            Column.SUBJECT, subject,
             Column.MESSAGE_OBJECT, envelope
         );
     }
@@ -96,5 +110,13 @@ public class MessageListStore : Gtk.TreeStore {
         // stabilize sort by using the mail's position, which is always unique in a folder
         return aenvelope.location.position - benvelope.location.position;
     }
+    
+    private static string to_markup(string str, string? pre = null, string? post = null) {
+        return "%s%s%s".printf(
+            (pre != null) ? pre : "",
+            Markup.escape_text(str),
+            (post != null) ? post : ""
+        );
+    }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/client/ui/message-list-view.vala b/src/client/ui/message-list-view.vala
index de4aa7fb..a1bf0e40 100644
--- a/src/client/ui/message-list-view.vala
+++ b/src/client/ui/message-list-view.vala
@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@ public class MessageListView : Gtk.TreeView {
         Gtk.CellRendererText date_renderer = new Gtk.CellRendererText();
         date_renderer.xalign = 1.0f;
         append_column(create_column(MessageListStore.Column.FROM, new Gtk.CellRendererText(),
-            "text", 200));
+            "markup", 200));
         append_column(create_column(MessageListStore.Column.SUBJECT, new Gtk.CellRendererText(),
-            "text", 400));
-        append_column(create_column(MessageListStore.Column.DATE, date_renderer, "text", 100));
+            "markup", 400));
+        append_column(create_column(MessageListStore.Column.DATE, date_renderer, "markup", 100));
         
         get_selection().changed.connect(on_selection_changed);
     }
diff --git a/src/engine/api/geary-email-properties.vala b/src/engine/api/geary-email-properties.vala
index 18aefa44..7d38939d 100644
--- a/src/engine/api/geary-email-properties.vala
+++ b/src/engine/api/geary-email-properties.vala
@@ -5,5 +5,9 @@
  */
 
 public abstract class Geary.EmailProperties : Object {
+    public EmailProperties() {
+    }
+    
+    public abstract bool is_unread();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/engine/imap/api/imap-email-properties.vala b/src/engine/imap/api/imap-email-properties.vala
index 48559b21..38a7cb76 100644
--- a/src/engine/imap/api/imap-email-properties.vala
+++ b/src/engine/imap/api/imap-email-properties.vala
@@ -10,5 +10,9 @@ public class Geary.Imap.EmailProperties : Geary.EmailProperties {
     public EmailProperties(MessageFlags flags) {
         this.flags = flags;
     }
+    
+    public override bool is_unread() {
+        return !flags.contains(MessageFlag.SEEN);
+    }
 }