diff --git a/melib/src/email.rs b/melib/src/email.rs
index 9c3c68b35..90de20713 100644
--- a/melib/src/email.rs
+++ b/melib/src/email.rs
@@ -771,8 +771,8 @@ impl Envelope {
         self.timestamp = new_val.timestamp() as UnixTimestamp;
     }
     pub fn set_flag(&mut self, f: Flag, mut operation: Box<BackendOp>) -> Result<()> {
+        self.flags.toggle(f);
         operation.set_flag(self, f)?;
-        self.flags |= f;
         Ok(())
     }
     pub fn flags(&self) -> Flag {
@@ -781,6 +781,9 @@ impl Envelope {
     pub fn set_seen(&mut self, operation: Box<BackendOp>) -> Result<()> {
         self.set_flag(Flag::SEEN, operation)
     }
+    pub fn set_unseen(&mut self, operation: Box<BackendOp>) -> Result<()> {
+        self.set_flag(Flag::SEEN, operation)
+    }
     pub fn is_seen(&self) -> bool {
         self.flags.contains(Flag::SEEN)
     }
diff --git a/ui/src/components/mail/listing/compact.rs b/ui/src/components/mail/listing/compact.rs
index 36efe45ec..7c6568568 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/mail/listing/compact.rs
+++ b/ui/src/components/mail/listing/compact.rs
@@ -1145,6 +1145,63 @@ impl Component for CompactListing {
                     self.filter(filter_term, context);
                     self.dirty = true;
                 }
+                Action::Listing(a @ SetRead)
+                | Action::Listing(a @ SetUnread)
+                | Action::Listing(a @ Delete) => {
+                    let account = &mut context.accounts[self.cursor_pos.0];
+                    let folder_hash = account[self.cursor_pos.1]
+                        .as_ref()
+                        .map(|m| m.folder.hash())
+                        .unwrap();
+                    let threads = &account.collection.threads[&folder_hash];
+                    let i = if self.filtered_selection.is_empty() {
+                        let thread_node = threads.root_set(self.cursor_pos.2);
+                        let thread_node = &threads.thread_nodes()[&thread_node];
+                        if let Some(i) = thread_node.message() {
+                            i
+                        } else {
+                            let mut iter_ptr = thread_node.children()[0];
+                            while threads.thread_nodes()[&iter_ptr].message().is_none() {
+                                iter_ptr = threads.thread_nodes()[&iter_ptr].children()[0];
+                            }
+                            threads.thread_nodes()[&iter_ptr].message().unwrap()
+                        }
+                    } else {
+                        self.filtered_selection[self.cursor_pos.2]
+                    };
+                    if !account.contains_key(i) {
+                        /* The envelope has been renamed or removed, so wait for the appropriate event to
+                         * arrive */
+                        return true;
+                    }
+                    match a {
+                        SetRead => {
+                            let (hash, is_seen) = {
+                                let envelope: &Envelope = &account.get_env(&i);
+                                (envelope.hash(), envelope.is_seen())
+                            };
+                            if !is_seen {
+                                let op = account.operation(hash);
+                                let envelope: &mut Envelope = &mut account.get_env_mut(&i);
+                                envelope.set_seen(op).unwrap();
+                            }
+                        }
+                        SetUnread => {
+                            let (hash, is_seen) = {
+                                let envelope: &Envelope = &account.get_env(&i);
+                                (envelope.hash(), envelope.is_seen())
+                            };
+                            if is_seen {
+                                let op = account.operation(hash);
+                                let envelope: &mut Envelope = &mut account.get_env_mut(&i);
+                                envelope.set_unseen(op).unwrap();
+                            }
+                        }
+                        Delete => { /* do nothing */ }
+                        _ => unreachable!(),
+                    }
+                }
+
                 _ => {}
             },
             UIEvent::Input(Key::Esc) => {
diff --git a/ui/src/execute.rs b/ui/src/execute.rs
index d74da6485..c48b27395 100644
--- a/ui/src/execute.rs
+++ b/ui/src/execute.rs
@@ -90,6 +90,10 @@ named!(
     toggle<Action>,
     preceded!(tag!("set "), alt_complete!(threaded | plain | compact))
 );
+named!(
+    listing_action<Action>,
+    alt_complete!(toggle | envelope_action | filter | toggle_thread_snooze)
+);
 
 named!(
     toggle_thread_snooze<Action>,
@@ -118,6 +122,19 @@ named!(
     )
 );
 
+named!(
+    envelope_action<Action>,
+    alt_complete!(
+        preceded!(
+            ws!(tag!("set")),
+            alt_complete!(
+                map!(ws!(tag!("read")), |_| Listing(SetRead))
+                    | map!(ws!(tag!("unread")), |_| Listing(SetUnread))
+            )
+        ) | map!(ws!(tag!("delete")), |_| Listing(Delete))
+    )
+);
+
 named!(pub parse_command<Action>,
-    alt_complete!( goto | toggle | sort | subsort | close | toggle_thread_snooze | mailinglist |filter)
+    alt_complete!( goto | listing_action | sort | subsort | close | mailinglist)
         );
diff --git a/ui/src/execute/actions.rs b/ui/src/execute/actions.rs
index d7de81f92..5b17a9473 100644
--- a/ui/src/execute/actions.rs
+++ b/ui/src/execute/actions.rs
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ pub enum ListingAction {
     SetThreaded,
     SetCompact,
     Filter(String),
+    SetRead,
+    SetUnread,
+    Delete,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug)]