diff --git a/docs/MANUAL.rst b/docs/MANUAL.rst
index 62b0d3b..26f31a6 100644
--- a/docs/MANUAL.rst
+++ b/docs/MANUAL.rst
@@ -288,6 +288,17 @@ KNOWN BUGS
     last stable version and send us a report to the mailing list including the
     full log.
 
+* IDLE support is incomplete and experimental.  Bugs may be encountered.
+
+  * No hook exists for "run after an IDLE response".  Email will
+    show up, but may not be processed until the next refresh cycle.
+
+  * nametrans may not be supported correctly.
+
+  * IMAP IDLE <-> IMAP IDLE doesn't work yet.
+
+  * IDLE may only work "once" per refresh.  If you encounter this bug,
+    please send a report to the list!
 
 SEE ALSO
 ========
diff --git a/offlineimap.conf b/offlineimap.conf
index 33a0810..9329c66 100644
--- a/offlineimap.conf
+++ b/offlineimap.conf
@@ -364,6 +364,23 @@ remoteuser = username
 #
 # reference = Mail
 
+# In between synchronisations, OfflineIMAP can monitor mailboxes for new
+# messages using the IDLE command. If you want to enable this, specify here
+# the folders you wish to monitor. Note that the IMAP protocol requires a
+# separate connection for each folder monitored in this way, so setting
+# this option will force settings for:
+#     maxconnections - to be at least the number of folders you give
+#     holdconnectionopen - to be true
+#     keepalive - to be 29 minutes unless you specify otherwise
+#
+# This feature isn't complete and may well have problems. BE AWARE THIS
+# IS EXPERIMENTAL STUFF.  See the manual for more details.
+#
+# This option should return a Python list. For example
+#
+# idlefolders = ['INBOX', 'INBOX.Alerts']
+#
+
 # OfflineIMAP can use multiple connections to the server in order
 # to perform multiple synchronization actions simultaneously.
 # This may place a higher burden on the server.  In most cases,
diff --git a/offlineimap/imapserver.py b/offlineimap/imapserver.py
index 7703879..58e7e57 100644
--- a/offlineimap/imapserver.py
+++ b/offlineimap/imapserver.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ class IMAPServer:
                  username = None, password = None, hostname = None,
                  port = None, ssl = 1, maxconnections = 1, tunnel = None,
                  reference = '""', sslclientcert = None, sslclientkey = None,
-                 sslcacertfile= None):
+                 sslcacertfile = None, idlefolders = []):
         self.ui = getglobalui()
         self.reposname = reposname
         self.config = config
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ class IMAPServer:
         self.semaphore = BoundedSemaphore(self.maxconnections)
         self.connectionlock = Lock()
         self.reference = reference
+        self.idlefolders = idlefolders
         self.gss_step = self.GSS_STATE_STEP
         self.gss_vc = None
         self.gssapi = False
@@ -386,6 +387,7 @@ class ConfigedIMAPServer(IMAPServer):
             sslclientkey = self.repos.getsslclientkey()
             sslcacertfile = self.repos.getsslcacertfile()
         reference = self.repos.getreference()
+        idlefolders = self.repos.getidlefolders()
         server = None
         password = None
         
@@ -397,6 +399,7 @@ class ConfigedIMAPServer(IMAPServer):
             IMAPServer.__init__(self, self.config, self.repos.getname(),
                                 tunnel = usetunnel,
                                 reference = reference,
+                                idlefolders = idlefolders,
                                 maxconnections = self.repos.getmaxconnections())
         else:
             if not password:
@@ -405,6 +408,7 @@ class ConfigedIMAPServer(IMAPServer):
                                 user, password, host, port, ssl,
                                 self.repos.getmaxconnections(),
                                 reference = reference,
+                                idlefolders = idlefolders,
                                 sslclientcert = sslclientcert,
                                 sslclientkey = sslclientkey,
                                 sslcacertfile = sslcacertfile)
diff --git a/offlineimap/repository/IMAP.py b/offlineimap/repository/IMAP.py
index 0bc84eb..1d40a8f 100644
--- a/offlineimap/repository/IMAP.py
+++ b/offlineimap/repository/IMAP.py
@@ -79,9 +79,13 @@ class IMAPRepository(BaseRepository):
         self.imapserver.close()
 
     def getholdconnectionopen(self):
+        if self.getidlefolders():
+            return 1
         return self.getconfboolean("holdconnectionopen", 0)
 
     def getkeepalive(self):
+        if self.getidlefolders():
+            return 29*60
         return self.getconfint("keepalive", 0)
 
     def getsep(self):
@@ -163,8 +167,14 @@ class IMAPRepository(BaseRepository):
     def getreference(self):
         return self.getconf('reference', '""')
 
+    def getidlefolders(self):
+        localeval = self.localeval
+        return localeval.eval(self.getconf('idlefolders', '[]'))
+
     def getmaxconnections(self):
-        return self.getconfint('maxconnections', 1)
+        num1 = len(self.getidlefolders())
+        num2 = self.getconfint('maxconnections', 1)
+        return max(num1, num2)
 
     def getexpunge(self):
         return self.getconfboolean('expunge', 1)