diff --git a/mu4e/Makefile.am b/mu4e/Makefile.am
index ffb5cfa8..3ccc47b1 100644
--- a/mu4e/Makefile.am
+++ b/mu4e/Makefile.am
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ mu4e_TEXINFOS=fdl.texi
 dist_lisp_LISP=			\
 	mu4e-actions.el		\
 	mu4e-compose.el		\
+	mu4e-context.el		\
 	mu4e-contrib.el		\
 	mu4e-draft.el		\
 	mu4e-headers.el		\
diff --git a/mu4e/mu4e-context.el b/mu4e/mu4e-context.el
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8e4d76da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mu4e/mu4e-context.el
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+; mu4e-context.el -- part of mu4e, the mu mail user agent
+;;
+;; Copyright (C) 2015 Dirk-Jan C. Binnema
+
+;; Author: Dirk-Jan C. Binnema <djcb@djcbsoftware.nl>
+;; Maintainer: Dirk-Jan C. Binnema <djcb@djcbsoftware.nl>
+
+;; This file is not part of GNU Emacs.
+;;
+;; GNU Emacs is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+;; it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+;; the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+;; (at your option) any later version.
+
+;; GNU Emacs is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+;; but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+;; MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+;; GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+;; You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+;; along with GNU Emacs.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+;;; Commentary:
+
+;; A mu4e 'context' is a a set of variable-settings and hooks, which can be used e.g. to switch
+;; between accounts.
+
+(require 'cl)
+(require 'mu4e-utils)
+
+(defvar mu4e-contexts nil "The list of context objects.")
+
+(defvar mu4e~context-current nil
+  "The current context. Use `mu4e-context-switch' to change it.")
+
+(defun mu4e-context-current ()
+  "Get the currently active context, or nil if there is none."
+  mu4e~context-current)
+
+(defun mu4e-context-label ()
+  "Propertized string with the current context name, or \"\" if
+  there is none."
+  (if (mu4e-context-current)
+    (concat "[" (propertize (mu4e-context-name (mu4e-context-current))
+		  'face 'mu4e-title-face) "]") ""))
+
+(defstruct mu4e-context
+  "A mu4e context object with the following members:
+- `name': the name of the context, eg. \"Work\" or \"Private\".'
+- `enter-func': a parameterless function invoked when entering this context, or nil
+- `leave-func':a parameterless fuction invoked when leaving this context, or nil
+- `match-func': a function called when comnposing a new messages, and takes a message plist
+for the message replied to or forwarded, and nil otherwise. Before composing a new message,
+`mu4e' switches to the first context for which `match-func' return t."
+  name                      ;; name of the context, e.g. "work"
+  (enter-func nil)          ;; function invoked when entering the context
+  (leave-func nil)          ;; function invoked when leaving the context
+  (match-func nil)          ;; function that takes a msg-proplist, and return t
+  ;; if it matches, nil otherwise
+  vars)                     ;; alist of variables.
+
+(defun mu4e-context-switch (&optional name)
+  "Switch context to a context with NAME which is part of
+`mu4e-contexts'; if NAME is nil, query user."
+  (interactive)
+  (unless mu4e-contexts
+    (mu4e-error "No contexts defined"))
+  (let* ((names (map 'list (lambda (context)
+			     (cons (mu4e-context-name context) context))
+		  mu4e-contexts))
+	  (context
+	    (if name (cdr-safe  (assoc name names))
+	      (mu4e-read-option "Switch to context: " names))))
+    (unless context (mu4e-error "No such context"))
+   
+    ;; leave the current context
+    (when (and mu4e~context-current (mu4e-context-leave-func mu4e~context-current))
+      (funcall (mu4e-context-leave-func mu4e~context-current)))
+    ;; enter the new context
+    (when (mu4e-context-enter-func context)
+      (funcall (mu4e-context-enter-func context)))
+    (when (mu4e-context-vars context)
+      (mapc #'(lambda (cell)
+		(set (car cell) (cdr cell)))
+	(mu4e-context-vars context)))
+    (mu4e-clear-caches)
+    (setq mu4e~context-current context)
+    (mu4e-message "Switched context to %s" (mu4e-context-name context))
+    context))
+
+(defun mu4e-context-determine (msg)
+  "Return the first context with a match-func that returns t. MSG
+  points to the plist for the message replied to or forwarded, or
+  nil if there is no such MSG; similar to what
+  `mu4e-compose-pre-hook' does. If no context matches, return
+  nil."
+  (when mu4e-contexts
+    (find-if (lambda (context)
+	       (and (mu4e-context-match-func context)
+		 (funcall (mu4e-context-match-func context) msg)))
+      mu4e-contexts)))
+
+(provide 'mu4e-context)
+