diff --git a/mu4e/mu4e-headers.el b/mu4e/mu4e-headers.el
index 45fdb2c4..8bf51ea9 100644
--- a/mu4e/mu4e-headers.el
+++ b/mu4e/mu4e-headers.el
@@ -51,12 +51,19 @@
      (:flags         .   6)
      (:from          .  22)
      (:subject       .  nil))
-  "A list of header fields to show in the headers buffer, and their
-respective widths in characters. A width of `nil' means
-'unrestricted', and this is best reserved fo the rightmost (last)
-field. For the complete list of available headers, see
-`mu4e-header-info'."
-  :type (list 'symbol)
+  "A list of header fields to show in the headers buffer.
+Each element has the form (HEADER . WIDTH), where HEADER is one
+of the available headers (see `mu4e-header-info') and WIDTH is
+the respective width in characters.  A width of `nil' means
+'unrestricted', and this is best reserved for the
+rightmost (last) field."
+  :type `(repeat (cons (choice ,@(mapcar (lambda (h)
+					   (list 'const :tag
+						 (plist-get (cdr h) :help)
+						 (car h)))
+					 mu4e-header-info))
+		       (choice (integer :tag "width")
+			       (const :tag "unrestricted width" nil))))
   :group 'mu4e-headers)
 
 (defcustom mu4e-headers-date-format "%x"
diff --git a/mu4e/mu4e-vars.el b/mu4e/mu4e-vars.el
index 35fa1f33..467c0524 100644
--- a/mu4e/mu4e-vars.el
+++ b/mu4e/mu4e-vars.el
@@ -500,8 +500,7 @@ headers)."
      (:from-or-to .
        ( :name "From/To"
 	 :shortname "From/To"
-	 :help "Sender of the message if it's not me; otherwise
-	 the recipient"
+	 :help "Sender of the message if it's not me; otherwise the recipient"
 	 :sortable nil))
      (:maildir .
        ( :name "Maildir"
@@ -538,13 +537,14 @@ headers)."
 	 :shortname "T"
 	 :help "Recipient of the message"
 	 :sortable t)))
-  "An alist of all possible header fields and information about
-them.; this is used in the UI (the column headers in the header
-list, and the fields the message view). Most fields should be
-self-explanatory. A special one is `:from-or-to', which is equal to
-`:from' unless `:from' matches `mu4e-user-mail-address-regexp', in
-which case it will be equal to `:to'.")
+  "An alist of all possible header fields and information about them.
+This is used in the UI (the column headers in the header list,
+and the fields the message view).
 
+Most fields should be self-explanatory. A special one is
+`:from-or-to', which is equal to `:from' unless `:from' matches
+`mu4e-user-mail-address-regexp', in which case it will be equal
+to `:to'.")
 
 (defvar mu4e-custom-header-info nil
   "A list like `mu4e-custom-header-info', but for