diff --git a/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs b/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs
index 7b8786861..842cb7460 100644
--- a/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs
+++ b/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs
@@ -149,9 +149,13 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_set_config(
     }
 
     let context = &*context;
-
-    match config::Config::from_str(dc_tools::as_str(key)) {
-        Ok(key) => context.set_config(key, as_opt_str(value)).is_ok() as libc::c_int,
+    let key = dc_tools::as_str(key);
+    let value = as_opt_str(value);
+    if key.starts_with(".ui") {
+        return context.set_ui_config(key, value).is_ok() as libc::c_int;
+    }
+    match config::Config::from_str(key) {
+        Ok(key) => context.set_config(key, value).is_ok() as libc::c_int,
         Err(_) => 0,
     }
 }
@@ -168,7 +172,11 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_get_config(
 
     let context = &*context;
 
-    let key = config::Config::from_str(dc_tools::as_str(key)).expect("invalid key");
+    let key = dc_tools::as_str(key);
+    if key.starts_with(".ui") {
+        return context.get_ui_config(key).unwrap_or_default().strdup();
+    }
+    let key = config::Config::from_str(key).expect("invalid key");
 
     // TODO: Translating None to NULL would be more sensible than translating None
     // to "", as it is now.
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index de85f96bd..58b6a9eba 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -129,6 +129,23 @@ impl Context {
             _ => self.sql.set_config(self, key, value),
         }
     }
+
+    pub fn set_ui_config(&self, key: &str, value: Option<&str>) -> Result<(), &str> {
+        if !key.starts_with("ui.") {
+            return Err("Ui config key has to be prefixed with 'ui.'")
+        }
+
+        if self.sql.set_config(self, key, value).is_err() {
+            return Err("Sql error")
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+    pub fn get_ui_config(&self, key: &str) -> Option<String> {
+        if key.starts_with("ui.") {
+            return self.sql.get_config(self, key);
+        }
+        None
+    }
 }
 
 /// Returns all available configuration keys concated together.