diff --git a/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs b/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs
index 842cb7460..f145416d9 100644
--- a/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs
+++ b/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs
@@ -151,13 +151,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_set_config(
     let context = &*context;
     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,
-    }
+    context.set_config_from_str(key, value).is_ok() as libc::c_int
 }
 
 #[no_mangle]
@@ -173,14 +167,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_get_config(
     let context = &*context;
 
     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.
-    context.get_config(key).unwrap_or_default().strdup()
+    context.get_config_from_str(key).unwrap_or_default().strdup()
 }
 
 #[no_mangle]
diff --git a/examples/repl/cmdline.rs b/examples/repl/cmdline.rs
index 3df2ab041..5922afa1d 100644
--- a/examples/repl/cmdline.rs
+++ b/examples/repl/cmdline.rs
@@ -550,9 +550,8 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_cmdline(context: &Context, line: &str) -> Result<(), failure::E
         }
         "get" => {
             ensure!(!arg1.is_empty(), "Argument <key> missing.");
-            let key = config::Config::from_str(&arg1)?;
-            let val = context.get_config(key);
-            println!("{}={:?}", key, val);
+            let val = context.get_config_from_str(&arg1);
+            println!("{}={:?}", &arg1.to_string(), val);
         }
         "info" => {
             println!("{}", to_string(dc_get_info(context)));
diff --git a/examples/repl/main.rs b/examples/repl/main.rs
index 616386ff9..8daac20a5 100644
--- a/examples/repl/main.rs
+++ b/examples/repl/main.rs
@@ -495,7 +495,7 @@ unsafe fn handle_cmd(line: &str, ctx: Arc<RwLock<Context>>) -> Result<ExitResult
             configure(&ctx.read().unwrap());
         }
         "oauth2" => {
-            if let Some(addr) = ctx.read().unwrap().get_config(config::Config::Addr) {
+            if let Some(addr) = ctx.read().unwrap().get_config(&config::Config::Addr) {
                 let oauth2_url = dc_get_oauth2_url(
                     &ctx.read().unwrap(),
                     &addr,
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 698cc312e..ea2cb7feb 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+use std::str::FromStr;
+
 use strum::{EnumProperty, IntoEnumIterator};
 use strum_macros::{AsRefStr, Display, EnumIter, EnumProperty, EnumString};
 
@@ -8,9 +10,11 @@ use crate::error::Error;
 use crate::job::*;
 use crate::stock::StockMessage;
 
+pub const CONFIG_UI_PREFIX: &str = "ui.";
+
 /// The available configuration keys.
 #[derive(
-    Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq, Display, EnumString, AsRefStr, EnumIter, EnumProperty,
+    Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Display, EnumString, AsRefStr, EnumIter, EnumProperty,
 )]
 #[strum(serialize_all = "snake_case")]
 pub enum Config {
@@ -65,11 +69,17 @@ pub enum Config {
     SysMsgsizeMaxRecommended,
     #[strum(serialize = "sys.config_keys")]
     SysConfigKeys,
+    Ui(String)
 }
 
 impl Context {
+
+    pub fn get_config_from_str(&self, key: &str) -> Option<String> {
+        self.get_config(&config_from_str(key))
+    }
+
     /// Get a configuration key. Returns `None` if no value is set, and no default value found.
-    pub fn get_config(&self, key: Config) -> Option<String> {
+    pub fn get_config(&self, key: &Config) -> Option<String> {
         let value = match key {
             Config::Selfavatar => {
                 let rel_path = self.sql.get_config(self, key);
@@ -78,6 +88,7 @@ impl Context {
             Config::SysVersion => Some((&*DC_VERSION_STR).clone()),
             Config::SysMsgsizeMaxRecommended => Some(format!("{}", 24 * 1024 * 1024 / 4 * 3)),
             Config::SysConfigKeys => Some(get_config_keys_string()),
+            Config::Ui(key) => self.sql.get_config(self, format!("{}{}", CONFIG_UI_PREFIX, key)),
             _ => self.sql.get_config(self, key),
         };
 
@@ -92,6 +103,13 @@ impl Context {
         }
     }
 
+    pub fn set_config_from_str(&self, key: &str, value: Option<&str>) -> Result<(), &str> {
+        if self.sql.set_config(self, config_from_str(key), value).is_err() {
+            return Err("Sql error");
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     /// Set the given config key.
     /// If `None` is passed as a value the value is cleared and set to the default if there is one.
     pub fn set_config(&self, key: Config, value: Option<&str>) -> Result<(), Error> {
@@ -125,27 +143,14 @@ impl Context {
                 };
 
                 self.sql.set_config(self, key, val)
-            }
+            },
+            Config::Ui(key) => {
+                let key = format!("{}{}", CONFIG_UI_PREFIX, key);
+                self.sql.set_config(self, key, value)
+            },
             _ => 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.
@@ -159,12 +164,23 @@ fn get_config_keys_string() -> String {
     format!(" {} ", keys)
 }
 
+fn config_from_str(key: &str) -> Result<Config, &str> {
+    if key.starts_with(CONFIG_UI_PREFIX) {
+        Config::Ui(key[CONFIG_UI_PREFIX.len()-1..].to_string())
+    } else {
+        if let Ok(config) = Config::from_str(key) {
+            config
+        } else {
+            Err("invalid key")
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
-
-    use std::str::FromStr;
     use std::string::ToString;
+    use crate::test_utils::*;
 
     #[test]
     fn test_to_string() {
@@ -182,4 +198,20 @@ mod tests {
     fn test_default_prop() {
         assert_eq!(Config::ImapFolder.get_str("default"), Some("INBOX"));
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_config_from_str() {
+        assert_eq!(config_from_str("addr"), Config::Addr);
+        assert_eq!(config_from_str("addrxyz"), None);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_get_config_from_str() {
+        let t = dummy_context();
+        assert_eq!(t.ctx.set_config_from_str("addr", Some("foo@bar.bar")), Ok(()));
+        assert_eq!(t.ctx.get_config_from_str("addr").unwrap(), "foo@bar.bar");
+
+        assert_eq!(t.ctx.set_config_from_str("ui.desktop.some_string", Some("foobar")), Ok(()));
+        assert_eq!(t.ctx.get_config_from_str("ui.desktop.some_string").unwrap(), "foobar");
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/contact.rs b/src/contact.rs
index c67a46a2f..db65c7b82 100644
--- a/src/contact.rs
+++ b/src/contact.rs
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ impl Contact {
                 name: context.stock_str(StockMessage::SelfMsg).into(),
                 authname: "".into(),
                 addr: context
-                    .get_config(Config::ConfiguredAddr)
+                    .get_config(&Config::ConfiguredAddr)
                     .unwrap_or_default(),
                 blocked: false,
                 origin: Origin::Unknown,
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ impl Contact {
 
         let addr_normalized = addr_normalize(addr.as_ref());
         let addr_self = context
-            .get_config(Config::ConfiguredAddr)
+            .get_config(&Config::ConfiguredAddr)
             .unwrap_or_default();
 
         if addr_normalized == addr_self {
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ impl Contact {
 
         let addr = addr_normalize(addr.as_ref());
         let addr_self = context
-            .get_config(Config::ConfiguredAddr)
+            .get_config(&Config::ConfiguredAddr)
             .unwrap_or_default();
 
         if addr == addr_self {
@@ -456,7 +456,7 @@ impl Contact {
         query: Option<impl AsRef<str>>,
     ) -> Result<Vec<u32>> {
         let self_addr = context
-            .get_config(Config::ConfiguredAddr)
+            .get_config(&Config::ConfiguredAddr)
             .unwrap_or_default();
 
         let mut add_self = false;
@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@ impl Contact {
                 },
             )?;
 
-            let self_name = context.get_config(Config::Displayname).unwrap_or_default();
+            let self_name = context.get_config(&Config::Displayname).unwrap_or_default();
             let self_name2 = context.stock_str(StockMessage::SelfMsg);
 
             if let Some(query) = query {
@@ -765,7 +765,7 @@ impl Contact {
     /// using dc_set_config(context, "selfavatar", image).
     pub fn get_profile_image(&self, context: &Context) -> Option<PathBuf> {
         if self.id == DC_CONTACT_ID_SELF {
-            if let Some(p) = context.get_config(Config::Selfavatar) {
+            if let Some(p) = context.get_config(&Config::Selfavatar) {
                 return Some(PathBuf::from(p));
             }
         }
@@ -1026,7 +1026,7 @@ pub fn addr_cmp(addr1: impl AsRef<str>, addr2: impl AsRef<str>) -> bool {
 pub fn addr_equals_self(context: &Context, addr: impl AsRef<str>) -> bool {
     if !addr.as_ref().is_empty() {
         let normalized_addr = addr_normalize(addr.as_ref());
-        if let Some(self_addr) = context.get_config(Config::ConfiguredAddr) {
+        if let Some(self_addr) = context.get_config(&Config::ConfiguredAddr) {
             return normalized_addr == self_addr;
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/e2ee.rs b/src/e2ee.rs
index d752ed78f..221544742 100644
--- a/src/e2ee.rs
+++ b/src/e2ee.rs
@@ -1025,7 +1025,7 @@ unsafe fn contains_report(mime: *mut mailmime) -> bool {
 /// [Config::ConfiguredAddr] is configured, this address is returned.
 pub fn ensure_secret_key_exists(context: &Context) -> Result<String> {
     let self_addr = context
-        .get_config(Config::ConfiguredAddr)
+        .get_config(&Config::ConfiguredAddr)
         .ok_or(format_err!(concat!(
             "Failed to get self address, ",
             "cannot ensure secret key if not configured."
diff --git a/tests/stress.rs b/tests/stress.rs
index 6a307955a..bf3b22ee3 100644
--- a/tests/stress.rs
+++ b/tests/stress.rs
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ unsafe fn stress_functions(context: &Context) {
         free(fn1 as *mut libc::c_void);
     }
 
-    let res = context.get_config(config::Config::SysConfigKeys).unwrap();
+    let res = context.get_config(&config::Config::SysConfigKeys).unwrap();
 
     assert!(!res.contains(" probably_never_a_key "));
     assert!(res.contains(" addr "));