diff --git a/scm/mu-scm-store.cc b/scm/mu-scm-store.cc
index 17f6dd03..420c66f8 100644
--- a/scm/mu-scm-store.cc
+++ b/scm/mu-scm-store.cc
@@ -38,6 +38,57 @@ to_store(SCM scm, const char *func, int pos)
 	return *reinterpret_cast<Store*>(scm_foreign_object_ref(scm, 0));
 }
 
+static SCM
+subr_cc_store_alist(SCM store_scm) try {
+	constexpr auto func{"cc-store-alist"};
+
+	SCM alist{SCM_EOL};
+	const auto& conf{to_store(store_scm, func, 1).config()};
+
+	using MuConfig = Mu::Config;
+	using Type = MuConfig::Type;
+
+	for (const auto& prop: Mu::Config::properties) {
+
+		// don't expose internal values & values that may change during
+		// runtime
+		if (any_of(prop.flags &
+			   (MuConfig::Flags::Internal | MuConfig::Flags::Runtime)))
+			continue;
+
+		const auto str{conf.get_str(prop)};
+		if (str.empty())
+			continue;
+
+		const auto name{make_symbol(prop.name)};
+		const auto val = std::invoke([&]() {
+			switch (prop.type) {
+			case Type::Number:
+				return to_scm(MuConfig::decode<Type::Number>(str));
+			case Type::Boolean:
+				return to_scm(MuConfig::decode<Type::Boolean>(str));
+			case Type::Timestamp:
+				return to_scm(MuConfig::decode<Type::Timestamp>(str));
+			case Type::Path:
+				return to_scm(MuConfig::decode<Type::Path>(str));
+			case Type::String:
+				return to_scm(MuConfig::decode<Type::String>(str));
+			case Type::StringList:
+				return to_scm(MuConfig::decode<Type::StringList>(str));
+			default:
+				throw ScmError{ScmError::Id::WrongType, func, 1, store_scm, "store"};
+			}
+		});
+
+		alist = scm_acons(name, val, alist);
+	}
+
+	return scm_reverse_x(alist, SCM_EOL);
+
+} catch (const ScmError& err) {
+	err.throw_scm();
+}
+
 static SCM
 subr_cc_store_mcount(SCM store_scm) try {
 	return to_scm(to_store(store_scm, "cc-store-mcount", 1).size());
@@ -139,6 +190,9 @@ init_subrs()
 			   reinterpret_cast<scm_t_subr>(subr_cc_store_mcount));
 	scm_c_define_gsubr("cc-store-cfind", 5/*req*/, 0/*opt*/, 0/*rst*/,
 			   reinterpret_cast<scm_t_subr>(subr_cc_store_cfind));
+	scm_c_define_gsubr("cc-store-alist", 1/*req*/, 0/*opt*/, 0/*rst*/,
+			   reinterpret_cast<scm_t_subr>(subr_cc_store_alist));
+
 #pragma GCC diagnostic pop
 }
 
@@ -167,8 +221,8 @@ Mu::Scm::init_store(const Store& store)
 SCM
 Mu::Scm::to_scm(const Contact& contact)
 {
-	static SCM email{scm_from_utf8_symbol("email")};
-	static SCM name{scm_from_utf8_symbol("name")};
+	static SCM email{make_symbol("email")};
+	static SCM name{make_symbol("name")};
 
 	SCM alist = scm_acons(email, to_scm(contact.email), SCM_EOL);
 	if (!contact.name.empty())
diff --git a/scm/mu-scm-test.scm b/scm/mu-scm-test.scm
index bde76488..234a527e 100644
--- a/scm/mu-scm-test.scm
+++ b/scm/mu-scm-test.scm
@@ -3,14 +3,18 @@
 (use-modules (mu) (srfi srfi-64)
 	     (ice-9 textual-ports))
 
-(define (test-basic)
-  (test-begin "test-basic")
+(define (test-store)
+  (test-begin "test-store")
 
   (test-equal "mcount" 19 (mcount))
   (test-equal "cfind" 29 (length (cfind "")))
   (test-equal "mfind" 19 (length (mfind "")))
 
-  (test-end "test-basic"))
+  (let ((info (store->alist)))
+    (test-equal 50000 (assoc-ref info 'batch-size))
+    (test-equal 100000000 (assoc-ref info 'max-message-size)))
+
+  (test-end "test-store"))
 
 (define (test-basic-mfind)
 
@@ -33,10 +37,8 @@
     (let ((recip (car (to msg))))
       (test-equal "Bilbo Baggins" (assoc-ref recip 'name))
       (test-equal "bilbo@anotherexample.com" (assoc-ref recip 'email)))
-
     ;; no date
     (test-assert (not (date msg)))
-
     ;; flags
     (test-equal '(unread) (flags msg))
     (test-assert (unread? msg))
@@ -171,7 +173,7 @@
     (test-with-runner runner
       (test-begin "mu-scm-tests")
 
-      (test-basic)
+      (test-store)
       (test-basic-mfind)
       (test-mfind)
       (test-message-full)
diff --git a/scm/mu-scm.hh b/scm/mu-scm.hh
index e16760c0..02a9cb9f 100644
--- a/scm/mu-scm.hh
+++ b/scm/mu-scm.hh
@@ -221,6 +221,13 @@ namespace Mu::Scm {
 			return scm_from_utf8_stringn(val.data(), val.size());
 		else if constexpr (is_char_array_v<Type>|| std::is_same_v<Type, const char*>)
 			return scm_from_utf8_string(val);
+		else if constexpr (std::is_same_v<Type, std::vector<std::string>>) {
+			SCM lst{SCM_EOL};
+			for (const auto& s: val)
+				lst = scm_append_x(scm_list_2(lst,
+							      scm_list_1(to_scm(s))));
+			return lst;
+		}
 		else if constexpr (std::is_same_v<Type, bool>)
 			return scm_from_bool(val);
 		else if constexpr (std::is_same_v<Type, size_t>)
diff --git a/scm/mu-scm.scm b/scm/mu-scm.scm
index 445921c6..8a4ae850 100644
--- a/scm/mu-scm.scm
+++ b/scm/mu-scm.scm
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@
 	    mfind
 	    mcount
 	    cfind
+	    store->alist
 
 ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
 	    ;; Other
@@ -453,7 +454,8 @@ This is a list of <mime-part> objects."
 
 ;; the 'store-object' is a foreign object wrapping a const Store*.
 (define-class <store> ()
-  (store-object #:init-keyword #:store-object #:getter store-object))
+  (store-object #:init-keyword #:store-object #:getter store-object)
+  (alist #:init-value #f))
 
 ;;  not exported
 (define-method (make-store store-object)
@@ -464,6 +466,14 @@ This is a list of <mime-part> objects."
   ;; %default-store-object is defined in mu-scm-store.cc
   (make-store %default-store-object))
 
+(define* (store->alist #:key (store %default-store))
+  "Get an alist-representation for some store.
+Keyword arguments:
+    #:store       %default-store. Leave at default."
+  (when (not (slot-ref store 'alist))
+    (slot-set! store 'alist (cc-store-alist (store-object store))))
+  (slot-ref store 'alist))
+
 (define* (mfind query
 		#:key
 		(store %default-store)
@@ -472,7 +482,7 @@ This is a list of <mime-part> objects."
 		(sort-field 'date)
 		(reverse? #f)
 		(max-results #f))
-   "Find messages matching some query.
+  "Find messages matching some query.
 
 The query is mandatory, the other (keyword) arguments are optional.
 (mfind QUERY
@@ -482,10 +492,10 @@ The query is mandatory, the other (keyword) arguments are optional.
     #:sort-field? field to sort by, a symbol. Default: date
     #:reverse?    sort in descending order (z-a)
     #:max-results max. number of matches. Default: false (unlimited))."
-   (map (lambda (plist)
-	  (make <message> #:plist plist))
-	(cc-store-mfind (store-object store) query
-		     related? skip-dups? sort-field reverse? max-results)))
+  (map (lambda (plist)
+	 (make <message> #:plist plist))
+       (cc-store-mfind (store-object store) query
+		       related? skip-dups? sort-field reverse? max-results)))
 
 (define* (mcount
 	  #:key
diff --git a/scm/mu-scm.texi b/scm/mu-scm.texi
index 517cf82c..36e658f7 100644
--- a/scm/mu-scm.texi
+++ b/scm/mu-scm.texi
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ few key concepts, represented in some GOOP objects and other data-structures:
 @end itemize
 
 @menu
-* Store:: the database of all information
+* Store:: where message information lives
 * Message:: inspecting individual messages
 * Miscellaneous:: other functions
 * Helpers:: some helper functions
@@ -352,6 +352,18 @@ Example usage:
 => 140728
 @end lisp
 
+@deffn {Scheme Procedure} store->alist
+@end deffn
+Retrieve an association list (``alist'') with information about the store.
+
+Example:
+@lisp
+(store->alist)
+=> ((batch-size . 50000) (created . 1741180008) (max-message-size . 100000000)
+     (personal-addresses "djcb@@example.com" "msx@@example.com")
+     (root-maildir . "/home/user/Maildir") (schema-version . 500))
+@end lisp
+
 @node Message
 @section Message