diff --git a/mu/mu-cmd.c b/mu/mu-cmd.c
index 83ee88c0..461e4479 100644
--- a/mu/mu-cmd.c
+++ b/mu/mu-cmd.c
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
 
 
 static gboolean
-view_msg_sexp (MuMsg *msg)
+view_msg_sexp (MuMsg *msg, MuConfig *opts)
 {
 	char *sexp;
 
@@ -111,40 +111,121 @@ print_field (const char* field, const char *val, gboolean color)
 	fputs ("\n", stdout);
 }
 
+static char*
+get_password (const char *user_id, const char *prompt_ctx,
+	      gboolean reprompt, gpointer user_data)
+{
+	char *pass, *prompt;
+	if (reprompt)
+		g_printerr ("Incorrect password. Please try again\n");
+	/* else */
+	/* 	g_print ("mu: %s\n", prompt_ctx); *\/ */
+
+	prompt = g_strdup_printf ("mu: password for %s: ", user_id);
+	pass   = getpass (prompt);
+	g_free (prompt);
+
+	return pass;
+}
+
+
+struct _DData {
+	GString *gstr;
+	GError *err;
+};
+typedef struct _DData DData;
+
+static void
+each_decrypted_part (MuMsgDecryptedPart *dpart, DData *ddata)
+{
+	gchar *str;
+
+	if (ddata->err)
+		return;
+
+	str = mu_msg_decrypted_part_to_string (dpart,
+					       &ddata->err);
+	ddata->gstr = g_string_append (ddata->gstr,
+				       str ? str : "");
+	g_free (str);
+}
+
+
+static gchar*
+try_decrypt_body (MuMsg *msg, MuConfig *opts)
+{
+	DData ddata;
+	GError *err;
+
+	err = NULL;
+	ddata.gstr = g_string_sized_new (mu_msg_get_size(msg));
+	ddata.err = NULL;
+
+	if (!mu_msg_part_decrypt_foreach
+	    (msg,(MuMsgPartDecryptForeachFunc)each_decrypted_part,
+	     (MuMsgPartPasswordFunc)get_password,
+	     &ddata, MU_MSG_OPTION_USE_AGENT, &err))
+		goto errexit;
+
+	if (ddata.err)
+		goto errexit;
+
+	return g_string_free (ddata.gstr, FALSE);
+
+errexit:
+	g_warning ("decryption failed: %s",
+		   err ? err->message : "something went wrong");
+	g_clear_error (&err);
+	return NULL;
+}
+
 
 /* a summary_len of 0 mean 'don't show summary, show body */
 static void
-body_or_summary (MuMsg *msg, unsigned summary_len, gboolean color)
+body_or_summary (MuMsg *msg, MuConfig *opts)
 {
-	const char* field;
+	const char *str;
+	const char *body;
+	char *decrypted;
+	gboolean color;
 
-	field = mu_msg_get_body_text (msg);
-	if (!field)
+	color = !opts->nocolor;
+
+	str = mu_msg_get_body_text (msg);
+	decrypted = NULL;
+
+	if (!str && opts->decrypt)
+		decrypted = try_decrypt_body (msg, opts);
+	if (!str && !decrypted)
 		return; /* no body -- nothing more to do */
+	body = str ? str : decrypted;
 
-	if (summary_len != 0) {
+	if (opts->summary_len != 0) {
 		gchar *summ;
-		summ = mu_str_summarize (field, summary_len);
+		summ = mu_str_summarize (body, opts->summary_len);
 		print_field ("Summary", summ, color);
 		g_free (summ);
 	} else {
 		color_maybe (MU_COLOR_YELLOW);
-		mu_util_print_encoded ("\n%s\n", field);
+		mu_util_print_encoded ("\n%s\n", body);
 		color_maybe (MU_COLOR_DEFAULT);
 	}
+
+	g_free (decrypted);
 }
 
 
 /* we ignore fields for now */
 /* summary_len == 0 means "no summary */
 static gboolean
-view_msg_plain (MuMsg *msg, const gchar *fields, unsigned summary_len,
-	  gboolean color)
+view_msg_plain (MuMsg *msg, MuConfig *opts)
 {
 	gchar *attachs;
 	time_t date;
 	const GSList *lst;
+	gboolean color;
 
+	color = !opts->nocolor;
 	print_field ("From",    mu_msg_get_from (msg),    color);
 	print_field ("To",      mu_msg_get_to (msg),      color);
 	print_field ("Cc",      mu_msg_get_cc (msg),      color);
@@ -167,7 +248,7 @@ view_msg_plain (MuMsg *msg, const gchar *fields, unsigned summary_len,
 		g_free (attachs);
 	}
 
-	body_or_summary (msg, summary_len, color);
+	body_or_summary (msg, opts);
 
 	return TRUE;
 }
@@ -186,13 +267,10 @@ handle_msg (const char *fname, MuConfig *opts, GError **err)
 
 	switch (opts->format) {
 	case MU_CONFIG_FORMAT_PLAIN:
-		rv = view_msg_plain
-			(msg, NULL,
-			 opts->summary ? opts->summary_len : 0,
-			 !opts->nocolor);
+		rv = view_msg_plain (msg, opts);
 		break;
 	case MU_CONFIG_FORMAT_SEXP:
-		rv = view_msg_sexp (msg);
+		rv = view_msg_sexp (msg, opts);
 		break;
 	default:
 		g_critical ("bug: should not be reached");
diff --git a/mu/mu-config.c b/mu/mu-config.c
index 815e1e61..155d3d81 100644
--- a/mu/mu-config.c
+++ b/mu/mu-config.c
@@ -302,6 +302,9 @@ config_options_group_view (void)
 		 "terminate messages with ascii-0x07 (\\f, form-feed)", NULL},
 		{"format", 'o', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING, &MU_CONFIG.formatstr,
 		 "output format ('plain'(*), 'sexp')", NULL},
+		{"decrypt", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &MU_CONFIG.decrypt,
+		 "attempt to decrypt the message body, if it is encrypted", NULL},
+
 		{NULL, 0, 0, 0, NULL, NULL, NULL}
 	};
 
diff --git a/mu/mu-config.h b/mu/mu-config.h
index a98f2025..a4781e49 100644
--- a/mu/mu-config.h
+++ b/mu/mu-config.h
@@ -89,7 +89,6 @@ struct _MuConfig {
 					 * MU_CONFIG_CMD_NONE */
 	const char	*cmdstr;       /* cmd string, for user
 					* info */
-
 	/* general options */
 	gboolean	quiet;		/* don't give any output */
 	gboolean	debug;		/* spew out debug info */
@@ -146,6 +145,9 @@ struct _MuConfig {
 	gboolean         terminator;      /* add separator \f between
 					   * multiple messages in mu
 					   * view */
+	gboolean	 decrypt;         /* try to decrypt the
+					   * message body, if any */
+
 	/* options for cfind (and 'find' --> "after") */
 	gboolean          personal;       /* only show 'personal' addresses */
 	/* also 'after' --> see above */