diff --git a/res/values/strings.xml b/res/values/strings.xml
index dc60041e1..3963a7eb0 100644
--- a/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -325,6 +325,8 @@ Please submit bug reports, contribute new features and ask questions at
 
     <string name="global_settings_messageview_fixedwidth_label">Fixed-width fonts</string>
     <string name="global_settings_messageview_fixedwidth_summary">Use a fixed-width font when showing plain-text messages</string>
+    <string name="global_settings_messageview_autofit_width_label">Auto-fit messages</string>
+    <string name="global_settings_messageview_autofit_width_summary">Shrink messages to fit the screen</string>
     <string name="global_settings_messageview_return_to_list_label">Return to list after delete</string>
     <string name="global_settings_messageview_return_to_list_summary">Return to message list after message deletion</string>
     <string name="global_settings_messageview_show_next_label">Show next message after delete</string>
diff --git a/res/xml/global_preferences.xml b/res/xml/global_preferences.xml
index f10fa93b0..ef3ecd56f 100644
--- a/res/xml/global_preferences.xml
+++ b/res/xml/global_preferences.xml
@@ -217,6 +217,12 @@
                 android:title="@string/settings_messageview_mobile_layout_label"
                 android:summary="@string/settings_messageview_mobile_layout_summary" />
 
+            <CheckBoxPreference
+                android:persistent="false"
+                android:key="messageview_autofit_width"
+                android:title="@string/global_settings_messageview_autofit_width_label"
+                android:summary="@string/global_settings_messageview_autofit_width_summary"/>
+
         </PreferenceCategory>
 
     </PreferenceScreen>
diff --git a/src/com/fsck/k9/K9.java b/src/com/fsck/k9/K9.java
index d2c843b94..5b1589552 100644
--- a/src/com/fsck/k9/K9.java
+++ b/src/com/fsck/k9/K9.java
@@ -239,6 +239,7 @@ public class K9 extends Application {
     private static boolean mCountSearchMessages = true;
     private static boolean mHideSpecialAccounts = false;
     private static boolean mMobileOptimizedLayout = false;
+    private static boolean mAutofitWidth;
     private static boolean mQuietTimeEnabled = false;
     private static String mQuietTimeStarts = null;
     private static String mQuietTimeEnds = null;
@@ -487,6 +488,7 @@ public class K9 extends Application {
         editor.putBoolean("useVolumeKeysForNavigation", mUseVolumeKeysForNavigation);
         editor.putBoolean("useVolumeKeysForListNavigation", mUseVolumeKeysForListNavigation);
         editor.putBoolean("mobileOptimizedLayout", mMobileOptimizedLayout);
+        editor.putBoolean("autofitWidth", mAutofitWidth);
         editor.putBoolean("quietTimeEnabled", mQuietTimeEnabled);
         editor.putString("quietTimeStarts", mQuietTimeStarts);
         editor.putString("quietTimeEnds", mQuietTimeEnds);
@@ -684,6 +686,7 @@ public class K9 extends Application {
         mMessageListPreviewLines = sprefs.getInt("messageListPreviewLines", 2);
 
         mMobileOptimizedLayout = sprefs.getBoolean("mobileOptimizedLayout", false);
+        mAutofitWidth = sprefs.getBoolean("autofitWidth", true);
 
         mQuietTimeEnabled = sprefs.getBoolean("quietTimeEnabled", false);
         mQuietTimeStarts = sprefs.getString("quietTimeStarts", "21:00");
@@ -933,6 +936,14 @@ public class K9 extends Application {
         mMobileOptimizedLayout = mobileOptimizedLayout;
     }
 
+    public static boolean autofitWidth() {
+        return mAutofitWidth;
+    }
+
+    public static void setAutofitWidth(boolean autofitWidth) {
+        mAutofitWidth = autofitWidth;
+    }
+
     public static boolean getQuietTimeEnabled() {
         return mQuietTimeEnabled;
     }
diff --git a/src/com/fsck/k9/activity/setup/Prefs.java b/src/com/fsck/k9/activity/setup/Prefs.java
index fa8505779..128f22c2a 100644
--- a/src/com/fsck/k9/activity/setup/Prefs.java
+++ b/src/com/fsck/k9/activity/setup/Prefs.java
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ public class Prefs extends K9PreferenceActivity {
     private static final String PREFERENCE_NOTIF_QUICK_DELETE = "notification_quick_delete";
 
     private static final String PREFERENCE_MESSAGEVIEW_MOBILE_LAYOUT = "messageview_mobile_layout";
+    private static final String PREFERENCE_AUTOFIT_WIDTH = "messageview_autofit_width";
     private static final String PREFERENCE_BACKGROUND_OPS = "background_ops";
     private static final String PREFERENCE_GALLERY_BUG_WORKAROUND = "use_gallery_bug_workaround";
     private static final String PREFERENCE_DEBUG_LOGGING = "debug_logging";
@@ -122,6 +123,7 @@ public class Prefs extends K9PreferenceActivity {
     private CheckBoxPreference mReturnToList;
     private CheckBoxPreference mShowNext;
     private CheckBoxPreference mMobileOptimizedLayout;
+    private CheckBoxPreference mAutofitWidth;
     private ListPreference mBackgroundOps;
     private CheckBoxPreference mUseGalleryBugWorkaround;
     private CheckBoxPreference mDebugLogging;
@@ -290,6 +292,9 @@ public class Prefs extends K9PreferenceActivity {
             category.removePreference(mMobileOptimizedLayout);
         }
 
+        mAutofitWidth = (CheckBoxPreference) findPreference(PREFERENCE_AUTOFIT_WIDTH);
+        mAutofitWidth.setChecked(K9.autofitWidth());
+
         mQuietTimeEnabled = (CheckBoxPreference) findPreference(PREFERENCE_QUIET_TIME_ENABLED);
         mQuietTimeEnabled.setChecked(K9.getQuietTimeEnabled());
 
@@ -458,6 +463,7 @@ public class Prefs extends K9PreferenceActivity {
         K9.setMessageViewReturnToList(mReturnToList.isChecked());
         K9.setMessageViewShowNext(mShowNext.isChecked());
         K9.setMobileOptimizedLayout(mMobileOptimizedLayout.isChecked());
+        K9.setAutofitWidth(mAutofitWidth.isChecked());
         K9.setQuietTimeEnabled(mQuietTimeEnabled.isChecked());
 
         K9.setQuietTimeStarts(mQuietTimeStarts.getTime());
diff --git a/src/com/fsck/k9/preferences/GlobalSettings.java b/src/com/fsck/k9/preferences/GlobalSettings.java
index 9a88fde94..03eec7870 100644
--- a/src/com/fsck/k9/preferences/GlobalSettings.java
+++ b/src/com/fsck/k9/preferences/GlobalSettings.java
@@ -221,6 +221,9 @@ public class GlobalSettings {
         s.put("showContactPicture", Settings.versions(
                 new V(25, new BooleanSetting(true))
             ));
+        s.put("autofitWidth", Settings.versions(
+                new V(26, new BooleanSetting(true))
+            ));
 
         SETTINGS = Collections.unmodifiableMap(s);
 
diff --git a/src/com/fsck/k9/preferences/Settings.java b/src/com/fsck/k9/preferences/Settings.java
index b56f2d87e..e52872f20 100644
--- a/src/com/fsck/k9/preferences/Settings.java
+++ b/src/com/fsck/k9/preferences/Settings.java
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ public class Settings {
      *
      * @see SettingsExporter
      */
-    public static final int VERSION = 26;
+    public static final int VERSION = 27;
 
     public static Map<String, Object> validate(int version, Map<String,
             TreeMap<Integer, SettingsDescription>> settings,
diff --git a/src/com/fsck/k9/view/MessageWebView.java b/src/com/fsck/k9/view/MessageWebView.java
index 1d54f1254..06d17c1fa 100644
--- a/src/com/fsck/k9/view/MessageWebView.java
+++ b/src/com/fsck/k9/view/MessageWebView.java
@@ -112,6 +112,14 @@ public class MessageWebView extends TitleBarWebView {
         webSettings.setSupportZoom(true);
         webSettings.setBuiltInZoomControls(true);
         webSettings.setUseWideViewPort(true);
+        if (K9.autofitWidth()) {
+            // 1% will be smaller than overview, so it effectively
+            // goes into overview mode.
+            // Tried the following, neither of which worked:
+            //     webSettings.setLoadWithOverviewMode(true);
+            //     setInitialScale(0);
+            setInitialScale(1);
+     }
 
         disableDisplayZoomControls();