diff --git a/res/values/arrays.xml b/res/values/arrays.xml
index 7089a8471..d90e51f8f 100644
--- a/res/values/arrays.xml
+++ b/res/values/arrays.xml
@@ -677,11 +677,13 @@
     <string-array name="account_settings_message_format_entries">
         <item>@string/account_settings_message_format_text</item>
         <item>@string/account_settings_message_format_html</item>
+        <item>@string/account_settings_message_format_auto</item>
     </string-array>
 
     <string-array name="account_settings_message_format_values">
         <item>TEXT</item>
         <item>HTML</item>
+        <item>AUTO</item>
     </string-array>
 
 </resources>
diff --git a/res/values/strings.xml b/res/values/strings.xml
index 4f024ecae..1361e3aaf 100644
--- a/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -572,6 +572,7 @@ Welcome to K-9 Mail setup.  K-9 is an open source mail client for Android origin
     <string name="account_settings_message_format_label">Message Format</string>
     <string name="account_settings_message_format_text">Plain Text (images and formatting will be removed)</string>
     <string name="account_settings_message_format_html">HTML (images and formatting are preserved)</string>
+    <string name="account_settings_message_format_auto">Automatic (plain text unless replying to an HTML message)</string>
 
     <string name="account_settings_message_read_receipt_label">Read receipt</string>
     <string name="account_settings_message_read_receipt_summary">Always request a read receipt</string>
diff --git a/src/com/fsck/k9/Account.java b/src/com/fsck/k9/Account.java
index 5c54282e8..c3c0bbf99 100644
--- a/src/com/fsck/k9/Account.java
+++ b/src/com/fsck/k9/Account.java
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ public class Account implements BaseAccount {
     private static final String[] networkTypes = { TYPE_WIFI, TYPE_MOBILE, TYPE_OTHER };
 
     public static final MessageFormat DEFAULT_MESSAGE_FORMAT = MessageFormat.HTML;
+    public static final boolean DEFAULT_MESSAGE_FORMAT_AUTO = false;
     public static final boolean DEFAULT_MESSAGE_READ_RECEIPT = false;
     public static final QuoteStyle DEFAULT_QUOTE_STYLE = QuoteStyle.PREFIX;
     public static final String DEFAULT_QUOTE_PREFIX = ">";
@@ -138,6 +139,7 @@ public class Account implements BaseAccount {
     // current set of fetched messages
     private boolean mRingNotified;
     private MessageFormat mMessageFormat;
+    private boolean mMessageFormatAuto;
     private boolean mMessageReadReceipt;
     private QuoteStyle mQuoteStyle;
     private String mQuotePrefix;
@@ -193,7 +195,7 @@ public class Account implements BaseAccount {
     }
 
     public enum MessageFormat {
-        TEXT, HTML
+        TEXT, HTML, AUTO
     }
 
     protected Account(Context context) {
@@ -228,6 +230,7 @@ public class Account implements BaseAccount {
         maximumPolledMessageAge = -1;
         maximumAutoDownloadMessageSize = 32768;
         mMessageFormat = DEFAULT_MESSAGE_FORMAT;
+        mMessageFormatAuto = DEFAULT_MESSAGE_FORMAT_AUTO;
         mMessageReadReceipt = DEFAULT_MESSAGE_READ_RECEIPT;
         mQuoteStyle = DEFAULT_QUOTE_STYLE;
         mQuotePrefix = DEFAULT_QUOTE_PREFIX;
@@ -305,6 +308,10 @@ public class Account implements BaseAccount {
         maximumPolledMessageAge = prefs.getInt(mUuid + ".maximumPolledMessageAge", -1);
         maximumAutoDownloadMessageSize = prefs.getInt(mUuid + ".maximumAutoDownloadMessageSize", 32768);
         mMessageFormat = MessageFormat.valueOf(prefs.getString(mUuid + ".messageFormat", DEFAULT_MESSAGE_FORMAT.name()));
+        mMessageFormatAuto = prefs.getBoolean(mUuid + ".messageFormatAuto", DEFAULT_MESSAGE_FORMAT_AUTO);
+        if (mMessageFormatAuto && mMessageFormat == MessageFormat.TEXT) {
+            mMessageFormat = MessageFormat.AUTO;
+        }
         mMessageReadReceipt = prefs.getBoolean(mUuid + ".messageReadReceipt", DEFAULT_MESSAGE_READ_RECEIPT);
         mQuoteStyle = QuoteStyle.valueOf(prefs.getString(mUuid + ".quoteStyle", DEFAULT_QUOTE_STYLE.name()));
         mQuotePrefix = prefs.getString(mUuid + ".quotePrefix", DEFAULT_QUOTE_PREFIX);
@@ -465,6 +472,7 @@ public class Account implements BaseAccount {
         editor.remove(mUuid + ".subscribedFoldersOnly");
         editor.remove(mUuid + ".maximumPolledMessageAge");
         editor.remove(mUuid + ".maximumAutoDownloadMessageSize");
+        editor.remove(mUuid + ".messageFormatAuto");
         editor.remove(mUuid + ".quoteStyle");
         editor.remove(mUuid + ".quotePrefix");
         editor.remove(mUuid + ".showPicturesEnum");
@@ -617,7 +625,16 @@ public class Account implements BaseAccount {
         editor.putBoolean(mUuid + ".subscribedFoldersOnly", subscribedFoldersOnly);
         editor.putInt(mUuid + ".maximumPolledMessageAge", maximumPolledMessageAge);
         editor.putInt(mUuid + ".maximumAutoDownloadMessageSize", maximumAutoDownloadMessageSize);
-        editor.putString(mUuid + ".messageFormat", mMessageFormat.name());
+        if (MessageFormat.AUTO.equals(mMessageFormat)) {
+            // saving MessageFormat.AUTO as is to the database will cause downgrades to crash on
+            // startup, so we save as MessageFormat.TEXT instead with a separate flag for auto.
+            editor.putString(mUuid + ".messageFormat", Account.MessageFormat.TEXT.name());
+            mMessageFormatAuto = true;
+        } else {
+            editor.putString(mUuid + ".messageFormat", mMessageFormat.name());
+            mMessageFormatAuto = false;
+        }
+        editor.putBoolean(mUuid + ".messageFormatAuto", mMessageFormatAuto);
         editor.putBoolean(mUuid + ".messageReadReceipt", mMessageReadReceipt);
         editor.putString(mUuid + ".quoteStyle", mQuoteStyle.name());
         editor.putString(mUuid + ".quotePrefix", mQuotePrefix);
diff --git a/src/com/fsck/k9/activity/MessageCompose.java b/src/com/fsck/k9/activity/MessageCompose.java
index 0160e8bee..c4ee2c4a1 100644
--- a/src/com/fsck/k9/activity/MessageCompose.java
+++ b/src/com/fsck/k9/activity/MessageCompose.java
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ import com.fsck.k9.mail.store.LocalStore.LocalAttachmentBody;
 public class MessageCompose extends K9Activity implements OnClickListener, OnFocusChangeListener {
     private static final int DIALOG_SAVE_OR_DISCARD_DRAFT_MESSAGE = 1;
 
+    private static final String ACTION_COMPOSE = "com.fsck.k9.intent.action.COMPOSE";
     private static final String ACTION_REPLY = "com.fsck.k9.intent.action.REPLY";
     private static final String ACTION_REPLY_ALL = "com.fsck.k9.intent.action.REPLY_ALL";
     private static final String ACTION_FORWARD = "com.fsck.k9.intent.action.FORWARD";
@@ -287,6 +288,7 @@ public class MessageCompose extends K9Activity implements OnClickListener, OnFoc
         }
         Intent i = new Intent(context, MessageCompose.class);
         i.putExtra(EXTRA_ACCOUNT, account.getUuid());
+        i.setAction(ACTION_COMPOSE);
         context.startActivity(i);
     }
 
@@ -540,6 +542,16 @@ public class MessageCompose extends K9Activity implements OnClickListener, OnFoc
         }
 
         mMessageFormat = mAccount.getMessageFormat();
+        if (mMessageFormat == MessageFormat.AUTO) {
+            if (ACTION_COMPOSE.equals(action)) {
+                mMessageFormat = MessageFormat.TEXT;
+            } else if (mSourceMessageBody != null) {
+                // mSourceMessageBody is set to something when replying to and forwarding decrypted
+                // messages, so we set the format to plain text.
+                mMessageFormat = MessageFormat.TEXT;
+            }
+        }
+
         mReadReceipt = mAccount.isMessageReadReceiptAlways();
         mQuoteStyle = mAccount.getQuoteStyle();
 
@@ -854,7 +866,6 @@ public class MessageCompose extends K9Activity implements OnClickListener, OnFoc
         mBccWrapper.setVisibility(savedInstanceState
                                   .getBoolean(STATE_KEY_BCC_SHOWN) ? View.VISIBLE : View.GONE);
         showOrHideQuotedText((QuotedTextMode)savedInstanceState.getSerializable(STATE_KEY_QUOTED_TEXT_MODE));
-
         if (mQuotedTextMode != QuotedTextMode.NONE && mMessageFormat == MessageFormat.HTML) {
             mQuotedHtmlContent = (InsertableHtmlContent) savedInstanceState.getSerializable(STATE_KEY_HTML_QUOTE);
             if (mQuotedHtmlContent != null && mQuotedHtmlContent.getQuotedContent() != null) {
@@ -2378,6 +2389,12 @@ public class MessageCompose extends K9Activity implements OnClickListener, OnFoc
      * @throws MessagingException
      */
     private void populateUIWithQuotedMessage(boolean shown) throws MessagingException {
+        if (mMessageFormat == MessageFormat.AUTO) {
+            mMessageFormat = MimeUtility.findFirstPartByMimeType(mSourceMessage, "text/html") == null
+                    ? MessageFormat.TEXT
+                    : MessageFormat.HTML;
+        }
+
         // TODO -- I am assuming that mSourceMessageBody will always be a text part.  Is this a safe assumption?
 
         // Handle the original message in the reply
diff --git a/src/com/fsck/k9/preferences/AccountSettings.java b/src/com/fsck/k9/preferences/AccountSettings.java
index 060833cc2..07e3a9164 100644
--- a/src/com/fsck/k9/preferences/AccountSettings.java
+++ b/src/com/fsck/k9/preferences/AccountSettings.java
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ public class AccountSettings {
                 R.array.account_settings_message_age_values));
         s.put("messageFormat",
                 new EnumSetting(Account.MessageFormat.class, Account.DEFAULT_MESSAGE_FORMAT));
+        //s.put("messageFormatAuto", new BooleanSetting(Account.DEFAULT_MESSAGE_FORMAT_AUTO)); // added to version 2
         s.put("messageReadReceipt", new BooleanSetting(Account.DEFAULT_MESSAGE_READ_RECEIPT));
         s.put("notificationUnreadCount", new BooleanSetting(true));
         s.put("notifyMailCheck", new BooleanSetting(false));