diff --git a/layers/+email/notmuch/README.org b/layers/+email/notmuch/README.org
index 1fb4c174a..28ef01b04 100644
--- a/layers/+email/notmuch/README.org
+++ b/layers/+email/notmuch/README.org
@@ -6,10 +6,12 @@
 - [[#description][Description]]
   - [[#features][Features:]]
 - [[#install][Install]]
+- [[#configuration][Configuration]]
   - [[#sending-and-receiving-emails][Sending and Receiving emails]]
     - [[#receiving-emails][Receiving emails]]
     - [[#sending-emails-with-thunderbird][Sending emails with Thunderbird]]
     - [[#sending-emails-with-msmtp][Sending emails with msmtp]]
+  - [[#tags-to-apply-when-deleting][Tags to apply when deleting]]
   - [[#see-also][See also]]
 - [[#key-bindings][Key bindings]]
   - [[#global-bindings][Global bindings]]
@@ -39,6 +41,7 @@ To install not much follow the instructions in [[https://notmuchmail.org/notmuch
 Then add this layer to your =~/.spacemacs=. You will need to add =notmuch= to
 the existing =dotspacemacs-configuration-layers= list in this file.
 
+* Configuration
 ** Sending and Receiving emails
 For this you will need an external program.
 
@@ -68,6 +71,18 @@ set sendmail="/usr/local/bin/msmtp"
 
 Configure =~/.msmtprc= [[http://msmtp.sourceforge.net/doc/msmtprc.txt][example]]
 
+** Tags to apply when deleting
+You can specifiy which tags you want to apply when you delete an email by
+setting the layer variable =notmuch-message-deleted-tags=.
+
+Default value is to add the =deleted= tag and remove both =inbox= and
+=unread= tags.
+
+#+BEGIN_SRC elisp
+(setq-default dotspacemacs-configuration-layers
+  '((notmuch :variables notmuch-message-deleted-tags '("+deleted" "-inbox" "-unread"))))
+#+END_SRC
+
 ** See also
 Refer to the official notmuch website for more information:
 https://notmuchmail.org/
diff --git a/layers/+email/notmuch/config.el b/layers/+email/notmuch/config.el
index 125996ffd..90c911d9b 100644
--- a/layers/+email/notmuch/config.el
+++ b/layers/+email/notmuch/config.el
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@
 ;;
 ;;; License: GPLv3
 
-(defvar notmuch-spacemacs-delete-tags '("+deleted" "-inbox" "-unread")
+;; TODO see if we can replace this layer variable with `notmuch-tagging-keys'
+(defvar notmuch-message-deleted-tags '("+deleted" "-inbox" "-unread")
   "Tags applied when deleting a message.")
 
 (defvar notmuch-spacemacs-layout-name "@Notmuch"
diff --git a/layers/+email/notmuch/funcs.el b/layers/+email/notmuch/funcs.el
index 963f17c69..a1a9453f6 100644
--- a/layers/+email/notmuch/funcs.el
+++ b/layers/+email/notmuch/funcs.el
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 
 (defun spacemacs//notmuch-message-delete (go-next)
   "Delete message and select GO-NEXT message."
-  (notmuch-search-tag notmuch-spacemacs-delete-tags)
+  (notmuch-search-tag notmuch-message-deleted-tags)
   (if (eq 'up go-next )
       (notmuch-search-previous-thread)
     (notmuch-search-next-thread)))