diff --git a/worker/notmuch/lib/database.go b/worker/notmuch/lib/database.go
index f4fd588..0706bbc 100644
--- a/worker/notmuch/lib/database.go
+++ b/worker/notmuch/lib/database.go
@@ -55,6 +55,23 @@ func (db *DB) connectRO() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// ListTags lists all known tags
+func (db *DB) ListTags() ([]string, error) {
+	if db.ro == nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("not connected to the notmuch db")
+	}
+	tags, err := db.ro.Tags()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	var result []string
+	var tag *notmuch.Tag
+	for tags.Next(&tag) {
+		result = append(result, tag.Value)
+	}
+	return result, nil
+}
+
 //getQuery returns a query based on the provided query string.
 //It also configures the query as specified on the worker
 func (db *DB) newQuery(query string) (*notmuch.Query, error) {
diff --git a/worker/notmuch/worker.go b/worker/notmuch/worker.go
index ef4d4bf..96ec0cb 100644
--- a/worker/notmuch/worker.go
+++ b/worker/notmuch/worker.go
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ func (w *worker) handleConnect(msg *types.Connect) error {
 		return err
 	}
 	w.done(msg)
+	w.emitLabelList()
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -383,6 +384,8 @@ func (w *worker) handleModifyLabels(msg *types.ModifyLabels) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	// and update the list of possible tags
+	w.emitLabelList()
 	w.done(msg)
 	return nil
 }
@@ -460,6 +463,15 @@ func (w *worker) emitMessageInfo(m *Message,
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (w *worker) emitLabelList() {
+	tags, err := w.db.ListTags()
+	if err != nil {
+		w.w.Logger.Printf("could not load tags: %v", err)
+		return
+	}
+	w.w.PostMessage(&types.LabelList{Labels: tags}, nil)
+}
+
 func (w *worker) sort(uids []uint32,
 	criteria []*types.SortCriterion) ([]uint32, error) {
 	if len(criteria) == 0 {