diff --git a/app/compose.go b/app/compose.go
index 7a581505..2cd7fd61 100644
--- a/app/compose.go
+++ b/app/compose.go
@@ -1276,7 +1276,7 @@ func (c *Composer) showTerminal() error {
 	c.focusable = append(c.focusable, c.editor)
 	c.review = nil
 	c.updateGrid()
-	if c.editHeaders {
+	if c.editHeaders || config.Compose.FocusBody {
 		c.focusTerminalPriv()
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/config/aerc.conf b/config/aerc.conf
index 4a83625a..9070bcf3 100644
--- a/config/aerc.conf
+++ b/config/aerc.conf
@@ -654,6 +654,12 @@
 # Default: false
 #edit-headers=false
 
+#
+# Sets focus to the email body when the composer window opens.
+#
+# Default: false
+#focus-body=false
+
 #
 # Specifies the command to be used to tab-complete email addresses. Any
 # occurrence of "%s" in the address-book-cmd will be replaced with what the
diff --git a/config/compose.go b/config/compose.go
index d6f25d31..db963f56 100644
--- a/config/compose.go
+++ b/config/compose.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ type ComposeConfig struct {
 	FilePickerCmd       string         `ini:"file-picker-cmd"`
 	FormatFlowed        bool           `ini:"format-flowed"`
 	EditHeaders         bool           `ini:"edit-headers"`
+	FocusBody           bool           `ini:"focus-body"`
 	LFEditor            bool           `ini:"lf-editor"`
 }
 
diff --git a/doc/aerc-config.5.scd b/doc/aerc-config.5.scd
index 80922fa1..56c4e209 100644
--- a/doc/aerc-config.5.scd
+++ b/doc/aerc-config.5.scd
@@ -883,6 +883,11 @@ These options are configured in the *[compose]* section of _aerc.conf_.
 
 	Default: _false_
 
+*focus-body* = _true_|_false_
+	Sets focus to the email body when the composer window opens.
+
+	Default: _false_
+
 *address-book-cmd* = _<command>_
 	Specifies the command to be used to tab-complete email addresses. Any
 	occurrence of _%s_ in the *address-book-cmd* will be replaced with anything