diff --git a/internal_packages/message-list/lib/message-item.cjsx b/internal_packages/message-list/lib/message-item.cjsx
index d971d5b72e..b10bc817a3 100644
--- a/internal_packages/message-list/lib/message-item.cjsx
+++ b/internal_packages/message-list/lib/message-item.cjsx
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ class MessageItem extends React.Component
 
   _renderCollapsed: =>
     attachmentIcon = []
+    isCompact = not NylasEnv.config.get('core.reading.useLongDisplayNames')
     if Utils.showIconForAttachments(@props.message.files)
       attachmentIcon = <div className="collapsed-attachment"></div>
 
@@ -61,7 +62,7 @@ class MessageItem extends React.Component
       <div className="message-item-white-wrap">
         <div className="message-item-area">
           <div className="collapsed-from">
-            {@props.message.from?[0]?.displayName(compact: true)}
+            {@props.message.from?[0]?.displayName(compact: isCompact)}
           </div>
           <div className="collapsed-snippet">
             {@props.message.snippet}
diff --git a/internal_packages/message-list/lib/message-participants.cjsx b/internal_packages/message-list/lib/message-participants.cjsx
index 4837de7a32..20802e8056 100644
--- a/internal_packages/message-list/lib/message-participants.cjsx
+++ b/internal_packages/message-list/lib/message-participants.cjsx
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@ class MessageParticipants extends React.Component
     selection.addRange(range)
 
   _shortNames: (contacts = [], max = MAX_COLLAPSED) =>
-    names = _.map(contacts, (c) -> c.displayName(includeAccountLabel: true, compact: true))
+    isCompact = not NylasEnv.config.get('core.reading.useLongDisplayNames')
+    names = _.map(contacts, (c) -> c.displayName(includeAccountLabel: true, compact: isCompact))
     if names.length > max
       extra = names.length - max
       names = names.slice(0, max)
@@ -61,7 +62,7 @@ class MessageParticipants extends React.Component
             {c.fullName()}
           </div>
           <div className="participant-secondary">
-            {"<"}<span onClick={@_selectText}>{c.email}</span>{">#{comma}"}
+            &nbsp;{"<"}<span onClick={@_selectText}>{c.email}</span>{">#{comma}"}
           </div>
         </div>
       else
diff --git a/internal_packages/message-list/spec/message-participants-spec.cjsx b/internal_packages/message-list/spec/message-participants-spec.cjsx
index ad38159539..cd5f97634c 100644
--- a/internal_packages/message-list/spec/message-participants-spec.cjsx
+++ b/internal_packages/message-list/spec/message-participants-spec.cjsx
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ describe "MessageParticipants", ->
 
     it "uses full names", ->
       to = ReactTestUtils.findRenderedDOMComponentWithClass(@participants, "to-contact")
-      expect(ReactDOM.findDOMNode(to).innerText.trim()).toEqual "User Two<user2@nylas.com>"
+      expect(ReactDOM.findDOMNode(to).innerText.trim()).toEqual "User Two <user2@nylas.com>"
 
 
   # TODO: We no longer display "to everyone"
diff --git a/src/config-schema.coffee b/src/config-schema.coffee
index 25a2faa099..3e5ed2edbb 100644
--- a/src/config-schema.coffee
+++ b/src/config-schema.coffee
@@ -66,6 +66,10 @@ module.exports =
             type: 'boolean'
             default: false
             title: "Swipe gesture and backspace / delete move messages to trash"
+          useLongDisplayNames:
+            type: 'boolean'
+            default: false
+            title: "Use full contact names instead of compact"
       sending:
         type: 'object'
         properties: