diff --git a/modules/programs/thunderbird.nix b/modules/programs/thunderbird.nix
index d567ab44f..7382ae829 100644
--- a/modules/programs/thunderbird.nix
+++ b/modules/programs/thunderbird.nix
@@ -277,6 +277,33 @@ in {
                 '';
               };
 
+              accountsOrder = mkOption {
+                type = types.listOf types.str;
+                default = [ ];
+                description = ''
+                  Custom ordering of accounts and local folders in
+                  Thunderbird's folder pane. The accounts are specified
+                  by their name. For declarative accounts, it must be the name
+                  of their attribute in `config.accounts.email.accounts` (or
+                  `config.programs.thunderbird.profiles.<name>.feedAccounts`
+                  for feed accounts). The local folders name can be found in
+                  the `mail.accountmanager.accounts` Thunderbird preference,
+                  for example with Settings > Config Editor ("account1" by
+                  default). Enabled accounts and local folders that aren't
+                  listed here appear in an arbitrary order after the ordered
+                  accounts.
+                '';
+                example = ''
+                  [
+                    "my-awesome-account"
+                    "private"
+                    "work"
+                    "rss"
+                    /* Other accounts in arbitrary order */
+                  ]
+                '';
+              };
+
               withExternalGnupg = mkOption {
                 type = types.bool;
                 default = false;
@@ -575,13 +602,31 @@ in {
           (attrValues profile.feedAccounts);
 
         accounts = emailAccounts ++ feedAccounts;
+
+        orderedAccounts = let
+          accountNameToId = builtins.listToAttrs (map (a: {
+            name = a.name;
+            value = "account_${a.id}";
+          }) accounts);
+
+          accountsOrderIds =
+            map (a: accountNameToId."${a}" or a) profile.accountsOrder;
+
+          # Append the default local folder name "account1".
+          # See https://github.com/nix-community/home-manager/issues/5031.
+          enabledAccountsIds =
+            (attrsets.mapAttrsToList (name: value: value) accountNameToId)
+            ++ [ "account1" ];
+        in accountsOrderIds
+        ++ (lists.subtractLists accountsOrderIds enabledAccountsIds);
+
       in {
         text = mkUserJs (builtins.foldl' (a: b: a // b) { } ([
           cfg.settings
 
-          (optionalAttrs (length accounts != 0) {
+          (optionalAttrs (length orderedAccounts != 0) {
             "mail.accountmanager.accounts" =
-              concatStringsSep "," (map (a: "account_${a.id}") accounts);
+              concatStringsSep "," orderedAccounts;
           })
 
           (optionalAttrs (length smtp != 0) {
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/thunderbird/thunderbird-expected-first-darwin.js b/tests/modules/programs/thunderbird/thunderbird-expected-first-darwin.js
index 2fe2fa39f..f967de98d 100644
--- a/tests/modules/programs/thunderbird/thunderbird-expected-first-darwin.js
+++ b/tests/modules/programs/thunderbird/thunderbird-expected-first-darwin.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ user_pref("mail.account.account_bcd3ace52bed41febb6cdc2fb1303aebaa573e0d993872da
 user_pref("mail.account.account_c6cc42837ed0a8041f93ff12c579a4af0dbe702461c97eef069f9f5f8dc4bfab.server", "server_c6cc42837ed0a8041f93ff12c579a4af0dbe702461c97eef069f9f5f8dc4bfab");
 user_pref("mail.account.account_cda3f13b64c1db7d4b58ce07a31304a362d7dcaf14476bfabcca913ae41ada9f.identities", "id_cda3f13b64c1db7d4b58ce07a31304a362d7dcaf14476bfabcca913ae41ada9f,id_8bbcff78f53202c0bfaa490a2068e3e5d6e36872144c659952ecc0ada47d7562");
 user_pref("mail.account.account_cda3f13b64c1db7d4b58ce07a31304a362d7dcaf14476bfabcca913ae41ada9f.server", "server_cda3f13b64c1db7d4b58ce07a31304a362d7dcaf14476bfabcca913ae41ada9f");
-user_pref("mail.accountmanager.accounts", "account_bcd3ace52bed41febb6cdc2fb1303aebaa573e0d993872da503950901bb6c6fc,account_cda3f13b64c1db7d4b58ce07a31304a362d7dcaf14476bfabcca913ae41ada9f,account_c6cc42837ed0a8041f93ff12c579a4af0dbe702461c97eef069f9f5f8dc4bfab");
+user_pref("mail.accountmanager.accounts", "account_cda3f13b64c1db7d4b58ce07a31304a362d7dcaf14476bfabcca913ae41ada9f,account_c6cc42837ed0a8041f93ff12c579a4af0dbe702461c97eef069f9f5f8dc4bfab,imperative_account,account_bcd3ace52bed41febb6cdc2fb1303aebaa573e0d993872da503950901bb6c6fc,account1");
 user_pref("mail.accountmanager.defaultaccount", "account_cda3f13b64c1db7d4b58ce07a31304a362d7dcaf14476bfabcca913ae41ada9f");
 user_pref("mail.identity.id_8bbcff78f53202c0bfaa490a2068e3e5d6e36872144c659952ecc0ada47d7562.attachPgpKey", false);
 user_pref("mail.identity.id_8bbcff78f53202c0bfaa490a2068e3e5d6e36872144c659952ecc0ada47d7562.autoEncryptDrafts", true);
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/thunderbird/thunderbird-expected-first-linux.js b/tests/modules/programs/thunderbird/thunderbird-expected-first-linux.js
index 6d5f57274..3ff844fcf 100644
--- a/tests/modules/programs/thunderbird/thunderbird-expected-first-linux.js
+++ b/tests/modules/programs/thunderbird/thunderbird-expected-first-linux.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ user_pref("mail.account.account_bcd3ace52bed41febb6cdc2fb1303aebaa573e0d993872da
 user_pref("mail.account.account_c6cc42837ed0a8041f93ff12c579a4af0dbe702461c97eef069f9f5f8dc4bfab.server", "server_c6cc42837ed0a8041f93ff12c579a4af0dbe702461c97eef069f9f5f8dc4bfab");
 user_pref("mail.account.account_cda3f13b64c1db7d4b58ce07a31304a362d7dcaf14476bfabcca913ae41ada9f.identities", "id_cda3f13b64c1db7d4b58ce07a31304a362d7dcaf14476bfabcca913ae41ada9f,id_8bbcff78f53202c0bfaa490a2068e3e5d6e36872144c659952ecc0ada47d7562");
 user_pref("mail.account.account_cda3f13b64c1db7d4b58ce07a31304a362d7dcaf14476bfabcca913ae41ada9f.server", "server_cda3f13b64c1db7d4b58ce07a31304a362d7dcaf14476bfabcca913ae41ada9f");
-user_pref("mail.accountmanager.accounts", "account_bcd3ace52bed41febb6cdc2fb1303aebaa573e0d993872da503950901bb6c6fc,account_cda3f13b64c1db7d4b58ce07a31304a362d7dcaf14476bfabcca913ae41ada9f,account_c6cc42837ed0a8041f93ff12c579a4af0dbe702461c97eef069f9f5f8dc4bfab");
+user_pref("mail.accountmanager.accounts", "account_cda3f13b64c1db7d4b58ce07a31304a362d7dcaf14476bfabcca913ae41ada9f,account_c6cc42837ed0a8041f93ff12c579a4af0dbe702461c97eef069f9f5f8dc4bfab,imperative_account,account_bcd3ace52bed41febb6cdc2fb1303aebaa573e0d993872da503950901bb6c6fc,account1");
 user_pref("mail.accountmanager.defaultaccount", "account_cda3f13b64c1db7d4b58ce07a31304a362d7dcaf14476bfabcca913ae41ada9f");
 user_pref("mail.identity.id_8bbcff78f53202c0bfaa490a2068e3e5d6e36872144c659952ecc0ada47d7562.attachPgpKey", false);
 user_pref("mail.identity.id_8bbcff78f53202c0bfaa490a2068e3e5d6e36872144c659952ecc0ada47d7562.autoEncryptDrafts", true);
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/thunderbird/thunderbird-expected-second-darwin.js b/tests/modules/programs/thunderbird/thunderbird-expected-second-darwin.js
index d634568c8..bda3cde07 100644
--- a/tests/modules/programs/thunderbird/thunderbird-expected-second-darwin.js
+++ b/tests/modules/programs/thunderbird/thunderbird-expected-second-darwin.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 user_pref("general.useragent.override", "");
 user_pref("mail.account.account_bcd3ace52bed41febb6cdc2fb1303aebaa573e0d993872da503950901bb6c6fc.identities", "id_bcd3ace52bed41febb6cdc2fb1303aebaa573e0d993872da503950901bb6c6fc");
 user_pref("mail.account.account_bcd3ace52bed41febb6cdc2fb1303aebaa573e0d993872da503950901bb6c6fc.server", "server_bcd3ace52bed41febb6cdc2fb1303aebaa573e0d993872da503950901bb6c6fc");
-user_pref("mail.accountmanager.accounts", "account_bcd3ace52bed41febb6cdc2fb1303aebaa573e0d993872da503950901bb6c6fc");
+user_pref("mail.accountmanager.accounts", "account1,account_bcd3ace52bed41febb6cdc2fb1303aebaa573e0d993872da503950901bb6c6fc");
 user_pref("mail.identity.id_bcd3ace52bed41febb6cdc2fb1303aebaa573e0d993872da503950901bb6c6fc.autoEncryptDrafts", false);
 user_pref("mail.identity.id_bcd3ace52bed41febb6cdc2fb1303aebaa573e0d993872da503950901bb6c6fc.fullName", "H. M. Test Jr.");
 user_pref("mail.identity.id_bcd3ace52bed41febb6cdc2fb1303aebaa573e0d993872da503950901bb6c6fc.htmlSigText", "");
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/thunderbird/thunderbird-expected-second-linux.js b/tests/modules/programs/thunderbird/thunderbird-expected-second-linux.js
index e4e9296a8..636edbe53 100644
--- a/tests/modules/programs/thunderbird/thunderbird-expected-second-linux.js
+++ b/tests/modules/programs/thunderbird/thunderbird-expected-second-linux.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 user_pref("general.useragent.override", "");
 user_pref("mail.account.account_bcd3ace52bed41febb6cdc2fb1303aebaa573e0d993872da503950901bb6c6fc.identities", "id_bcd3ace52bed41febb6cdc2fb1303aebaa573e0d993872da503950901bb6c6fc");
 user_pref("mail.account.account_bcd3ace52bed41febb6cdc2fb1303aebaa573e0d993872da503950901bb6c6fc.server", "server_bcd3ace52bed41febb6cdc2fb1303aebaa573e0d993872da503950901bb6c6fc");
-user_pref("mail.accountmanager.accounts", "account_bcd3ace52bed41febb6cdc2fb1303aebaa573e0d993872da503950901bb6c6fc");
+user_pref("mail.accountmanager.accounts", "account1,account_bcd3ace52bed41febb6cdc2fb1303aebaa573e0d993872da503950901bb6c6fc");
 user_pref("mail.identity.id_bcd3ace52bed41febb6cdc2fb1303aebaa573e0d993872da503950901bb6c6fc.autoEncryptDrafts", false);
 user_pref("mail.identity.id_bcd3ace52bed41febb6cdc2fb1303aebaa573e0d993872da503950901bb6c6fc.fullName", "H. M. Test Jr.");
 user_pref("mail.identity.id_bcd3ace52bed41febb6cdc2fb1303aebaa573e0d993872da503950901bb6c6fc.htmlSigText", "");
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/thunderbird/thunderbird.nix b/tests/modules/programs/thunderbird/thunderbird.nix
index 35e87d452..dacfc7d45 100644
--- a/tests/modules/programs/thunderbird/thunderbird.nix
+++ b/tests/modules/programs/thunderbird/thunderbird.nix
@@ -76,12 +76,16 @@
         '';
 
         feedAccounts.rss = { };
+
+        accountsOrder =
+          [ "hm@example.com" "rss" "imperative_account" "hm-account" ];
       };
 
       second.settings = {
         "second.setting" = "some-test-setting";
         second.nested.evenFurtherNested = [ 1 2 3 ];
       };
+      second.accountsOrder = [ "account1" ];
     };
 
     settings = {