diff --git a/src/backend/config.h b/src/backend/config.h
index 96e519c0d..0b50c7da2 100644
--- a/src/backend/config.h
+++ b/src/backend/config.h
@@ -261,6 +261,15 @@ const char*
 lumiera_config_wordlist_replace (const char* key, const char* value, const char* subst1, const char* subst2);
 
 
+/**
+ * Add a word to the end of a wordlist if it doesnt exist already
+ * @param key key under which this wordlist is stored
+ * @param value new word to add
+ * @return internal representation of the wordlist in a tmpbuf or NULL in case of an error
+ */
+const char*
+lumiera_config_wordlist_add (const char* key, const char* value);
+
 //  * {{{ lumiera_config_TYPE_set (const char* key, TYPE*value, const char* fmt) }}}
 //    Highlevel interface for different types, fmt is a printf format specifier for the desired format, when NULL, defaults apply.
 /**
diff --git a/src/backend/config_wordlist.c b/src/backend/config_wordlist.c
index acee07562..548a4d824 100644
--- a/src/backend/config_wordlist.c
+++ b/src/backend/config_wordlist.c
@@ -91,6 +91,9 @@ lumiera_config_wordlist_replace (const char* key, const char* value, const char*
   size_t vlen = strlen (value);
   size_t len;
 
+  if (!value)
+    return NULL;
+
   LUMIERA_MUTEX_SECTION (config_typed, &lumiera_global_config->lock)
     {
       if (lumiera_config_get (key, &wordlist))
@@ -138,15 +141,56 @@ lumiera_config_wordlist_replace (const char* key, const char* value, const char*
 }
 
 
+const char*
+lumiera_config_wordlist_add (const char* key, const char* value)
+{
+  const char* wordlist = NULL;
+
+  if (value && *value)
+    {
+      LUMIERA_MUTEX_SECTION (config_typed, &lumiera_global_config->lock)
+        {
+          if (lumiera_config_get (key, &wordlist))
+            {
+              size_t vlen = strlen (value);
+              size_t len;
+
+              for (const char* itr = wordlist; *itr; itr += len)
+                {
+                  itr += strspn (itr, " \t,;");
+                  len = strcspn (itr, " \t,;");
+
+                  if (len == vlen && !strncmp (itr, value, vlen))
+                    goto end;
+                }
+
+              TODO ("figure delimiter from original string out");
+              const char* delim = " ";
+
+              wordlist = lumiera_tmpbuf_snprintf (SIZE_MAX, "%s%s%s",
+                                                  wordlist,
+                                                  wordlist[strspn (wordlist, " \t,;")]?delim:"",
+                                                  value);
+
+              if (!lumiera_config_set (key, lumiera_tmpbuf_snprintf (SIZE_MAX, "=%s", wordlist)))
+                wordlist = NULL;
+            }
+        end:;
+        }
+    }
+
+  return wordlist;
+}
+
 
 #if 0
 
-
-LumieraConfigitem
-lumiera_config_wordlist_remove_nth (const char* key, const char** value, unsigned nth)
+const char*
+lumiera_config_wordlist_remove_nth (const char* key, unsigned nth)
 {
 }
 
+
 LumieraConfigitem
 lumiera_config_wordlist_append (const char* key, const char** value, unsigned nth)
 {
@@ -158,10 +202,6 @@ lumiera_config_wordlist_preprend (const char* key, const char** value, unsigned
 }
 
 
-LumieraConfigitem
-lumiera_config_wordlist_add (const char* key, const char** value, unsigned nth)
-{
-}
 #endif
 
 
diff --git a/tests/22config_highlevel.tests b/tests/22config_highlevel.tests
index e2400c6ff..3d131da3e 100644
--- a/tests/22config_highlevel.tests
+++ b/tests/22config_highlevel.tests
@@ -202,3 +202,23 @@ END
 TEST "wordlist replace, last, insert after" wordlist_replace 'foo.bar' 'baz barf gnarf' gnarf 'gnarf' 'last' << END
 out: ' baz barf gnarf last'
 END
+
+TEST "wordlist add 2 words" wordlist_add 'foo.bar' 'baz barf gnarf' first second << END
+out: ' baz barf gnarf first'
+out: ' baz barf gnarf first second'
+END
+
+TEST "wordlist add same word" wordlist_add 'foo.bar' 'baz barf gnarf' same same << END
+out: ' baz barf gnarf same'
+out: ' baz barf gnarf same'
+END
+
+TEST "wordlist add to empty list" wordlist_add 'foo.bar' '' first second << END
+out: ' first'
+out: ' first second'
+END
+
+TEST "wordlist add to empty list, same" wordlist_add 'foo.bar' '' same same << END
+out: ' same'
+out: ' same'
+END
diff --git a/tests/backend/test-config.c b/tests/backend/test-config.c
index 89d6d94ad..deffa7c00 100644
--- a/tests/backend/test-config.c
+++ b/tests/backend/test-config.c
@@ -381,5 +381,33 @@ TEST ("wordlist_replace")
 }
 
 
+TEST ("wordlist_add")
+{
+  REQUIRE (argv[2]);
+  REQUIRE (argv[3]);
+  REQUIRE (argv[4]);
+  REQUIRE (argv[5]);
+
+  lumiera_config_init ("./");
+
+  if (!lumiera_config_wordlist_set (argv[2], &argv[3]))
+    printf ("failed setting word '%s=%s': %s\n", argv[2], argv[3], lumiera_error ());
+
+  const char* wordlist = lumiera_config_wordlist_add (argv[2], argv[4]);
+  if (wordlist)
+    printf ("'%s'\n", wordlist);
+  else
+    printf ("%s\n", lumiera_error ());
+
+  wordlist = lumiera_config_wordlist_add (argv[2], argv[5]);
+  if (wordlist)
+    printf ("'%s'\n", wordlist);
+  else
+    printf ("%s\n", lumiera_error ());
+
+  lumiera_config_destroy ();
+}
+
+
 
 TESTS_END