diff --git a/modules/accounts/contacts.nix b/modules/accounts/contacts.nix
index 83f57d8e2..272594b18 100644
--- a/modules/accounts/contacts.nix
+++ b/modules/accounts/contacts.nix
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ in {
         contactOpts
         (import ../programs/vdirsyncer-accounts.nix)
         (import ../programs/khal-accounts.nix)
+        (import ../programs/khal-contact-accounts.nix)
       ]);
       default = { };
       description = "List of contacts.";
diff --git a/modules/programs/khal-accounts.nix b/modules/programs/khal-accounts.nix
index ad94adc99..cf04a65c0 100644
--- a/modules/programs/khal-accounts.nix
+++ b/modules/programs/khal-accounts.nix
@@ -13,5 +13,39 @@ with lib;
         Keep khal from making any changes to this account.
       '';
     };
+
+    color = mkOption {
+      type = types.nullOr (types.enum [
+        "black"
+        "white"
+        "brown"
+        "yellow"
+        "dark gray"
+        "dark green"
+        "dark blue"
+        "light gray"
+        "light green"
+        "light blue"
+        "dark magenta"
+        "dark cyan"
+        "dark red"
+        "light magenta"
+        "light cyan"
+        "light red"
+      ]);
+      default = null;
+      description = ''
+        Color in which events in this calendar are displayed.
+      '';
+      example = "light green";
+    };
+
+    priority = mkOption {
+      type = types.int;
+      default = 10;
+      description = ''
+        Priority of a calendar used for coloring (calendar with highest priority is preferred).
+      '';
+    };
   };
 }
diff --git a/modules/programs/khal-calendar-accounts.nix b/modules/programs/khal-calendar-accounts.nix
index 6910d627a..0a56ba816 100644
--- a/modules/programs/khal-calendar-accounts.nix
+++ b/modules/programs/khal-calendar-accounts.nix
@@ -20,39 +20,5 @@ with lib;
         type is set to discover.
       '';
     };
-
-    color = mkOption {
-      type = types.nullOr (types.enum [
-        "black"
-        "white"
-        "brown"
-        "yellow"
-        "dark gray"
-        "dark green"
-        "dark blue"
-        "light gray"
-        "light green"
-        "light blue"
-        "dark magenta"
-        "dark cyan"
-        "dark red"
-        "light magenta"
-        "light cyan"
-        "light red"
-      ]);
-      default = null;
-      description = ''
-        Color in which events in this calendar are displayed.
-      '';
-      example = "light green";
-    };
-
-    priority = mkOption {
-      type = types.int;
-      default = 10;
-      description = ''
-        Priority of a calendar used for coloring.
-      '';
-    };
   };
 }
diff --git a/modules/programs/khal-contact-accounts.nix b/modules/programs/khal-contact-accounts.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c58ed4d6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/programs/khal-contact-accounts.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+{ config, lib, ... }:
+
+with lib;
+
+{
+  options.khal = {
+    collections = mkOption {
+      type = types.nullOr (types.listOf types.str);
+      default = null;
+      description = ''
+        VCARD collections to be searched for contact birthdays.
+      '';
+    };
+  };
+}
diff --git a/modules/programs/khal.nix b/modules/programs/khal.nix
index 8fc0e0892..c8037e53b 100644
--- a/modules/programs/khal.nix
+++ b/modules/programs/khal.nix
@@ -12,13 +12,25 @@ let
   khalCalendarAccounts =
     filterAttrs (_: a: a.khal.enable) config.accounts.calendar.accounts;
 
-  khalContactAccounts = mapAttrs (_: v: v // { type = "birthdays"; })
-    (filterAttrs (_: a: a.khal.enable) config.accounts.contact.accounts);
+  # a contact account may have multiple collections, each a separate calendar
+  expandContactAccount = name: acct:
+    if acct.khal.collections != null then
+      listToAttrs (map (c: {
+        name = "${name}-${c}";
+        value = recursiveUpdate acct { khal.thisCollection = c; };
+      }) acct.khal.collections)
+    else {
+      ${name} = acct;
+    };
+
+  khalContactAccounts = concatMapAttrs expandContactAccount
+    (mapAttrs (_: v: recursiveUpdate v { khal.type = "birthdays"; })
+      (filterAttrs (_: a: a.khal.enable) config.accounts.contact.accounts));
 
   khalAccounts = khalCalendarAccounts // khalContactAccounts;
 
   primaryAccount = findSingle (a: a.primary) null null
-    (mapAttrsToList (n: v: v // { name = n; }) khalAccounts);
+    (mapAttrsToList (n: v: v // { name = n; }) khalCalendarAccounts);
 
   definedAttrs = filterAttrs (_: v: !isNull v);
 
@@ -30,6 +42,9 @@ let
       "path = ${
         value.local.path + "/"
         + (optionalString (value.khal.type == "discover") value.khal.glob)
+        + (optionalString
+          (value.khal.type == "birthdays" && value.khal ? thisCollection)
+          value.khal.thisCollection)
       }"
     ] ++ optional (value.khal.readOnly) "readonly = True" ++ [
       (toKeyValueIfDefined (getAttrs [ "type" "color" "priority" ] value.khal))
@@ -153,7 +168,7 @@ in {
     locale = mkOption {
       type = lib.types.submodule { options = localeOptions; };
       description = ''
-        khal locale settings. 
+        khal locale settings.
       '';
       default = { };
     };
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/khal/config.nix b/tests/modules/programs/khal/config.nix
index a2eb8bf13..50218e15a 100644
--- a/tests/modules/programs/khal/config.nix
+++ b/tests/modules/programs/khal/config.nix
@@ -32,6 +32,36 @@
     };
   };
 
+  accounts.contact = {
+    basePath = "$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/card";
+    accounts = {
+      testcontacts = {
+        khal = {
+          enable = true;
+          collections = [ "default" "automaticallyCollected" ];
+        };
+        local.type = "filesystem";
+        local.fileExt = ".vcf";
+        name = "testcontacts";
+        remote = {
+          type = "http";
+          url = "https://example.com/contacts.vcf";
+        };
+      };
+
+      testcontactsNoCollections = {
+        khal.enable = true;
+        local.type = "filesystem";
+        local.fileExt = ".vcf";
+        name = "testcontactsNoCollections";
+        remote = {
+          type = "http";
+          url = "https://example.com/contacts.vcf";
+        };
+      };
+    };
+  };
+
   test.stubs = { khal = { }; };
 
   nmt.script = ''
diff --git a/tests/modules/programs/khal/khal-config-expected b/tests/modules/programs/khal/khal-config-expected
index 361db2d68..a4cf7a30e 100644
--- a/tests/modules/programs/khal/khal-config-expected
+++ b/tests/modules/programs/khal/khal-config-expected
@@ -7,6 +7,27 @@ type=calendar
 
 
 
+[[testcontacts-automaticallyCollected]]
+path = /home/hm-user/$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/card/testcontacts/automaticallyCollected
+priority=10
+type=birthdays
+
+
+
+[[testcontacts-default]]
+path = /home/hm-user/$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/card/testcontacts/default
+priority=10
+type=birthdays
+
+
+
+[[testcontactsNoCollections]]
+path = /home/hm-user/$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/card/testcontactsNoCollections/
+priority=10
+type=birthdays
+
+
+
 [default]
 default_calendar=test
 highlight_event_days=true