diff --git a/doc/userguide/rules/email-keywords.rst b/doc/userguide/rules/email-keywords.rst
index 206c3837e6..766b87bf4d 100644
--- a/doc/userguide/rules/email-keywords.rst
+++ b/doc/userguide/rules/email-keywords.rst
@@ -222,3 +222,29 @@ Example of a signature that would alert if a packet contains the MIME field ``re
 .. container:: example-rule
 
   alert smtp any any -> any any (msg:"Test mime email received"; :example-rule-emphasis:`email.received; content:"from [65.201.218.30] (helo=COZOXORY.club)by 173-66-46-112.wash.fios.verizon.net with esmtpa (Exim 4.86)(envelope-from )id 71cF63a9for mirjam@abrakadabra.ch\; Mon, 29 Jul 2019 17:01:45 +0000";` sid:1;)
+
+email.body_md5
+--------------
+
+Matches the ``md5`` hash generated from an email body.
+This keyword only works if config option
+``app-layer.protocols.smtp.mime.body-md5`` is enabled or auto.
+It should be used with ``requires: keyword email.body_md5;``
+
+Syntax::
+
+ email.body_md5; content:"<content to match against>";
+
+``email.body_md5`` is a 'sticky buffer' and can be used as a ``fast_pattern``.
+
+This keyword maps to the EVE field ``email.body_md5``.
+
+Example
+^^^^^^^
+
+Example of a signature that would alert if the hash ``ed00c81b85fa455d60e19f1230977134``
+is generated from an email body:
+
+.. container:: example-rule
+
+  alert smtp any any -> any any (msg:"Test mime email body_md5"; :example-rule-emphasis:`requires: keyword email.body_md5; email.body_md5; content:"ed00c81b85fa455d60e19f1230977134";` sid:1;)
diff --git a/rust/src/mime/detect.rs b/rust/src/mime/detect.rs
index fb9b6d08cf..b1a36ce6a0 100644
--- a/rust/src/mime/detect.rs
+++ b/rust/src/mime/detect.rs
@@ -93,3 +93,12 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn SCDetectMimeEmailGetDataArray(
     }
     return 0;
 }
+
+#[no_mangle]
+pub unsafe extern "C" fn SCDetectMimeEmailGetBodyMd5(
+    ctx: &MimeStateSMTP, buffer: *mut *const u8, buffer_len: *mut u32,
+) {
+    let hash = &ctx.md5_result;
+    *buffer = hash.as_ptr();
+    *buffer_len = hash.len() as u32;
+}
diff --git a/rust/src/mime/smtp.rs b/rust/src/mime/smtp.rs
index 5e7e478e9b..2cabf8d922 100644
--- a/rust/src/mime/smtp.rs
+++ b/rust/src/mime/smtp.rs
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ fn mime_smtp_parse_line(
     let mut warnings = 0;
     match ctx.state_flag {
         MimeSmtpParserState::MimeSmtpStart => {
-            if unsafe { MIME_SMTP_CONFIG_BODY_MD5 }
+            if unsafe { MIME_SMTP_CONFIG_ENABLE_BODY_MD5 }
                 && ctx.md5_state != MimeSmtpMd5State::MimeSmtpMd5Started
             {
                 ctx.md5 = Md5::new();
@@ -710,7 +710,8 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn SCMimeSmtpGetHeaderName(
 
 static mut MIME_SMTP_CONFIG_DECODE_BASE64: bool = true;
 static mut MIME_SMTP_CONFIG_DECODE_QUOTED: bool = true;
-static mut MIME_SMTP_CONFIG_BODY_MD5: bool = false;
+static mut MIME_SMTP_CONFIG_ENABLE_BODY_MD5: bool = false;
+static mut MIME_SMTP_CONFIG_DISABLE_BODY_MD5: bool = false;
 static mut MIME_SMTP_CONFIG_HEADER_VALUE_DEPTH: u32 = 0;
 static mut MIME_SMTP_CONFIG_EXTRACT_URLS: bool = true;
 static mut MIME_SMTP_CONFIG_LOG_URL_SCHEME: bool = false;
@@ -737,8 +738,22 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn SCMimeSmtpConfigLogUrlScheme(val: std::os::raw::c_int)
 }
 
 #[no_mangle]
-pub unsafe extern "C" fn SCMimeSmtpConfigBodyMd5(val: std::os::raw::c_int) {
-    MIME_SMTP_CONFIG_BODY_MD5 = val != 0;
+pub unsafe extern "C" fn SCMimeSmtpConfigBodyMd5(val: bool) {
+    if val {
+        MIME_SMTP_CONFIG_ENABLE_BODY_MD5 = true;
+    } else {
+        MIME_SMTP_CONFIG_DISABLE_BODY_MD5 = true;
+    }
+}
+
+#[no_mangle]
+pub unsafe extern "C" fn MimeBodyMd5IsEnabled() -> bool {
+    MIME_SMTP_CONFIG_ENABLE_BODY_MD5
+}
+
+#[no_mangle]
+pub unsafe extern "C" fn MimeBodyMd5IsDisabled() -> bool {
+    MIME_SMTP_CONFIG_DISABLE_BODY_MD5
 }
 
 #[no_mangle]
diff --git a/src/app-layer-smtp.c b/src/app-layer-smtp.c
index a7b76ec442..e7808e5ef2 100644
--- a/src/app-layer-smtp.c
+++ b/src/app-layer-smtp.c
@@ -391,9 +391,16 @@ static void SMTPConfigure(void) {
             SCMimeSmtpConfigLogUrlScheme(val);
         }
 
-        ret = SCConfGetChildValueBool(config, "body-md5", &val);
-        if (ret) {
-            SCMimeSmtpConfigBodyMd5(val);
+        // default (if value is absent) is auto : do not set anything
+        const char *strval;
+        if (SCConfGetChildValue(config, "body-md5", &strval) == 1) {
+            if (SCConfValIsFalse(strval)) {
+                SCMimeSmtpConfigBodyMd5(false);
+            } else if (SCConfValIsTrue(strval)) {
+                SCMimeSmtpConfigBodyMd5(true);
+            } else if (strcmp(strval, "auto") != 0) {
+                SCLogWarning("Unknown value for body-md5: %s", strval);
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/detect-email.c b/src/detect-email.c
index 26bd4974ce..4fd7e1db79 100644
--- a/src/detect-email.c
+++ b/src/detect-email.c
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ static int g_mime_email_message_id_buffer_id = 0;
 static int g_mime_email_x_mailer_buffer_id = 0;
 static int g_mime_email_url_buffer_id = 0;
 static int g_mime_email_received_buffer_id = 0;
+static int g_mime_email_body_md5_buffer_id = 0;
 
 static int DetectMimeEmailFromSetup(DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, Signature *s, const char *arg)
 {
@@ -225,6 +226,36 @@ static bool GetMimeEmailReceivedData(DetectEngineThreadCtx *det_ctx, const void
     return true;
 }
 
+int DETECT_EMAIL_BODY_MD5 = 0;
+
+static int DetectMimeEmailBodyMd5Setup(DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, Signature *s, const char *arg)
+{
+    if (SCDetectBufferSetActiveList(de_ctx, s, g_mime_email_body_md5_buffer_id) < 0)
+        return -1;
+
+    if (SCDetectSignatureSetAppProto(s, ALPROTO_SMTP) < 0)
+        return -1;
+
+    if (!MimeBodyMd5IsEnabled()) {
+        // we registered the keyword if not explicitly disabled, so we are here in auto mode
+        SCMimeSmtpConfigBodyMd5(true);
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static bool GetMimeEmailBodyMd5Data(
+        const void *txv, const uint8_t _flow_flags, const uint8_t **data, uint32_t *data_len)
+{
+    SMTPTransaction *tx = (SMTPTransaction *)txv;
+    if (tx->mime_state == NULL)
+        return false;
+
+    SCDetectMimeEmailGetBodyMd5(tx->mime_state, data, data_len);
+
+    return true;
+}
+
 void DetectEmailRegister(void)
 {
     SCSigTableAppLiteElmt kw = { 0 };
@@ -309,4 +340,19 @@ void DetectEmailRegister(void)
     SCDetectHelperKeywordRegister(&kw);
     g_mime_email_received_buffer_id = SCDetectHelperMultiBufferMpmRegister("email.received",
             "MIME EMAIL RECEIVED", ALPROTO_SMTP, STREAM_TOSERVER, GetMimeEmailReceivedData);
+
+    if (!MimeBodyMd5IsDisabled()) {
+        // do not register the keyword if explicitly disabled
+        kw.name = "email.body_md5";
+        kw.desc = "'md5' hash generated from an email body";
+        kw.url = "/rules/email-keywords.html#email.body_md5";
+        kw.Setup = DetectMimeEmailBodyMd5Setup;
+        kw.flags = SIGMATCH_NOOPT | SIGMATCH_INFO_STICKY_BUFFER;
+        DETECT_EMAIL_BODY_MD5 = SCDetectHelperKeywordRegister(&kw);
+        // We do not need a progress because SMTP tx has only progress 0 or 1
+        // even if we have a MimeSmtpMd5State enumeration
+        g_mime_email_body_md5_buffer_id = SCDetectHelperBufferMpmRegister("email.body_md5",
+                "MIME EMAIL BODY MD5", ALPROTO_SMTP, STREAM_TOSERVER, GetMimeEmailBodyMd5Data);
+        DetectBufferTypeRegisterValidateCallback("email.body_md5", DetectMd5ValidateCallback);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/suricata.yaml.in b/suricata.yaml.in
index 9b96a59ea3..4e861f9a9f 100644
--- a/suricata.yaml.in
+++ b/suricata.yaml.in
@@ -1039,7 +1039,9 @@ app-layer:
         #log-url-scheme: yes
         # Set to yes to compute the md5 of the mail body. You will then
         # be able to journalize it.
-        body-md5: no
+        # Set it to no to disable it.
+        # Default is auto: not enabled until a rule needs it
+        # body-md5: auto
       # Configure inspected-tracker for file_data keyword
       inspected-tracker:
         content-limit: 100000