diff --git a/mypy.ini b/mypy.ini
index 5fd3976d4a..d8ec951ff0 100644
--- a/mypy.ini
+++ b/mypy.ini
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ check_untyped_defs = True
 disallow_untyped_defs = True
 disallow_any_generics = True
 warn_no_return = True
-strict_optional = True
 no_implicit_optional = True
 
 # It's useful to try this occasionally, and keep it clean; but when
@@ -19,8 +18,220 @@ no_implicit_optional = True
 # Options to make the checking *less* strict, which we
 # might ideally eliminate.
 follow_imports = silent
+
+#
+#
+# IGNORE MISSING IMPORTS
+#
+#
+
+# Code that's actually in this tree
+
+[mypy-lib,lib.*]
 ignore_missing_imports = True
 
+[mypy-linter_lib.printer]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-lister,.lister]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-zerver.lib.test_case]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+
+# Zulip code from elsewhere
+
+[mypy-zulip]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-zulip_bots.lib]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-zulip_bots.custom_exceptions]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+
+# Standard library (lex order)
+
+[mypy-ConfigParser]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-multiprocessing.sharedctypes]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-typing.re]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-unittest.result]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+
+# Third-party libraries (lex order)
+
+[mypy-apiclient.sample_tools]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-apns2.*]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-bitfield,bitfield.*]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-bs4]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-coverage]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-cssutils,cssutils.*]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-defusedxml.*]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-digitalocean]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-disposable_email_domains]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-django,django.*]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-django_auth_ldap,django_auth_ldap.*]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-django_statsd.*]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-DNS]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-gcm]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-gitlint,gitlint.*]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-httplib2]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-hyper,hyper.*]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-ijson]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-ldap,fakeldap]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-lxml,lxml.*]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-markdown,markdown.*,markdown_include,markdown_include.*]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-mock]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-moto]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-netifaces]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-oauth2client.crypt]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-pika,pika.*]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-PIL]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-pipeline.storage]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-polib]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-premailer]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-psycopg2,psycopg2.*]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-pygments.*]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-pylibmc]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-pyoembed]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-redis]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-scrapy,scrapy.*]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-sendfile]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-six.moves.configparser]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-social_core.*]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-social_django,social_django.*]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-sockjs,sockjs.*]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-sourcemap]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-sqlalchemy,sqlalchemy.*]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-statsd]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-stripe,stripe.*]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-talon]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-tc_aws.loaders]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-thumbor.*]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-tornado,tornado.*]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-twitter]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+[mypy-two_factor,two_factor.*]
+ignore_missing_imports = True
+
+
+
+
+#
+#
+# STRICT OPTIONAL
+#
+#
+
+strict_optional = True
 
 # REQ returning None issue