diff --git a/src/mu-msg-iter.cc b/src/mu-msg-iter.cc
index 02d782eaf..ba21cb383 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg-iter.cc
+++ b/src/mu-msg-iter.cc
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ mu_msg_iter_next (MuMsgIter *iter)
 			iter = get_next_batch (iter);
 		if (iter->_cursor == iter->_matches.end())
 			return FALSE; /* no more matches */
-			
+		
 		/* the message may not be readable / existing, e.g.,
 		    * because of the database not being fully up to
 		    * date. in that case, we ignore the message. it
@@ -178,22 +178,46 @@ mu_msg_iter_is_done (MuMsgIter *iter)
 }
 
 
+static const gchar*
+get_field (MuMsgIter *iter, MuMsgFieldId mfid)
+{
+	if (!iter->_str[mfid]) { /* cache the value */
+		try {
+			const std::string s
+				(iter->_cursor.get_document().get_value(mfid));
+			iter->_str[mfid] = s.empty() ? NULL : g_strdup (s.c_str());
+			
+		} MU_XAPIAN_CATCH_BLOCK_RETURN(NULL);
+	}
+	return iter->_str[mfid];
+}
+
 const gchar*
 mu_msg_iter_get_field (MuMsgIter *iter, MuMsgFieldId mfid)
 {
 	g_return_val_if_fail (!mu_msg_iter_is_done(iter), NULL);
 	g_return_val_if_fail (mu_msg_field_id_is_valid(mfid), NULL);
 
+	return get_field (iter, mfid);
+}
+
+
+
+
+static gint64
+get_field_numeric (MuMsgIter *iter, MuMsgFieldId mfid)
+{
+	const char* str;
+
+	str = get_field (iter, mfid);
+	if (!str)
+		return 0;
+	
 	try {
-		if (!iter->_str[mfid]) { /* cache the value */
-			Xapian::Document doc (iter->_cursor.get_document());
-			iter->_str[mfid] =
-				g_strdup (doc.get_value(mfid).c_str());
-		}
-		
-		return iter->_str[mfid];
-						 
-	} MU_XAPIAN_CATCH_BLOCK_RETURN(NULL);
+
+		return static_cast<gint64>(Xapian::sortable_unserialise(str));
+
+	} MU_XAPIAN_CATCH_BLOCK_RETURN(static_cast<gint64>(-1));
 }
 
 
@@ -203,12 +227,7 @@ mu_msg_iter_get_field_numeric (MuMsgIter *iter, MuMsgFieldId mfid)
 	g_return_val_if_fail (!mu_msg_iter_is_done(iter), -1);	
 	g_return_val_if_fail (mu_msg_field_is_numeric(mfid), -1);
 	
-	try {
-		return static_cast<gint64>(
-			Xapian::sortable_unserialise(
-				mu_msg_iter_get_field(iter, mfid)));
-
-	} MU_XAPIAN_CATCH_BLOCK_RETURN(static_cast<gint64>(-1));
+	return get_field_numeric (iter, mfid);
 }
 
 
@@ -238,37 +257,35 @@ const char*
 mu_msg_iter_get_path (MuMsgIter *iter)
 {
 	g_return_val_if_fail (!mu_msg_iter_is_done(iter), NULL);
-	return mu_msg_iter_get_field (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_PATH);
+	return get_field (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_PATH);
 }
 
 const char*
 mu_msg_iter_get_maildir (MuMsgIter *iter)
 {
 	g_return_val_if_fail (!mu_msg_iter_is_done(iter), NULL);
-	return mu_msg_iter_get_field (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_MAILDIR);
+	return get_field (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_MAILDIR);
 }
 
 const char*
 mu_msg_iter_get_msgid (MuMsgIter *iter)
 {
 	g_return_val_if_fail (!mu_msg_iter_is_done(iter), NULL);
-	return mu_msg_iter_get_field (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_MSGID);
+	return get_field (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_MSGID);
 }
 
-
-
 const char*
 mu_msg_iter_get_from (MuMsgIter *iter)
 {
 	g_return_val_if_fail (!mu_msg_iter_is_done(iter), NULL);
-	return mu_msg_iter_get_field (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_FROM);
+	return get_field (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_FROM);
 }
 
 const char*
 mu_msg_iter_get_to (MuMsgIter *iter)
 {
 	g_return_val_if_fail (!mu_msg_iter_is_done(iter), NULL);
-	return mu_msg_iter_get_field (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_TO);
+	return get_field (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_TO);
 }
 
 
@@ -276,7 +293,7 @@ const char*
 mu_msg_iter_get_cc (MuMsgIter *iter)
 {
 	g_return_val_if_fail (!mu_msg_iter_is_done(iter), NULL);
-	return mu_msg_iter_get_field (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_CC);
+	return get_field (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_CC);
 }
 
 
@@ -284,7 +301,7 @@ const char*
 mu_msg_iter_get_subject (MuMsgIter *iter)
 {
 	g_return_val_if_fail (!mu_msg_iter_is_done(iter), NULL);
-	return mu_msg_iter_get_field (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_SUBJECT);
+	return get_field (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_SUBJECT);
 }
 
 
@@ -292,14 +309,8 @@ size_t
 mu_msg_iter_get_size (MuMsgIter *iter)
 {
 	g_return_val_if_fail (!mu_msg_iter_is_done(iter), 0);
-	
-	try {
-		return static_cast<size_t>(
-			Xapian::sortable_unserialise(
-				mu_msg_iter_get_field
-				(iter,MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_SIZE)));
-
-	} MU_XAPIAN_CATCH_BLOCK_RETURN(0);
+	return static_cast<size_t>(
+			get_field_numeric (iter,MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_SIZE));
 } 
 
 
@@ -307,22 +318,15 @@ time_t
 mu_msg_iter_get_date (MuMsgIter *iter)
 {
 	g_return_val_if_fail (!mu_msg_iter_is_done(iter), 0);
-
-	try {
-		return static_cast<time_t>(
-			Xapian::sortable_unserialise(
-				mu_msg_iter_get_field
-				(iter,MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_DATE)));
-
-	} MU_XAPIAN_CATCH_BLOCK_RETURN(0);
+	return static_cast<time_t>(
+			get_field_numeric (iter,MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_DATE));
 }
 
 MuMsgFlags
 mu_msg_iter_get_flags (MuMsgIter *iter)
 {
 	g_return_val_if_fail (!mu_msg_iter_is_done(iter), MU_MSG_FLAG_NONE);
-	
-	return static_cast<MuMsgFlags>(mu_msg_iter_get_field_numeric
+	return static_cast<MuMsgFlags>(get_field_numeric
 				       (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_FLAGS));
 } 
 
@@ -331,7 +335,47 @@ mu_msg_iter_get_prio (MuMsgIter *iter)
 {
 	g_return_val_if_fail (!mu_msg_iter_is_done(iter),
 			      MU_MSG_PRIO_NONE);
-	
-	return static_cast<MuMsgPrio>(mu_msg_iter_get_field_numeric
+	return static_cast<MuMsgPrio>(get_field_numeric
 				      (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_PRIO));
-} 
+}
+
+
+static gchar*
+get_field_copy (MuMsgIter *iter, MuMsgFieldId mfid)
+{
+	const char *s;
+
+	s = get_field (iter, mfid);
+	return s ? g_strdup (s) : NULL;
+}
+
+MuMsgData*
+mu_msg_iter_get_msgdata (MuMsgIter *iter)
+{
+	MuMsgData *mdata;
+	g_return_val_if_fail (!mu_msg_iter_is_done(iter),
+			      NULL);
+	mdata = mu_msg_data_new ();
+
+	try {
+		mdata->cc      = get_field_copy (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_CC);
+		mdata->from    = get_field_copy (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_FROM);
+		mdata->maildir = get_field_copy (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_MAILDIR);
+		mdata->msgid   = get_field_copy (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_MSGID);
+		mdata->path    = get_field_copy (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_PATH);
+		mdata->subject = get_field_copy (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_SUBJECT);
+		mdata->to      = get_field_copy (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_TO);
+		
+		mdata->size    = static_cast<size_t>(get_field_numeric
+						     (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_SIZE));
+		mdata->date    = static_cast<time_t>(get_field_numeric
+						     (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_DATE));
+		mdata->flags   = static_cast<MuMsgFlags>(get_field_numeric
+							 (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_FLAGS));
+		mdata->prio    = static_cast<MuMsgPrio>(get_field_numeric
+							(iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_PRIO));
+
+	} MU_XAPIAN_CATCH_BLOCK_RETURN(NULL);
+		
+	return mdata;
+}
diff --git a/src/mu-msg-iter.h b/src/mu-msg-iter.h
index 7c2d9bb91..228dc7801 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg-iter.h
+++ b/src/mu-msg-iter.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 #include <glib.h>
 #include <mu-msg.h>
+#include <mu-msg-data.h>
 
 G_BEGIN_DECLS
 
@@ -76,7 +77,23 @@ void		 mu_msg_iter_destroy           (MuMsgIter *iter);
  */
 MuMsg* mu_msg_iter_get_msg (MuMsgIter *iter, GError **err)
         G_GNUC_MALLOC G_GNUC_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;
-   
+
+
+/** 
+ * get a structure with information about this iter; this struct is
+ * newly allocated, can be used to keep an in-memory record of a
+ * message
+ * 
+ * @param iter a valid msg iterator
+ * 
+ * @return a newly allocate MuMsgData struct (free with
+ * mu_msg_data_destroy), or NULL in case of error
+ */
+MuMsgData* mu_msg_iter_get_msgdata (MuMsgIter *iter)
+        G_GNUC_MALLOC G_GNUC_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;
+
+
+
 /**
  * get the document id for the current message
  * 
@@ -117,8 +134,7 @@ const char*      mu_msg_iter_get_path          (MuMsgIter *iter);
  *   "/foo/bar"
  * 
  * @param iter a valid MuMsgIter iterator
- * 
- * @return the path, or NULL in case of error
+ *  * @return the path, or NULL in case of error
  */
 const char*      mu_msg_iter_get_maildir (MuMsgIter *iter);