diff --git a/src/mu-msg-doc.cc b/src/mu-msg-doc.cc
index 62ecac35..190a33c5 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg-doc.cc
+++ b/src/mu-msg-doc.cc
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ mu_msg_doc_get_str_list_field (MuMsgDoc *self, MuMsgFieldId mfid,
 	try {
 		/* return a comma-separated string as a GSList */
 		const std::string s (self->doc().get_value(mfid));
-		return s.empty() ? NULL : mu_str_to_list(s.c_str(),',');
+		return s.empty() ? NULL : mu_str_to_list(s.c_str(),',',TRUE);
 		
 	} MU_XAPIAN_CATCH_BLOCK_RETURN(NULL);
 }
diff --git a/src/mu-store.cc b/src/mu-store.cc
index 253ae1e7..dc356d94 100644
--- a/src/mu-store.cc
+++ b/src/mu-store.cc
@@ -394,9 +394,26 @@ add_terms_values_string_list  (Xapian::Document& doc, MuMsg *msg,
 
 	if (lst && mu_msg_field_xapian_term (mfid)) {
 		while (lst) {
+			size_t len;
+			char *val;
+			/* try stack-allocation, it's much faster*/
+			len = strlen ((char*)lst->data);
+			if (G_LIKELY(len < 1024)) 
+				val =  (char*)g_alloca(len+1);
+			else
+				val  = (char*)g_malloc(len+1);
+
+			strcpy (val, (char*)lst->data);
+
+			if (mu_msg_field_normalize (mfid))
+				mu_str_normalize_in_place (val, TRUE);
+			
 			doc.add_term (prefix(mfid) +
-				      std::string((char*)lst->data, 0,
-						  MU_STORE_MAX_TERM_LENGTH));
+				      std::string(val, 0, MU_STORE_MAX_TERM_LENGTH));
+
+			if (!(G_LIKELY(len < 1024)))
+				g_free (val);
+
 			lst = g_slist_next ((GSList*)lst);
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/tests/test-mu-str.c b/src/tests/test-mu-str.c
index 088b043e..d7fee6cd 100644
--- a/src/tests/test-mu-str.c
+++ b/src/tests/test-mu-str.c
@@ -323,19 +323,31 @@ static void
 test_mu_str_to_list (void)
 {
 	{
-		const char *items[]= {"foo", "bar", "cuux", NULL};
-		GSList *lst = mu_str_to_list ("foo@bar@cuux",'@');
+		const char *items[]= {"foo", "bar ", "cuux", NULL};
+		GSList *lst = mu_str_to_list ("foo@bar @cuux",'@', FALSE);
 		assert_cmplst (lst, items);
 		mu_str_free_list (lst);
 	}
 
 	{
-		GSList *lst = mu_str_to_list (NULL,'x');
+		GSList *lst = mu_str_to_list (NULL,'x',FALSE);
 		g_assert (lst == NULL);
 		mu_str_free_list (lst);
 	}
 }
 
+static void
+test_mu_str_to_list_strip (void)
+{
+	{
+		const char *items[]= {"foo", "bar", "cuux", NULL};
+		GSList *lst = mu_str_to_list ("foo@bar @cuux",'@', TRUE);
+		assert_cmplst (lst, items);
+		mu_str_free_list (lst);
+	}
+}
+
+
 
 
 static void
@@ -474,6 +486,8 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 			 test_mu_str_from_list);
 	g_test_add_func ("/mu-str/mu-str-to-list",
 			 test_mu_str_to_list);
+	g_test_add_func ("/mu-str/mu-str-to-list-strip",
+			 test_mu_str_to_list_strip);
 	
 	g_test_add_func ("/mu-str/mu_str_date_parse_hdwmy",
 			 test_mu_str_date_parse_hdwmy);