diff --git a/src/mu-cmd-find.c b/src/mu-cmd-find.c
index 1476b5c4..001a94a4 100644
--- a/src/mu-cmd-find.c
+++ b/src/mu-cmd-find.c
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@
 
 #include "mu-util.h"
 #include "mu-util-xapian.h"
-
 #include "mu-cmd-find.h"
 
 
@@ -50,7 +49,7 @@ update_warning (void)
 
 
 static gboolean
-print_query (MuQueryXapian *xapian, const gchar *query)
+print_xapian_query (MuQueryXapian *xapian, const gchar *query)
 {
 	char *querystr;
 
@@ -117,135 +116,72 @@ sort_field_from_string (const char* fieldstr)
 	return field;
 }
 
-static gboolean
-print_rows (MuQueryXapian *xapian, const gchar *query, MuConfigOptions *opts)
+static size_t
+print_rows (MuMsgIterXapian *iter, const char *fields)
 {
-	MuMsgIterXapian *iter;
-	const MuMsgField *sortfield;
-
-	MU_WRITE_LOG ("query: '%s' (iters)", query); 
+	size_t count = 0;
+	const char* myfields;
 	
-	sortfield = NULL;
-	if (opts->sortfield) {
-		sortfield = sort_field_from_string (opts->sortfield);
-		if (!sortfield) /* error occured? */
-			return FALSE;
-	}
-	
-	iter = mu_query_xapian_run (xapian, query, sortfield,
-				    !opts->descending,
-				    0);
-	if (!iter) {
-		g_printerr ("error: running query failed\n");
-		return FALSE;
-	} else if (mu_msg_iter_xapian_is_done (iter)) {
-		g_printerr ("No matches found\n");
-		mu_msg_iter_xapian_destroy (iter);
-		return FALSE;
-	}
+	do {
+		int len = 0;
 
-	/* iterate over the found iters */
-	do  {
-	 	const char*	fields		= opts->fields;
-		int		printlen	= 0;
-
-		while (*fields) {
-			
+		myfields = fields;
+		while (*myfields) {
 			const MuMsgField* field;
-			field =	mu_msg_field_from_shortcut (*fields);
-			if (!field ||
-			    !mu_msg_field_is_xapian_enabled (field)) 
-				printlen += printf ("%c", *fields);
+			field =	mu_msg_field_from_shortcut (*myfields);
+			if (!field || !mu_msg_field_is_xapian_enabled (field)) 
+				len += printf ("%c", *myfields);
 			else
-				printlen +=
-					printf ("%s",
-						display_field(iter, field));
-			++fields;
+				len += printf ("%s",
+					       display_field(iter, field));
+			++myfields;
 		}
 		
-		if (printlen > 0)
-			printf ("\n");
-		
-		mu_msg_iter_xapian_next (iter);
-		
-	} while (!mu_msg_iter_xapian_is_done (iter));
-	
-	mu_msg_iter_xapian_destroy (iter);
+		if (len > 0)
+			g_print ("\n");
 
-	return TRUE;
+		++count;
+		
+	} while (mu_msg_iter_xapian_next (iter));
+	
+	return count;
 }
 
-
-static gboolean
-do_output_text (MuQueryXapian *xapian, MuConfigOptions* opts,
-		 const gchar **params)
-{
-	gchar *query;
-	gboolean retval = TRUE;
-	
-	query = mu_query_xapian_combine (params, FALSE);
-		
-	/* if xquery is set, we print the xapian query instead of the
-	 * output; this is for debugging purposes */
-	if (opts->xquery) 
-		retval = print_query (xapian, query);
-	else
-		retval = print_rows (xapian, query, opts);
-	
-	g_free (query);
-
-	return retval;
-}
-
-
 /* create a linksdir if it not exist yet; if it already existed,
  * remove old links if opts->clearlinks was specified */
 static gboolean
-create_or_clear_linksdir_maybe (MuConfigOptions* opts)
+create_or_clear_linksdir_maybe (const char *linksdir, gboolean clearlinks)
 {
-	if (access (opts->linksdir, F_OK) != 0) {
-		if (!mu_maildir_mkmdir (opts->linksdir, 0700, TRUE)) 
+	if (access (linksdir, F_OK) != 0) {
+		if (!mu_maildir_mkmdir (linksdir, 0700, TRUE)) 
 			return FALSE;
 
-	} else if (opts->clearlinks)
-		mu_maildir_clear_links (opts->linksdir);
+	} else if (clearlinks)
+		mu_maildir_clear_links (linksdir);
 	
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
-static gboolean
-do_output_links (MuQueryXapian *xapian, MuConfigOptions* opts,
-		  const gchar **params)
-{
-	gchar *query;
-	gboolean retval = TRUE;
-	MuMsgIterXapian *iter;
-	const MuMsgField *pathfield;
 
-	if (!create_or_clear_linksdir_maybe (opts))
-		return FALSE;
+static size_t
+make_links (MuMsgIterXapian *iter, const char* linksdir, gboolean clearlinks)
+{
+	size_t count = 0;
+	const MuMsgField *pathfield;
 	
-	query = mu_query_xapian_combine (params, FALSE);
-	
-	MU_WRITE_LOG ("query: '%s' (links)", query); 
-	iter = mu_query_xapian_run (xapian, query, NULL, FALSE, 0);
-	if (!iter) {
-		g_printerr ("error: running query failed\n");
-		return FALSE;
-	} else if (mu_msg_iter_xapian_is_done (iter)) {
-		g_printerr ("No matches found\n");
-		mu_msg_iter_xapian_destroy (iter);
-		return FALSE;
-	}
+	if (!create_or_clear_linksdir_maybe (linksdir, clearlinks))
+		return 0;
 	
 	pathfield = mu_msg_field_from_id (MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_PATH);
 	
 	/* iterate over the found iters */
-	for (; !mu_msg_iter_xapian_is_done (iter);
-	     mu_msg_iter_xapian_next (iter)) {
-
+	do {
 		const char *path;
 		
+		/* there's no data in the iter */
+		if (mu_msg_iter_xapian_is_null (iter))
+			return count;		
+		
 		path = mu_msg_iter_xapian_get_field (iter, pathfield);
 		if (!path)
 			continue;
@@ -257,17 +193,77 @@ do_output_links (MuQueryXapian *xapian, MuConfigOptions* opts,
 			continue;
 		} 
 		
-		if (!mu_maildir_link (path, opts->linksdir))
+		if (!mu_maildir_link (path, linksdir))
 			break;
+		++count;
+	} while (mu_msg_iter_xapian_next (iter));
+		 
+	return count;
+}
+
+
+
+static gboolean
+run_query (MuQueryXapian *xapian, const gchar *query, MuConfigOptions *opts)
+{
+	MuMsgIterXapian *iter;
+	const MuMsgField *sortfield;
+	size_t matches;
+	
+	MU_WRITE_LOG ("query: '%s'", query); 
+	
+	sortfield = NULL;
+	if (opts->sortfield) {
+		sortfield = sort_field_from_string (opts->sortfield);
+		if (!sortfield) /* error occured? */
+			return FALSE;
 	}
 	
+	iter = mu_query_xapian_run (xapian, query, sortfield,
+				    !opts->descending, 0);
+	if (!iter) {
+		g_printerr ("error: running query failed\n");
+		return FALSE;
+	}
+
+	if (opts->linksdir)
+		matches = make_links (iter, opts->linksdir, opts->clearlinks);
+	else
+		matches = print_rows (iter, opts->fields);
+	
+	if (matches == 0) 
+		g_printerr ("No matches found\n");
 	mu_msg_iter_xapian_destroy (iter);
+
+	return matches > 0;
+}
+
+
+
+static gboolean
+do_output (MuQueryXapian *xapian, MuConfigOptions* opts,
+		 const gchar **params)
+{
+	gchar *query;
+	gboolean retval = TRUE;
+	
+	query = mu_query_xapian_combine (params, FALSE);
+		
+	/* if xquery is set, we print the xapian query instead of the
+	 * output; this is for debugging purposes */
+	if (opts->xquery) 
+		retval = print_xapian_query (xapian, query);
+	else
+		retval = run_query (xapian, query, opts);
+	
 	g_free (query);
 
 	return retval;
 }
 
 
+
+
 static gboolean
 query_params_valid (MuConfigOptions *opts)
 {
@@ -326,10 +322,7 @@ mu_cmd_find (MuConfigOptions *opts)
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 
-	if (opts->linksdir)
-		rv = do_output_links (xapian, opts, params);
-	else
-		rv = do_output_text (xapian, opts, params);
+	rv = do_output (xapian, opts, params);
 	
 	mu_query_xapian_destroy (xapian);
 	mu_msg_gmime_uninit();
@@ -347,6 +340,3 @@ mu_cmd_view (MuConfigOptions *opts)
 	
 	return TRUE; /* FIXME */
 }
-
-
-
diff --git a/src/mu-cmd-index.c b/src/mu-cmd-index.c
index 2ebd11a9..7ea167f2 100644
--- a/src/mu-cmd-index.c
+++ b/src/mu-cmd-index.c
@@ -146,10 +146,21 @@ database_version_check_and_update (MuConfigOptions *opts)
 	return FALSE;
 }
 
+
+static MuResult
+run_cleanup (MuIndex *midx, MuIndexStats *stats, gboolean quiet)
+{
+	mu_index_stats_clear (stats);
+	return  mu_index_cleanup (midx, stats,
+				  quiet ? index_msg_silent_cb : index_msg_cb,
+				  NULL);
+}
+
+
 gboolean
 mu_cmd_cleanup (MuConfigOptions *opts)
 {
-	int rv;	
+	MuResult rv;	
 	MuIndex *midx;
 	MuIndexStats stats;
 
@@ -165,31 +176,46 @@ mu_cmd_cleanup (MuConfigOptions *opts)
 		g_warning ("Cleanup failed");
 		return FALSE;
 	}
+
 	
 	g_message ("Cleaning up removed messages from %s",
 		   opts->xpath);
+	rv = run_cleanup (midx, &stats, opts->quiet);
 	
-	mu_index_stats_clear (&stats);
-	rv = mu_index_cleanup (midx, &stats,
-			       opts->quiet ? index_msg_silent_cb : index_msg_cb,
-			       NULL);
 	mu_index_destroy (midx);
 
 	if (!opts->quiet)
 		g_print ("\n");
 
-	if (rv == MU_OK || rv == MU_STOP)
-		return TRUE;
-	else
-		return FALSE;
+	return (rv == MU_OK || rv == MU_STOP) ? TRUE: FALSE;
+}
+
+static MuResult
+run_index (MuIndex *midx, const char* maildir, MuIndexStats *stats,
+	   gboolean reindex, gboolean quiet)
+{
+	MuResult rv;
+	
+	mu_index_stats_clear (stats);
+	mu_msg_gmime_init ();
+
+	rv = mu_index_run (midx, maildir, reindex, stats,
+			   quiet ? index_msg_silent_cb :index_msg_cb,
+			   NULL, NULL);
+	
+	mu_msg_gmime_init ();
+
+	return rv;
 }
 
 
 gboolean
 mu_cmd_index (MuConfigOptions *opts)
 {
-	int rv;
-
+	gboolean rv;	
+	MuIndex *midx;
+	MuIndexStats stats;
+	
 	g_return_val_if_fail (opts, FALSE);
 	
 	if (!check_index_params (opts))
@@ -200,51 +226,26 @@ mu_cmd_index (MuConfigOptions *opts)
 
 	install_sig_handler ();
 	
-	mu_msg_gmime_init ();
-	{
-		MuIndex *midx;
-		MuIndexStats stats;
-		
-		mu_index_stats_clear (&stats);
-		midx = mu_index_new (opts->xpath);
-		
-		if (!midx) {
-			g_warning ("Indexing failed");
-			return FALSE;
-		} 
+	midx = mu_index_new (opts->xpath);
+	if (!midx) {
+		g_warning ("Indexing failed");
+		return FALSE;
+	} 
 
-		g_message ("Indexing messages from %s", opts->maildir);
-		g_message ("Database: %s", opts->xpath);
-		
-		rv = mu_index_run (midx, opts->maildir,
-				   opts->reindex, &stats,
-				   opts->quiet ?
-				        index_msg_silent_cb :index_msg_cb,
-				   NULL, NULL);
-		if (!opts->nocleanup && !MU_CAUGHT_SIGNAL) {
-			stats._processed = 0; /* start over */
-			if (!opts->quiet)
-				g_print ("\n");
-			g_message ("Cleaning up missing messages");
-			mu_index_cleanup (midx, &stats,
-					  opts->quiet ?
-					       index_msg_silent_cb : index_msg_cb,
-					  NULL);
-		}
-
-		if (!opts->quiet) {
-			index_msg_cb (&stats, NULL);
-			g_print ("\n");
-		}
-		
-		MU_WRITE_LOG ("processed: %d; updated/new: %d, "
-			      "cleaned-up: %d",
-			      stats._processed, stats._updated,
-			      stats._cleaned_up);
-		
-		mu_index_destroy (midx);
-	}
-	mu_msg_gmime_uninit ();
+	g_message ("Indexing messages from %s", opts->maildir);
+	g_message ("Database: %s", opts->xpath);
 	
-	return rv == MU_OK ? TRUE : FALSE;
+	rv = run_index (midx, opts->maildir, &stats, opts->reindex, opts->quiet);
+	if (rv == MU_OK  && !opts->nocleanup)
+		rv = run_cleanup (midx, &stats, opts->quiet);
+	
+	mu_index_destroy (midx);
+	
+	MU_WRITE_LOG ("processed: %d; updated/new: %d, cleaned-up: %d",
+		      stats._processed, stats._updated,stats._cleaned_up);
+
+	if (!opts->quiet)
+		g_print ("\n");
+	
+	return (rv == MU_OK || rv == MU_STOP) ? TRUE: FALSE;
 }
diff --git a/src/mu-msg-iter-xapian.cc b/src/mu-msg-iter-xapian.cc
index e70ae66d..820a24e0 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg-iter-xapian.cc
+++ b/src/mu-msg-iter-xapian.cc
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ struct _MuMsgIterXapian {
 	size_t                         _batchsize;
 	size_t		               _offset;
 	char*                          _str[MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_NUM];
+	bool                           _is_null; 
 };
 
 
@@ -48,8 +49,11 @@ mu_msg_iter_xapian_new (const Xapian::Enquire& enq, size_t batchsize)
 
 		iter->_enq       = new Xapian::Enquire(enq);
 		iter->_matches   = iter->_enq->get_mset (0, batchsize);
-		if (!iter->_matches.empty()) 
+		if (!iter->_matches.empty()) {
 			iter->_cursor    = iter->_matches.begin();
+			iter->_is_null   = false;
+		} else
+			iter->_is_null = true;
 		
 		iter->_batchsize = batchsize; 
 		iter->_offset    = 0;
@@ -94,11 +98,14 @@ get_next_batch (MuMsgIterXapian *iter)
 {	
 	iter->_matches = iter->_enq->get_mset (iter->_offset,
 					       iter->_batchsize);
-	if (iter->_matches.empty())
+	if (iter->_matches.empty()) {
 		iter->_cursor = iter->_matches.end();
-	else
+		iter->_is_null = true;
+	} else {
 		iter->_cursor = iter->_matches.begin();
-
+		iter->_is_null = false;
+	}
+		
 	return iter;
 }
 
@@ -106,7 +113,6 @@ gboolean
 mu_msg_iter_xapian_next (MuMsgIterXapian *iter)
 {
 	g_return_val_if_fail (iter, FALSE);
-	g_return_val_if_fail (!mu_msg_iter_xapian_is_done(iter), FALSE);
 
 	try {
 		++iter->_offset;
@@ -136,17 +142,11 @@ mu_msg_iter_xapian_next (MuMsgIterXapian *iter)
 
 
 gboolean
-mu_msg_iter_xapian_is_done (MuMsgIterXapian *iter)
+mu_msg_iter_xapian_is_null (MuMsgIterXapian *iter)
 {
 	g_return_val_if_fail (iter, TRUE);
 
-	if (iter->_matches.empty())
-		return TRUE;
-
-	if (iter->_cursor == iter->_matches.end())
-		return TRUE;
-
-	return FALSE;
+	return iter->_is_null;
 }
 
 
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ const gchar*
 mu_msg_iter_xapian_get_field (MuMsgIterXapian *iter, const MuMsgField *field)
 {
 	g_return_val_if_fail (iter, NULL);
-	g_return_val_if_fail (!mu_msg_iter_xapian_is_done(iter), NULL);
+	g_return_val_if_fail (!mu_msg_iter_xapian_is_null(iter), NULL);
 	g_return_val_if_fail (field, NULL);
 	
 	try {
diff --git a/src/mu-msg-iter-xapian.h b/src/mu-msg-iter-xapian.h
index c83e3bb9..076477a8 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg-iter-xapian.h
+++ b/src/mu-msg-iter-xapian.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ G_BEGIN_DECLS
 struct _MuMsgIterXapian;
 typedef struct _MuMsgIterXapian MuMsgIterXapian;
 
+
 /** 
  * get the next next message (which you got from
  * e.g. mu_query_xapian_run)
@@ -38,15 +39,15 @@ typedef struct _MuMsgIterXapian MuMsgIterXapian;
  */
 gboolean         mu_msg_iter_xapian_next              (MuMsgIterXapian *iter);
 
+
 /** 
- * are there any message left? together with mu_msg_iter_xapian_next, this
- * function can be used to iterate over query results.
+ * does the iter point to a real message?
  * 
- * @param msg a valid MuMsgIterXapian message
+ * @param msg a valid MuMsgIterXapian iter
  * 
- * @return TRUE if there are messages left, FALSE otherwise
+ * @return TRUE if the iterator points to a message, FALSE other
  */
-gboolean         mu_msg_iter_xapian_is_done           (MuMsgIterXapian *iter);
+gboolean         mu_msg_iter_xapian_is_null (MuMsgIterXapian *iter);
 
 /** 
  * destroy the sequence of messages
diff --git a/src/tests/test-mu-query.c b/src/tests/test-mu-query.c
index 6016991e..0a15f6df 100644
--- a/src/tests/test-mu-query.c
+++ b/src/tests/test-mu-query.c
@@ -104,12 +104,13 @@ test_mu_query_01 (void)
 		int count;
 		MuMsgIterXapian *iter;
 		
-		iter = mu_query_xapian_run (query, queries[i].query, NULL, FALSE, 0);
+		iter = mu_query_xapian_run (query, queries[i].query, NULL, FALSE, 1);
 
 		count = 0;
-		while (!mu_msg_iter_xapian_is_done (iter)) {
-			mu_msg_iter_xapian_next (iter);
-			++count;
+		if (!mu_msg_iter_xapian_is_null (iter)) {
+			do {
+				++count;
+			} while (mu_msg_iter_xapian_next (iter));
 		}
 		
 		g_assert_cmpuint (queries[i].count, ==, count);