diff --git a/lib/mu-str.c b/lib/mu-str.c
index a66f43f9..e2aad07a 100644
--- a/lib/mu-str.c
+++ b/lib/mu-str.c
@@ -588,7 +588,7 @@ process_str (const char *str, gboolean xapian_esc, gboolean query_esc)
 
 		if (!is_range_field)
 			uc = g_unichar_tolower (uc);
-		
+
 		g_string_append_unichar (gstr, uc);
 	}
 
@@ -1043,35 +1043,26 @@ errexit:
 }
 
 
-
-char *
+char*
 mu_str_remove_ctrl_in_place (char *str)
 {
-	char *cur;
+	char *orig, *cur;
 
 	g_return_val_if_fail (str, NULL);
 
-	for (cur = str; *cur; ++cur) {
-
-		GString *gstr;
-
-		if (!iscntrl(*cur))
-			continue;
+	orig = str;
 
+	for (cur = orig; *cur; ++cur) {
 		if (isspace(*cur)) {
 			/* squash special white space into a simple space */
-			*cur = ' ';
-		} else {
-			/* remove other control characters */
-			gstr = g_string_sized_new (strlen (str));
-			for (cur = str; *cur; ++cur)
-				if (!iscntrl (*cur))
-					g_string_append_c (gstr, *cur);
-			memcpy (str, gstr->str, gstr->len); /* fits */
-			g_string_free (gstr, TRUE);
-			break;
-		}
+			*orig++ = ' ';
+		} else if (iscntrl(*cur)) {
+			/* eat it */
+		} else
+			*orig++ = *cur;
 	}
 
+	*orig = '\0';  /* ensure the updated string has a NULL */
+
 	return str;
 }
diff --git a/lib/tests/test-mu-str.c b/lib/tests/test-mu-str.c
index 26ac43cc..4de5efe4 100644
--- a/lib/tests/test-mu-str.c
+++ b/lib/tests/test-mu-str.c
@@ -502,6 +502,30 @@ test_mu_str_replace (void)
 }
 
 
+static void
+test_mu_str_remove_ctrl_in_place (void)
+{
+	unsigned u;
+	struct {
+		char *str;
+		const char *exp;
+	} strings [] = {
+		{ g_strdup(""), ""},
+		{ g_strdup("hello, world!"), "hello, world!" },
+		{ g_strdup("hello,\tworld!"), "hello, world!" },
+		{ g_strdup("hello,\n\nworld!"), "hello,  world!", },
+		{ g_strdup("hello,\x1f\x1e\x1ew\nor\nld!"), "hello,w or ld!" },
+		{ g_strdup("\x1ehello, world!\x1f"), "hello, world!" }
+	};
+
+	for (u = 0; u != G_N_ELEMENTS(strings); ++u) {
+		char *res;
+		res = mu_str_remove_ctrl_in_place (strings[u].str);
+		g_assert_cmpstr (res,==,strings[u].exp);
+		g_free (strings[u].str);
+	}
+}
+
 
 int
 main (int argc, char *argv[])
@@ -559,6 +583,8 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 	g_test_add_func ("/mu-str/mu_term_fixups",
 			 test_mu_term_fixups);
 
+	g_test_add_func ("/mu-str/mu_str_remove_ctrl_in_place",
+			 test_mu_str_remove_ctrl_in_place);
 
 	/* FIXME: add tests for mu_str_flags; but note the
 	 * function simply calls mu_msg_field_str */