diff --git a/lib/mu-maildir.c b/lib/mu-maildir.c
index dc8837fa..cb756b5b 100644
--- a/lib/mu-maildir.c
+++ b/lib/mu-maildir.c
@@ -766,9 +766,9 @@ get_new_basename (void)
 
 char*
 mu_maildir_get_new_path (const char *oldpath, const char *new_mdir,
-			 MuFlags newflags)
+			 MuFlags newflags, gboolean new_name)
 {
-	char *mfile, *mdir, *custom_flags, *newpath;/**cur;q*/
+	char *mfile, *mdir, *custom_flags, *newpath;
 
 	g_return_val_if_fail (oldpath, NULL);
 
@@ -779,21 +779,23 @@ mu_maildir_get_new_path (const char *oldpath, const char *new_mdir,
 	if (!mdir)
 		return NULL;
 
-	/* determine the name of the mailfile, stripped of its flags, as well
-	 * as any custom (non-standard) flags */
-	/* /\* mfile = g_path_get_basename (oldpath); *\/ */
-
-	/* for (cur = &mfile[strlen(mfile)-1]; cur > mfile; --cur) { */
-	/* 	if ((*cur == ':' || *cur == '!') && */
-	/* 	    (cur[1] == '2' && cur[2] == ',')) { */
-	/* 		/\* get the custom flags (if any) *\/ */
-	/* 		custom_flags = mu_flags_custom_from_str (cur + 3); */
-	/* 		cur[0] = '\0'; /\* strip the flags *\/ */
-	/* 		break; */
-	/* 	} */
-	/* } */
-
-	mfile = get_new_basename ();
+	if (new_name)
+		mfile = get_new_basename ();
+	else {
+		/* determine the name of the mailfile, stripped of its flags, as well
+		 * as any custom (non-standard) flags */
+		char *cur;
+		mfile = g_path_get_basename (oldpath);
+		for (cur = &mfile[strlen(mfile)-1]; cur > mfile; --cur) {
+			if ((*cur == ':' || *cur == '!') &&
+			    (cur[1] == '2' && cur[2] == ',')) {
+				/* get the custom flags (if any) */
+				custom_flags = mu_flags_custom_from_str (cur + 3);
+				cur[0] = '\0'; /* strip the flags */
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+	}
 
 	newpath = get_new_path (new_mdir ? new_mdir : mdir,
 				mfile, newflags, custom_flags);
@@ -859,7 +861,7 @@ msg_move (const char* src, const char *dst, GError **err)
 
 gchar*
 mu_maildir_move_message (const char* oldpath, const char* targetmdir,
-			 MuFlags newflags, gboolean ignore_dups,
+			 MuFlags newflags, gboolean ignore_dups, gboolean new_name,
 			 GError **err)
 {
 	char *newfullpath;
@@ -869,7 +871,7 @@ mu_maildir_move_message (const char* oldpath, const char* targetmdir,
 	g_return_val_if_fail (oldpath, FALSE);
 
 	newfullpath = mu_maildir_get_new_path (oldpath, targetmdir,
-					       newflags);
+					       newflags, new_name);
 	if (!newfullpath) {
 		mu_util_g_set_error (err, MU_ERROR_FILE,
 				     "failed to determine targetpath");
diff --git a/lib/mu-maildir.h b/lib/mu-maildir.h
index 03910714..93d6324b 100644
--- a/lib/mu-maildir.h
+++ b/lib/mu-maildir.h
@@ -160,12 +160,14 @@ MuFlags mu_maildir_get_flags_from_path (const char* pathname);
  * it in the current one. The maildir is the absolute file system
  * path, without the 'cur' or 'new'
  * @param new_flags the new flags for this message
+ * @param new_name whether to create a new unique name, or keep the
+ * old one
  *
  * @return a new path name; use g_free when done with. NULL in case of
  * error.
  */
 char* mu_maildir_get_new_path (const char *oldpath, const char *new_mdir,
-			       MuFlags new_flags);
+			       MuFlags new_flags, gboolean new_name);
 
 /**
  * get the maildir for a certain message path, ie, the path *before*
@@ -192,16 +194,16 @@ char* mu_maildir_get_maildir_from_path (const char* path);
  * moved to another directory (say, from new/ to cur/)
  * @param flags to set for the target (influences the filename, path)
  * @param ignore_dups whether to silent ignore the src=target case (and return TRUE)
- * @param err (may be NULL) may contain error information; note if the
- * function return FALSE, err is not set for all error condition
- * (ie. not for parameter errors)
+ * @param new_name whether to create a new unique name, or keep the
+ * old one
+ * @param err receives error information
  *
  * @return return the full path name of the target file (g_free) if
  * the move succeeded, NULL otherwise
  */
 gchar* mu_maildir_move_message (const char* oldpath, const char* targetmdir,
 				MuFlags newflags, gboolean ignore_dups,
-				GError **err);
+				gboolean new_name, GError **err);
 
 G_END_DECLS
 
diff --git a/lib/mu-msg.c b/lib/mu-msg.c
index 4e6b5dbe..8ce5b4af 100644
--- a/lib/mu-msg.c
+++ b/lib/mu-msg.c
@@ -855,7 +855,8 @@ get_target_mdir (MuMsg *msg, const char *target_maildir, GError **err)
  */
 gboolean
 mu_msg_move_to_maildir (MuMsg *self, const char *maildir,
-			MuFlags flags, gboolean ignore_dups, GError **err)
+			MuFlags flags, gboolean ignore_dups, gboolean new_name,
+			GError **err)
 {
 	char *newfullpath;
 	char *targetmdir;
@@ -871,7 +872,7 @@ mu_msg_move_to_maildir (MuMsg *self, const char *maildir,
 
 	newfullpath = mu_maildir_move_message (mu_msg_get_path (self),
 					       targetmdir, flags,
-					       ignore_dups, err);
+					       ignore_dups, new_name, err);
 	/* update the message path and the flags; they may have
 	 * changed */
 	if (!newfullpath) {
diff --git a/lib/mu-msg.h b/lib/mu-msg.h
index 9f2bf452..86bf9909 100644
--- a/lib/mu-msg.h
+++ b/lib/mu-msg.h
@@ -475,6 +475,8 @@ char* mu_msg_to_sexp (MuMsg *msg, unsigned docid,
  * rootmaildir. e.g. "/archive"
  * @param flags to set for the target (influences the filename, path)
  * @param silently ignore the src=target case (return TRUE)
+ * @param new_name whether to create a new unique name, or keep the
+ * old one
  * @param err (may be NULL) may contain error information; note if the
  * function return FALSE, err is not set for all error condition
  * (ie. not for parameter error
@@ -483,6 +485,7 @@ char* mu_msg_to_sexp (MuMsg *msg, unsigned docid,
  */
 gboolean mu_msg_move_to_maildir (MuMsg *msg, const char *maildir,
 				 MuFlags flags, gboolean ignore_dups,
+				 gboolean new_name,
 				 GError **err);