diff --git a/src/mu-msg-str.c b/src/mu-msg-str.c
index 4441d63b..b5a8bbcd 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg-str.c
+++ b/src/mu-msg-str.c
@@ -195,3 +195,37 @@ mu_msg_str_summarize (const char* str, size_t max_lines)
 	return summary;
 }
 
+
+const char*
+mu_msg_str_display_contact_s (const char *str)
+{
+	static gchar contact[255];
+	gchar *c, *c2;
+	
+	if (!str)
+		str = "";
+	
+	g_strlcpy (contact, str, sizeof(contact));
+
+	/* strip the address, if any */
+	c = g_strstr_len (contact, -1, "<");
+	if (c != NULL)
+		*c = '\0';
+
+	/* replace " with space */
+	for (c2 = contact; *c2; ++c2)
+		if (*c2 == '"')
+			*c2 = ' ';
+
+	g_strstrip (contact);
+
+	return contact;
+}
+
+char*
+mu_msg_str_display_contact (const char *str)
+{
+	g_return_val_if_fail (str, NULL);
+
+	return g_strdup (mu_msg_str_display_contact_s (str));
+}
diff --git a/src/mu-msg-str.h b/src/mu-msg-str.h
index b79fca12..28b184af 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg-str.h
+++ b/src/mu-msg-str.h
@@ -61,6 +61,27 @@ char*       mu_msg_str_date   (const char* frm, time_t t) G_GNUC_WARN_UNUSED_RES
 const char* mu_msg_str_display_date_s (time_t t);
 
 
+/** 
+ * create a 'display contact' from an email header To/Cc/Bcc/From-type address
+ * ie., turn
+ *     "Foo Bar" <foo@bar.com>
+ * into
+ *      Foo Bar
+ * Note that this is based on some simple heuristics. Max length is 255 bytes.
+ *
+ *   mu_msg_str_display_contact_s returns a statically allocated
+ *   buffer (ie, non-reentrant), while mu_msg_str_display_contact
+ *   returns a newly allocated string that you must free with g_free
+ *   when done with it.
+ * 
+ * @param str a 'contact str' (ie., what is in the To/Cc/Bcc/From fields), or NULL
+ * 
+ * @return a newly allocated string with a display contact
+ */
+const char* mu_msg_str_display_contact_s (const char *str);
+char *mu_msg_str_display_contact (const char *str);
+
+
 /**
  * get a display size for a given size_t; uses M for sizes >
  * 1000*1000, k for smaller sizes. Note: this function use the