diff --git a/src/mu-msg-doc.cc b/src/mu-msg-doc.cc
index 59b5d9b9..62ecac35 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg-doc.cc
+++ b/src/mu-msg-doc.cc
@@ -29,21 +29,22 @@
 #include "mu-str.h"
 
 struct _MuMsgDoc {
-	_MuMsgDoc (const Xapian::Document& doc) : _doc (doc) {}
-	const Xapian::Document doc() const { return _doc; }
+	_MuMsgDoc (Xapian::Document *doc) : _doc (doc) {}
+	~_MuMsgDoc () { delete _doc; }
+	const Xapian::Document doc() const { return *_doc; }
 private:	
-	const Xapian::Document& _doc; 
+	Xapian::Document *_doc; 
 	
 };
 
 
 MuMsgDoc*
-mu_msg_doc_new (const XapianDocument *doc, GError **err)
+mu_msg_doc_new (XapianDocument *doc, GError **err)
 {
 	g_return_val_if_fail (doc, NULL);
 	
 	try {
-		return new MuMsgDoc ((const Xapian::Document&)*doc);
+		return new MuMsgDoc ((Xapian::Document*)doc);
 			
 	} MU_XAPIAN_CATCH_BLOCK_G_ERROR_RETURN(err, MU_ERROR_XAPIAN, NULL);
 
@@ -61,7 +62,8 @@ mu_msg_doc_destroy (MuMsgDoc *self)
 
 
 gchar*
-mu_msg_doc_get_str_field (MuMsgDoc *self, MuMsgFieldId mfid, gboolean *do_free)
+mu_msg_doc_get_str_field (MuMsgDoc *self, MuMsgFieldId mfid,
+			  gboolean *do_free)
 {
 	g_return_val_if_fail (self, NULL);
 	g_return_val_if_fail (mu_msg_field_id_is_valid(mfid), NULL);
@@ -72,7 +74,7 @@ mu_msg_doc_get_str_field (MuMsgDoc *self, MuMsgFieldId mfid, gboolean *do_free)
 	try {
 		const std::string s (self->doc().get_value(mfid));
 		return s.empty() ? NULL : g_strdup (s.c_str());
-
+		
 	} MU_XAPIAN_CATCH_BLOCK_RETURN(NULL);
 }
 
@@ -96,8 +98,6 @@ mu_msg_doc_get_str_list_field (MuMsgDoc *self, MuMsgFieldId mfid,
 }
 
 
-
-
 gint64
 mu_msg_doc_get_num_field (MuMsgDoc *self, MuMsgFieldId mfid)
 {
diff --git a/src/mu-msg-doc.h b/src/mu-msg-doc.h
index f05df504..4630662d 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg-doc.h
+++ b/src/mu-msg-doc.h
@@ -33,13 +33,14 @@ typedef struct _MuMsgDoc MuMsgDoc;
  * 
  * @param doc a Xapian::Document* (you'll need to cast the
  * Xapian::Document* to XapianDocument*, because only C (not C++) is
- * allowed in this header file.
+ * allowed in this header file. MuMsgDoc takes _ownership_ of this pointer;
+ * don't touch it afterwards
  * @param err receives error info, or NULL
  * 
  * @return a new MuMsgDoc instance (free with mu_msg_doc_destroy), or
  * NULL in case of error.
  */
-MuMsgDoc* mu_msg_doc_new (const XapianDocument *doc, GError **err)
+MuMsgDoc* mu_msg_doc_new (XapianDocument *doc, GError **err)
 	G_GNUC_MALLOC G_GNUC_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;
 
 /**
@@ -65,7 +66,8 @@ void mu_msg_doc_destroy (MuMsgDoc *self);
  * 
  * @return a string for the given field (see do_free), or NULL in case of error
  */
-gchar* mu_msg_doc_get_str_field (MuMsgDoc *self, MuMsgFieldId mfid, gboolean *do_free)
+gchar* mu_msg_doc_get_str_field (MuMsgDoc *self, MuMsgFieldId mfid,
+				 gboolean *do_free)
           G_GNUC_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;
 
 /**