diff --git a/src/mu-cmd-find.c b/src/mu-cmd-find.c
index bd51f4c9..fb2cea53 100644
--- a/src/mu-cmd-find.c
+++ b/src/mu-cmd-find.c
@@ -455,8 +455,7 @@ output_links (MuMsgIter *iter, const char* linksdir,
 	if (!create_linksdir_maybe (linksdir, clearlinks))
 		return FALSE;
 	
-	for (myiter = iter, errseen = FALSE, mycount = 0;
-	     !mu_msg_iter_is_done (myiter);
+	for (myiter = iter, errseen = FALSE, mycount = 0; !mu_msg_iter_is_done (myiter);
 	     mu_msg_iter_next (myiter)) {
 
 		MuMsg *msg;
@@ -477,8 +476,7 @@ output_links (MuMsgIter *iter, const char* linksdir,
 	}
 
 	if (errseen) 
-		g_warning ("error linking some of the messages; maybe the "
-			   "database needs to be updated");
+		g_warning ("error linking some of the messages");
 
 	if (count)
 		*count = mycount;
@@ -754,6 +752,25 @@ output_sexp (MuMsgIter *iter, gboolean include_unreadable, size_t *count)
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
+
+static void
+output_xml_msg (MuMsg *msg)
+{
+	g_print ("\t<message>\n");
+	print_attr_xml ("from", mu_msg_get_from (msg));
+	print_attr_xml ("to", mu_msg_get_to (msg));
+	print_attr_xml ("cc", mu_msg_get_cc (msg));
+	print_attr_xml ("subject", mu_msg_get_subject (msg));
+	g_print ("\t\t<date>%u</date>\n",
+		 (unsigned)mu_msg_get_date (msg));
+	g_print ("\t\t<size>%u</size>\n", mu_msg_get_size (msg));
+	print_attr_xml ("msgid", mu_msg_get_msgid (msg));
+	print_attr_xml ("path", mu_msg_get_path (msg));
+	print_attr_xml ("maildir", mu_msg_get_maildir (msg));
+	g_print ("\t</message>\n");
+}
+
+
 static gboolean
 output_xml (MuMsgIter *iter, gboolean include_unreadable, size_t *count)
 {
@@ -768,8 +785,7 @@ output_xml (MuMsgIter *iter, gboolean include_unreadable, size_t *count)
 	for (myiter = iter, mycount = 0; !mu_msg_iter_is_done (myiter);
 	     mu_msg_iter_next (myiter)) {
 
-		MuMsg *msg;
-		
+		MuMsg *msg;	
 		msg = mu_msg_iter_get_msg (iter, NULL); /* don't unref */
 		if (!msg)
 			return FALSE;
@@ -778,24 +794,11 @@ output_xml (MuMsgIter *iter, gboolean include_unreadable, size_t *count)
 		 * readable (ie, live also outside the database) */
 		if (!include_unreadable && !mu_msg_is_readable (msg))
 			continue;
-		
-		g_print ("\t<message>\n");
-		print_attr_xml ("from", mu_msg_get_from (msg));
-		print_attr_xml ("to", mu_msg_get_to (msg));
-		print_attr_xml ("cc", mu_msg_get_cc (msg));
-		print_attr_xml ("subject", mu_msg_get_subject (msg));
-		g_print ("\t\t<date>%u</date>\n",
-			 (unsigned) mu_msg_get_date (msg));
-		g_print ("\t\t<size>%u</size>\n",
-			 (unsigned) mu_msg_get_size (msg));
-		print_attr_xml ("msgid", mu_msg_get_msgid (msg));
-		print_attr_xml ("path", mu_msg_get_path (msg));
-		print_attr_xml ("maildir", mu_msg_get_maildir (msg));
-		g_print ("\t</message>\n");
 
+		output_xml_msg (msg);
+		
 		++mycount;
 	}
-
 	g_print ("</messages>\n");
 		
 	if (count)
diff --git a/src/mu-msg-sexp.c b/src/mu-msg-sexp.c
index 6497ab10..977b993e 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg-sexp.c
+++ b/src/mu-msg-sexp.c
@@ -91,45 +91,38 @@ static gboolean
 each_contact (MuMsgContact *c, ContactData *cdata)
 {
 	char *pair;
-	
-	pair = get_name_addr_pair (c);
-	
+
 	if (mu_msg_contact_type (c) == MU_MSG_CONTACT_TYPE_FROM) {
 		if (!cdata->from)
 			g_string_append (cdata->gstr, "\t:from (");
-		g_string_append (cdata->gstr, pair);
 		cdata->from = TRUE;
-	}
-
-	if (mu_msg_contact_type (c) == MU_MSG_CONTACT_TYPE_TO) {
+		
+	} else if (mu_msg_contact_type (c) == MU_MSG_CONTACT_TYPE_TO) {
 		if (!cdata->to)
-			g_string_append_printf (cdata->gstr,"%s\t:to (",
-						cdata->from ? ")\n" : "");
-		g_string_append (cdata->gstr, pair);
+			g_string_append_printf 	(cdata->gstr,"%s\t:to (",
+						 cdata->from ? ")\n" : "");
 		cdata->to = TRUE;
-	}
-	
-	if (mu_msg_contact_type (c) == MU_MSG_CONTACT_TYPE_CC) {
+
+	} else if (mu_msg_contact_type (c) == MU_MSG_CONTACT_TYPE_CC) {
 		if (!cdata->cc)
 			g_string_append_printf (cdata->gstr,"%s\t:cc (",
 						cdata->from||cdata->to ?
 						")\n" : "");
-		g_string_append (cdata->gstr, pair);
 		cdata->cc = TRUE;
-	}
 
-	if (mu_msg_contact_type (c) == MU_MSG_CONTACT_TYPE_BCC) {
+	} else if (mu_msg_contact_type (c) == MU_MSG_CONTACT_TYPE_BCC) {
 		if (!cdata->bcc)
 			g_string_append_printf
 				(cdata->gstr, "%s\t:bcc (",
-				 cdata->from||cdata->to||cdata->cc ?
-				 ")\n" : "");
-		g_string_append (cdata->gstr, pair);
+				 cdata->from||cdata->to||cdata->cc ? ")\n":"");
 		cdata->bcc = TRUE;
-	}
+	} else
+		g_return_val_if_reached (FALSE);
 
+	pair = get_name_addr_pair (c);
+	g_string_append (cdata->gstr, pair);
 	g_free (pair);
-	
+		
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
@@ -219,6 +212,23 @@ append_sexp_attachments (GString *gstr, MuMsg *msg)
 }
 
 
+static void
+append_sexp_message_file_attr (GString *gstr, MuMsg *msg)
+{
+	append_sexp_attachments (gstr, msg);
+	
+	append_sexp_attr (gstr, "reply-to",
+				  mu_msg_get_header (msg, "Reply-To"));
+	append_sexp_attr_list (gstr, "references", mu_msg_get_references (msg));
+	append_sexp_attr (gstr, "in-reply-to",
+			  mu_msg_get_header (msg, "In-Reply-To"));
+	
+	append_sexp_attr (gstr, "body-txt",
+				  mu_msg_get_body_text(msg));
+	append_sexp_attr (gstr, "body-html",
+			  mu_msg_get_body_html(msg));
+}
+
 char*
 mu_msg_to_sexp (MuMsg *msg, gboolean dbonly)
 {
@@ -233,13 +243,12 @@ mu_msg_to_sexp (MuMsg *msg, gboolean dbonly)
 			  "subject", mu_msg_get_subject (msg));
 	
 	t = mu_msg_get_date (msg);
-	g_string_append_printf (gstr,
+	/* weird time format for emacs 29-bit ints...*/
+	g_string_append_printf (gstr, 
 				"\t:date (%u %u 0)\n", (unsigned)(t >> 16),
 				(unsigned)(t & 0xffff));
 	g_string_append_printf (gstr, "\t:size %u\n",
 				(unsigned) mu_msg_get_size (msg));
-
-	
 	append_sexp_attr (gstr, "message-id", mu_msg_get_msgid (msg));
 	append_sexp_attr (gstr, "path",	 mu_msg_get_path (msg));
 	append_sexp_attr (gstr, "maildir", mu_msg_get_maildir (msg));
@@ -249,20 +258,10 @@ mu_msg_to_sexp (MuMsg *msg, gboolean dbonly)
 	
 	append_sexp_flags (gstr, msg);
 	
-	if (!dbonly) {
-		append_sexp_attachments (gstr, msg);
-
-		append_sexp_attr (gstr, "reply-to",
-				  mu_msg_get_header (msg, "Reply-To"));
-		append_sexp_attr_list (gstr, "references", mu_msg_get_references (msg));
-		append_sexp_attr (gstr, "in-reply-to",
-				  mu_msg_get_header (msg, "In-Reply-To"));
-	
-		append_sexp_attr (gstr, "body-txt",
-				  mu_msg_get_body_text(msg));
-		append_sexp_attr (gstr, "body-html",
-				  mu_msg_get_body_html(msg));
-	}
+	/* file attr things can only be gotten from the file (ie., mu
+	 * view), not from the database (mu find) */
+	if (!dbonly)
+		append_sexp_message_file_attr (gstr, msg);
 	
 	g_string_append (gstr, ")\n;;eom\n");	
 
diff --git a/src/mu-msg.c b/src/mu-msg.c
index 5522a641..ecd731c8 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg.c
+++ b/src/mu-msg.c
@@ -680,10 +680,6 @@ mu_msg_is_readable (MuMsg *self)
 		== 0) ? TRUE : FALSE;
 }
 
-
-
-
-
 enum _MaildirType {
 	MAILDIR_TYPE_CUR,
 	MAILDIR_TYPE_NEW,
@@ -796,6 +792,44 @@ msg_move (const char* oldpath, const char *newfullpath, GError **err)
 }
 
 
+static gboolean
+check_source_file (const char *src, MaildirType *mtype, GError **err)
+{
+	if (!g_path_is_absolute(src)) {
+		g_set_error (err, 0, MU_ERROR_FILE,
+			     "source is not an absolute path: '%s'", src);
+		return FALSE;
+	}
+
+	*mtype = get_maildir_type (src);
+	if (mtype != MAILDIR_TYPE_CUR && *mtype != MAILDIR_TYPE_NEW) {
+		g_set_error (err, 0, MU_ERROR_FILE,
+			     "source is not in a maildir: '%s'", src);
+		return FALSE;
+	}
+
+	return TRUE;
+}
+
+static gboolean
+check_target_dir (const char* targetmdir, GError **err)
+{		
+	if (!g_path_is_absolute(targetmdir)) {
+		g_set_error (err, 0, MU_ERROR_FILE,
+			     "target is not an absolute path: '%s'", targetmdir);
+		return FALSE;
+	}
+	
+	if (!mu_util_check_dir (targetmdir, TRUE, TRUE)) {
+		g_set_error (err, 0, MU_ERROR_FILE,
+			     "target is not a read-writable dir: '%s'", targetmdir);
+		return FALSE;
+	}
+
+	return TRUE;
+}
+
+
 /*
  * move a msg to another maildir, trying to maintain 'integrity',
  * ie. msg in 'new/' will go to new/, one in cur/ goes to cur/. be
@@ -811,33 +845,13 @@ mu_msg_file_move_to_maildir (const char* oldpath, const char* targetmdir,
 	
 	g_return_val_if_fail (oldpath, FALSE);
 	g_return_val_if_fail (targetmdir, FALSE);
-
-	if (!g_path_is_absolute(oldpath)) {
-		g_set_error (err, 0, MU_ERROR_FILE,
-			     "source is not an absolute path: '%s'", oldpath);
-		return FALSE;
-	}
-
-	mtype = get_maildir_type (oldpath);
-	if (mtype != MAILDIR_TYPE_CUR && mtype != MAILDIR_TYPE_NEW) {
-		g_set_error (err, 0, MU_ERROR_FILE,
-			     "source is not in a 'cur' or 'new' maildir: '%s'",
-			     oldpath);
-		return FALSE;
-	}
 	
-	if (!g_path_is_absolute(targetmdir)) {
-		g_set_error (err, 0, MU_ERROR_FILE,
-			     "target is not an absolute path: '%s'", targetmdir);
+	if (!check_source_file (oldpath, &mtype, err))
 		return FALSE;
-	}
-
-	if (!mu_util_check_dir (targetmdir, TRUE, TRUE)) {
-		g_set_error (err, 0, MU_ERROR_FILE,
-			     "target is not a read-writable dir: '%s'", targetmdir);
+	
+	if (!check_target_dir (targetmdir, err))
 		return FALSE;
-	}
-
+		
 	newfullpath = get_new_fullpath (oldpath, targetmdir, mtype, flags);
 	if (!newfullpath) {
 		g_set_error (err, 0, MU_ERROR_FILE,
@@ -846,9 +860,7 @@ mu_msg_file_move_to_maildir (const char* oldpath, const char* targetmdir,
 	}
 
 	/* TODO: check for oldpath == newfullpath */
-	
 	rv = msg_move (oldpath, newfullpath, err);
-
 	if (!rv) {
 		g_free (newfullpath);
 		return NULL;