diff --git a/src/qtgui/guiutils.cpp b/src/qtgui/guiutils.cpp
index fcfe62f8..6879b3f9 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/guiutils.cpp
+++ b/src/qtgui/guiutils.cpp
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ RclConfig *theconfig;
 const char *PrefsPack::dfltResListFormat = 
 	"<table><tr><td><a href='%U'><img src='%I' width='64'></a></td>"
 	"<td>%L &nbsp;<i>%S</i> &nbsp;&nbsp;<b>%T</b><br>"
-	"<span style='white-space:nowrap'>%M&nbsp;%D</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <i>%U</i>&nbsp;%i<br>"
+	"<span style='white-space:nowrap'><i>%M</i>&nbsp;%D</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <i>%U</i>&nbsp;%i<br>"
 	"%A %K</td></tr></table>"
     ;
 
@@ -290,10 +290,16 @@ void rwSettings(bool writing)
 			      prefs.allExtraDbs.end(), dbdir) != 
 		    prefs.allExtraDbs.end())
 		    continue;
-		if (!Rcl::Db::testDbDir(dbdir)) {
+		bool stripped;
+		if (!Rcl::Db::testDbDir(dbdir, &stripped)) {
 		    LOGERR(("Not a xapian index: [%s]\n", dbdir.c_str()));
 		    continue;
 		}
+		if (stripped != o_index_stripchars) {
+		    LOGERR(("Incompatible character stripping: [%s]\n",
+			    dbdir.c_str()));
+		    continue;
+		}
 		prefs.allExtraDbs.push_back(dbdir);
 	    }
 	}
@@ -305,8 +311,11 @@ void rwSettings(bool writing)
 	// actually there: useful for removable volumes.
 	for (list<string>::iterator it = prefs.activeExtraDbs.begin();
 	     it != prefs.activeExtraDbs.end();) {
-	    if (!Rcl::Db::testDbDir(*it)) {
-		LOGINFO(("Not a xapian index: [%s]\n", it->c_str()));
+	    bool stripped;
+	    if (!Rcl::Db::testDbDir(*it, &stripped) || 
+		stripped != o_index_stripchars) {
+		LOGINFO(("Not a Xapian index or char stripping differs: [%s]\n",
+			 it->c_str()));
 		it = prefs.activeExtraDbs.erase(it);
 	    } else {
 		it++;
@@ -327,8 +336,11 @@ void rwSettings(bool writing)
                               prefs.activeExtraDbs.end(), dbdir) !=
                     prefs.activeExtraDbs.end())
                     continue;
-                if (!Rcl::Db::testDbDir(dbdir)) {
-                    LOGERR(("Not a xapian index: [%s]\n", dbdir.c_str()));
+		bool strpd;
+                if (!Rcl::Db::testDbDir(dbdir, &strpd) || 
+		    strpd != o_index_stripchars) {
+                    LOGERR(("Not a Xapian dir or diff. char stripping: [%s]\n",
+			    dbdir.c_str()));
                     continue;
                 }
                 prefs.activeExtraDbs.push_back(dbdir);
diff --git a/src/qtgui/uiprefs_w.cpp b/src/qtgui/uiprefs_w.cpp
index ff6c8a84..ef467336 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/uiprefs_w.cpp
+++ b/src/qtgui/uiprefs_w.cpp
@@ -533,11 +533,18 @@ void UIPrefsDialog::addExtraDbPB_clicked()
 
     LOGDEB(("ExtraDbDial: got: [%s]\n", dbdir.c_str()));
     path_catslash(dbdir);
-    if (!Rcl::Db::testDbDir(dbdir)) {
+    bool stripped;
+    if (!Rcl::Db::testDbDir(dbdir, &stripped)) {
 	QMessageBox::warning(0, "Recoll", 
         tr("The selected directory does not appear to be a Xapian index"));
 	return;
     }
+    if (o_index_stripchars != stripped) {
+	QMessageBox::warning(0, "Recoll", 
+			     tr("Cant add index with different case/diacritics"
+				" stripping option"));
+	return;
+    }
     if (samedir(dbdir, theconfig->getDbDir())) {
 	QMessageBox::warning(0, "Recoll", 
 			     tr("This is the main/local index!"));
diff --git a/src/rcldb/rcldb.cpp b/src/rcldb/rcldb.cpp
index a381740f..e333161c 100644
--- a/src/rcldb/rcldb.cpp
+++ b/src/rcldb/rcldb.cpp
@@ -856,18 +856,29 @@ size_t Db::whatDbIdx(const Doc& doc)
     return doc.xdocid % (m_extraDbs.size()+1);
 }
 
-bool Db::testDbDir(const string &dir)
+bool Db::testDbDir(const string &dir, bool *stripped_p)
 {
     string aerr;
+    bool mstripped = true;
     LOGDEB(("Db::testDbDir: [%s]\n", dir.c_str()));
     try {
 	Xapian::Database db(dir);
+	// If we have terms with a leading ':' it's an
+	// unstripped index
+	Xapian::TermIterator term = db.allterms_begin(":");
+	if (term == db.allterms_end())
+	    mstripped = true;
+	else
+	    mstripped = false;
     } XCATCHERROR(aerr);
     if (!aerr.empty()) {
 	LOGERR(("Db::Open: error while trying to open database "
 		"from [%s]: %s\n", dir.c_str(), aerr.c_str()));
 	return false;
     }
+    if (stripped_p) 
+	*stripped_p = mstripped;
+
     return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/rcldb/rcldb.h b/src/rcldb/rcldb.h
index 61f350e9..5a2b9312 100644
--- a/src/rcldb/rcldb.h
+++ b/src/rcldb/rcldb.h
@@ -301,8 +301,9 @@ class Db {
      *   other: order of database in add_database() sequence.
      */
     size_t whatDbIdx(const Doc& doc);
+
     /** Tell if directory seems to hold xapian db */
-    static bool testDbDir(const string &dir);
+    static bool testDbDir(const string &dir, bool *stripped = 0);
 
     /** Return the index terms that match the input string
      * Expansion is performed either with either wildcard or regexp processing