diff --git a/src/sampleconf/mimeconf b/src/sampleconf/mimeconf
index a95eb7ee..74871c62 100644
--- a/src/sampleconf/mimeconf
+++ b/src/sampleconf/mimeconf
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ text/x-html-aptosid-man = exec rclaptosidman
 text/x-mail = internal
 text/x-man = exec rclman
 text/x-purple-log = exec rclpurple
+text/x-purple-html-log = internal text/html
 text/x-python = exec rclpython
 text/x-shellscript = internal
 
@@ -167,6 +168,7 @@ text/x-mail = message
 text/x-man = document
 application/x-chm = document
 text/x-purple-log = pidgin
+text/x-purple-html-log = pidgin
 text/x-python = text-x-python
 
 [categories]
@@ -234,6 +236,7 @@ message = message/rfc822 \
 	  text/x-gaim-log \
 	  text/x-mail \
 	  text/x-purple-log \
+	  text/x-purple-html-log \
 
 other = application/vnd.sun.xml.draw \
         application/vnd.sun.xml.draw.template \
diff --git a/src/sampleconf/mimemap b/src/sampleconf/mimemap
index 0841f82c..865d6dac 100644
--- a/src/sampleconf/mimemap
+++ b/src/sampleconf/mimemap
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ recoll_noindex = .tar.gz .tgz .tar.bz2 .tbz .log.gz .md5 .map \
 .txt = text/x-gaim-log
 [~/.purple]
 .txt = text/x-purple-log
+.html = text/x-purple-html-log
 
 # Special handling of aptosid manual menu system
 [/usr/share/aptosid-manual]
diff --git a/src/sampleconf/recoll.conf.in b/src/sampleconf/recoll.conf.in
index ced9dc6d..c796c2a2 100644
--- a/src/sampleconf/recoll.conf.in
+++ b/src/sampleconf/recoll.conf.in
@@ -185,3 +185,7 @@ localfields = rclaptg=gnuinfo
 # Enable thunderbird mbox format quirks where appropriate
 [~/.thunderbird]
 mhmboxquirks = tbird
+
+# pidgin / purple directories for irc chats have names beginning with #
+[~/.purple]
+skippedNames =