diff --git a/src/internfile/mh_mail.cpp b/src/internfile/mh_mail.cpp
index 35b8b56c..e31b26d2 100644
--- a/src/internfile/mh_mail.cpp
+++ b/src/internfile/mh_mail.cpp
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ static const string cstr_author = "author";
 static const string cstr_recipient = "recipient";
 static const string cstr_modificationdate = "modificationdate";
 static const string cstr_title = "title";
+static const string cstr_msgid = "msgid";
+static const string cstr_abstract = "abstract";
 
 MimeHandlerMail::~MimeHandlerMail() 
 {
@@ -165,7 +167,11 @@ bool MimeHandlerMail::next_document()
 	res = processMsg(m_bincdoc, 0);
 	LOGDEB1(("MimeHandlerMail::next_document: mimetype %s\n",
 		m_metaData[cstr_mimetype].c_str()));
+        const string& txt = m_metaData[cstr_content];
+        if (m_startoftext < txt.size())
+            m_metaData[cstr_abstract] = txt.substr(m_startoftext, 250);
     } else {
+        m_metaData[cstr_abstract] = "";
 	res = processAttach();
     }
     m_idx++;
@@ -313,6 +319,12 @@ bool MimeHandlerMail::processMsg(Binc::MimePart *doc, int depth)
 	    m_metaData[cstr_recipient] += " " + transcoded;
 	}
     }
+    if (doc->h.getFirstHeader("Message-Id", hi)) {
+	if (depth == 1) {
+	    m_metaData[cstr_msgid] =  hi.getValue();
+            trimstring(m_metaData[cstr_msgid], "<>");
+	}
+    }
     if (doc->h.getFirstHeader("Date", hi)) {
 	rfc2047_decode(hi.getValue(), transcoded);
 	if (depth == 1) {
@@ -337,7 +349,7 @@ bool MimeHandlerMail::processMsg(Binc::MimePart *doc, int depth)
 	text += string("Subject: ") + transcoded + string("\n");
     }
     text += '\n';
-
+    m_startoftext = text.size();
     LOGDEB2(("MimeHandlerMail::processMsg:ismultipart %d mime subtype '%s'\n",
 	    doc->isMultipart(), doc->getSubType().c_str()));
     walkmime(doc, depth);
diff --git a/src/internfile/mh_mail.h b/src/internfile/mh_mail.h
index bfb757b7..7b88eb13 100644
--- a/src/internfile/mh_mail.h
+++ b/src/internfile/mh_mail.h
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ class MHMailAttach;
  * file. 
  */
 class MimeHandlerMail : public RecollFilter {
- public:
+public:
     MimeHandlerMail(const string &mt) 
 	: RecollFilter(mt), m_bincdoc(0), m_fd(-1), m_stream(0), m_idx(-1)
     {}
@@ -53,15 +53,20 @@ class MimeHandlerMail : public RecollFilter {
     virtual bool skip_to_document(const string& ipath);
     virtual void clear();
 
- private:
+private:
     bool processMsg(Binc::MimePart *doc, int depth);
     void walkmime(Binc::MimePart* doc, int depth);
     bool processAttach();
     Binc::MimeDocument     *m_bincdoc;
     int                     m_fd;
     std::stringstream      *m_stream;
-    int                     m_idx; // starts at -1 for self, then index into
-                                    // attachments;
+
+    // Current index in parts. starts at -1 for self, then index into
+    // attachments
+    int                     m_idx; 
+    // Start of actual text (after the reprinted headers. This is for 
+    // generating a semi-meaningful "abstract")
+    string::size_type       m_startoftext; 
     string                  m_subject; 
     vector<MHMailAttach *>  m_attachments;
 };