diff --git a/lib/mu-server.cc b/lib/mu-server.cc
index 282344ec..0997ec90 100644
--- a/lib/mu-server.cc
+++ b/lib/mu-server.cc
@@ -535,39 +535,6 @@ Server::Private::contacts_handler(const Command& cmd)
 	output_sexp(seq, Server::OutputFlags::SplitList);
 }
 
-/* get a *list* of all messages with the given message id */
-static std::vector<Store::Id>
-docids_for_msgid(const Store& store, const std::string& msgid, size_t max = 100)
-{
-	if (msgid.size() > MaxTermLength) {
-		throw Error(Error::Code::InvalidArgument, "invalid message-id '{}'", msgid);
-	} else if (msgid.empty())
-		return {};
-
-	const auto xprefix{field_from_id(Field::Id::MessageId).shortcut};
-	/*XXX this is a bit dodgy */
-	auto tmp{g_ascii_strdown(msgid.c_str(), -1)};
-	auto expr{g_strdup_printf("%c:%s", xprefix, tmp)};
-	g_free(tmp);
-
-	GError*    gerr{};
-	std::lock_guard l{store.lock()};
-	const auto res{store.run_query(expr, {}, QueryFlags::None, max)};
-	g_free(expr);
-	if (!res)
-		throw Error(Error::Code::Store, &gerr,
-			    "failed to run message-id-query: {}", res.error().what());
-	else if (res->empty())
-		throw Error(Error::Code::NotFound,
-			    "could not find message(s) for msgid {}", msgid);
-
-	std::vector<Store::Id> docids{};
-	for (auto&& mi : *res)
-		docids.emplace_back(mi.doc_id());
-
-	return docids;
-}
-
 /*
  * creating a message object just to get a path seems a bit excessive maybe
  * mu_store_get_path could be added if this turns out to be a problem
@@ -599,7 +566,7 @@ determine_docids(const Store& store, const Command& cmd)
 	if (docid != 0)
 		return {static_cast<Store::Id>(docid)};
 	else
-		return docids_for_msgid(store, msgid.c_str());
+		return unwrap(store.find_docids_with_message_id(msgid));
 }
 
 size_t
diff --git a/lib/mu-server.hh b/lib/mu-server.hh
index 95837216..3153457f 100644
--- a/lib/mu-server.hh
+++ b/lib/mu-server.hh
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
-** Copyright (C) 2020 Dirk-Jan C. Binnema <djcb@djcbsoftware.nl>
+** Copyright (C) 2020-2023 Dirk-Jan C. Binnema <djcb@djcbsoftware.nl>
 **
 ** This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
 ** under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
@@ -30,8 +30,7 @@
 namespace Mu {
 
 /**
- * @brief Implements the mu	server, as used by mu4e.
- *
+ * @brief Implements the mu server, as used by mu4e.
  */
 class Server {
 public:
diff --git a/lib/mu-store.cc b/lib/mu-store.cc
index ddcd2eba..ed3be7e9 100644
--- a/lib/mu-store.cc
+++ b/lib/mu-store.cc
@@ -423,8 +423,6 @@ Store::Private::move_message_unlocked(Message&& msg,
 	return Ok(std::move(msg));
 }
 
-
-
 /* get a vec of all messages with the given message id */
 static Store::IdMessageVec
 messages_with_msgid(const Store& store, const std::string& msgid, size_t max=100)
@@ -460,6 +458,36 @@ messages_with_msgid(const Store& store, const std::string& msgid, size_t max=100
 }
 
 
+static Result<std::string>
+message_id_query(const std::string& msgid)
+{
+	if (msgid.empty())
+		return Err(Error::Code::InvalidArgument, "empty message-id");
+	else if (msgid.size() > MaxTermLength)
+		return Err(Error::Code::InvalidArgument, "message-id too long");
+	else
+		return Ok(mu_format("{}:{}", field_from_id(Field::Id::MessageId).shortcut, msgid));
+}
+
+
+Result<Store::IdVec>
+Store::find_docids_with_message_id(const std::string& msgid) const
+{
+	std::lock_guard guard{priv_->lock_};
+
+	if (auto&& query{message_id_query(msgid)}; !query)
+		return Err(std::move(query.error()));
+	else if (auto&& res{run_query(*query)}; !res)
+		return Err(std::move(res.error()));
+	else {
+		Store::IdVec ids;
+		for (auto&& mi: *res)
+			ids.emplace_back(mi.doc_id());
+		return Ok(std::move(ids));
+	}
+}
+
+
 static Flags
 filter_dup_flags(Flags old_flags, Flags new_flags)
 {
diff --git a/lib/mu-store.hh b/lib/mu-store.hh
index bdfdf713..73dea822 100644
--- a/lib/mu-store.hh
+++ b/lib/mu-store.hh
@@ -271,6 +271,18 @@ public:
 	 */
 	Option<Message> find_message(Id id) const;
 
+	using IdVec = std::vector<Id>;
+
+	/**
+	 * Get the doc-ids for messages with the given message-id
+	 *
+	 * @param msg_id a message id
+	 * @param max_results maximum number of results
+	 *
+	 * @return either an Error or a vector of docids
+	 */
+	Result<IdVec> find_docids_with_message_id(const std::string& msg_id) const;
+
 	/**
 	 * does a certain message exist in the store already?
 	 *
@@ -353,24 +365,6 @@ public:
 	 */
 	size_t for_each_term(Field::Id id, ForEachTermFunc func) const;
 
-
-	/**
-	 * Get the store metadata for @p key
-	 *
-	 * @param key the metadata key
-	 *
-	 * @return the metadata value or empty for none.
-	 */
-	std::string metadata(const std::string& key) const;
-
-	/**
-	 * Write metadata to the store.
-	 *
-	 * @param key key
-	 * @param val value
-	 */
-	void set_metadata(const std::string& key, const std::string& val);
-
 	/**
 	 * Get the timestamp for some message, or 0 if not found
 	 *