diff --git a/src/mu-msg-cache.c b/src/mu-msg-cache.c
index b8ae8ede..a16d838b 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg-cache.c
+++ b/src/mu-msg-cache.c
@@ -17,15 +17,17 @@
 **
 */
 
-#include <mu-msg-flags.h>
-#include <mu-msg-prio.h>
-
+#include "mu-msg-flags.h"
+#include "mu-msg-prio.h"
 #include "mu-msg-cache.h"
+#include "mu-str.h"
 
 struct _MuMsgCache {
 
 	/* all string properties */
 	char *_str[MU_MSG_STRING_FIELD_ID_NUM];
+
+	GSList         *_refs;
 	
 	time_t		_timestamp, _date;
 	size_t		_size;
@@ -123,6 +125,49 @@ mu_msg_cache_str (MuMsgCache *cache, MuMsgFieldId mfid)
  
 
 
+const GSList*
+mu_msg_cache_set_str_list (MuMsgCache *self, MuMsgFieldId mfid,
+			   GSList *lst, gboolean do_free)
+{
+	g_return_val_if_fail(self, NULL);
+	g_return_val_if_fail(mu_msg_field_is_string_list(mfid), NULL);
+		
+	switch (mfid) {
+	case MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_REFS:
+		if (is_allocated(self, mfid))
+			mu_str_free_list (self->_refs);
+		self->_refs = lst;
+		break;
+	default:
+		g_return_val_if_reached(NULL);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	
+	set_cached (self, mfid);
+
+	if (do_free)
+		set_allocated (self, mfid);
+	else
+		reset_allocated (self, mfid);
+	
+	return lst;
+}
+
+
+const GSList*
+mu_msg_cache_str_list (MuMsgCache *self, MuMsgFieldId mfid)
+{
+	g_return_val_if_fail (mu_msg_field_is_string_list(mfid), NULL);
+
+	switch (mfid) {
+	case MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_REFS:
+		return self->_refs;
+	default:
+		g_return_val_if_reached(NULL);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+}
+
 
 gint64
 mu_msg_cache_set_num (MuMsgCache *self, MuMsgFieldId mfid, gint64 val)
diff --git a/src/mu-msg-cache.h b/src/mu-msg-cache.h
index ce90b038..ea0ecbb3 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg-cache.h
+++ b/src/mu-msg-cache.h
@@ -84,6 +84,30 @@ const char* mu_msg_cache_str (MuMsgCache *cache, MuMsgFieldId mfid);
 
 
 
+/**
+ * cache a string-list value
+ * 
+ * @param self a mumsgcache
+ * @param mfid the MessageFieldId for a string-list value
+ * @param lst the list
+ * @param do_free whether the cache should free this value (i.e, take ownership)
+ * 
+ * @return 
+ */
+const GSList* mu_msg_cache_set_str_list (MuMsgCache *self, MuMsgFieldId mfid,
+					 GSList *lst, gboolean do_free);
+
+/**
+ * get a string-list value from the cache
+ * 
+ * @param cache a MuMsgCache
+ * @param mfid the MessageFieldId for string-list value
+ * 
+ * @return a list, which should not be modified
+ */
+const GSList* mu_msg_cache_str_list (MuMsgCache *cache, MuMsgFieldId mfid);
+
+
 /**
  * add a numeric value to the cache
  *