diff --git a/src/mu-str.c b/src/mu-str.c
index 4504fd62..1f0d1142 100644
--- a/src/mu-str.c
+++ b/src/mu-str.c
@@ -429,6 +429,21 @@ mu_str_free_list (GSList *lst)
 	g_slist_free (lst);	
 }
 
+const gchar*
+mu_str_subject_normalize (const gchar* str)
+{
+	gchar *last_colon;
+	g_return_val_if_fail (str, NULL);
+
+	/* FIXME: improve this */
+	last_colon = g_strrstr (str, ":");
+	if (!last_colon)
+		return str;
+	else
+		return g_strchug (last_colon + 1);
+}
+
+
 
 /*
  * Xapian treats various characters such as '@', '-', ':' and '.'
diff --git a/src/mu-str.h b/src/mu-str.h
index 4e80e60f..175cb51b 100644
--- a/src/mu-str.h
+++ b/src/mu-str.h
@@ -294,6 +294,19 @@ GSList* mu_str_to_list (const char *str, char sepa);
  */
 void mu_str_free_list (GSList *lst);
 
+
+
+/**
+ * strip the subject of Re:, Fwd: etc.
+ * 
+ * @param str a subject string
+ * 
+ * @return a new string -- this is pointing somewhere inside the @str;
+ * no copy is made, don't free
+ */
+const gchar* mu_str_subject_normalize (const gchar* str);
+
+
 /**
  * guess some nick name for the given name; if we can determine an
  * first name, last name, the nick will be first name + the first char