diff --git a/src/mu-msg-flags.c b/src/mu-msg-flags.c
index db74f15f..4aaa43c4 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg-flags.c
+++ b/src/mu-msg-flags.c
@@ -154,99 +154,3 @@ mu_msg_flags_foreach (MuMsgFlagsForeachFunc func, gpointer user_data)
 		func (ALL_FLAGS[i], user_data);
 }
 
-
-
-/*
- * is this a 'new' msg or a 'cur' msg?; if new, we return
- * (in info) a ptr to the info part 
- */
-enum _MsgType {
-	MSG_TYPE_CUR,
-	MSG_TYPE_NEW,
-	MSG_TYPE_OTHER
-};
-typedef enum _MsgType MsgType;
-
-
-static MsgType
-check_msg_type (const char* path, char **info)
-{
-	char *dir, *file; 
-	MsgType mtype;
-
-	/* try to find the info part */
-	/* note that we can use either the ':' or '!' as separator;
-	 * the former is the official, but as it does not work on e.g. VFAT
-	 * file systems, some Maildir implementations use the latter instead
-	 * (or both). For example, Tinymail/modest does this. The python
-	 * documentation at http://docs.python.org/lib/mailbox-maildir.html
-	 * mentions the '!' as well as a 'popular choice'
-	 */
-	
-	*info = NULL;
-	dir   = g_path_get_dirname (path);
-	file  = g_path_get_basename (path);
-	
-	if (!(*info = strrchr(file, ':')))
-		*info = strrchr (file, '!'); /* Tinymail */
-	if (*info)
-		++(*info); /* skip the ':' or '!' */
-	
-	if (g_str_has_suffix (dir, G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S "cur")) {
-		if (!*info)
-			g_debug ("'cur' file, but no info part: %s", path);
-		mtype = MSG_TYPE_CUR;
-	} else if (g_str_has_suffix (dir, G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S "new")) {
-		if (*info)
-			g_debug ("'new' file, ignoring info part: %s", path);
-		mtype = MSG_TYPE_NEW;
-	} else 
-		mtype = MSG_TYPE_OTHER; /* file has been added explicitly as
-					   a single message */
-	if (*info)
-		*info = g_strdup (*info);
-
-	g_free (dir);
-	g_free (file);
-	
-	return mtype;
-}
-
-MuMsgFlags
-mu_msg_flags_from_file (const char* path)
-{
-	MuMsgFlags flags;
-	MsgType mtype;
-	char *info = NULL;
-
-	g_return_val_if_fail (path, MU_MSG_FLAG_NONE);
-	g_return_val_if_fail (!g_str_has_suffix(path,G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S),
-			      MU_MSG_FLAG_NONE);
-	
-	mtype = check_msg_type (path, &info);
-	if (mtype == MSG_TYPE_NEW) { /* we ignore any new-msg flags */
-		g_free (info);
-		return MU_MSG_FLAG_NEW;
-	}
-	
-	flags = MU_MSG_FLAG_NONE;
-	if (mtype == MSG_TYPE_CUR || mtype == MSG_TYPE_OTHER) {
-		char *cursor = info;
-		/* only support the "2," format */
-		if (cursor && cursor[0]=='2' && cursor[1]==',') {
-			cursor += 2; /* jump past 2, */
-			for (; *cursor; ++cursor)
-				switch (*cursor) {
-				case 'P': flags|= MU_MSG_FLAG_PASSED; break;
-				case 'T': flags|= MU_MSG_FLAG_TRASHED; break;
-				case 'R': flags|= MU_MSG_FLAG_REPLIED; break;
-				case 'S': flags|= MU_MSG_FLAG_SEEN; break;
-				case 'D': flags|= MU_MSG_FLAG_DRAFT;break;
-				case 'F': flags|= MU_MSG_FLAG_FLAGGED; break;
-				}
-		}
-	} 
-	g_free (info);
-	
-	return flags;
-}
diff --git a/src/mu-msg-flags.h b/src/mu-msg-flags.h
index 5834612f..af4be638 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg-flags.h
+++ b/src/mu-msg-flags.h
@@ -128,8 +128,6 @@ char mu_msg_flag_char  (MuMsgFlags flag) G_GNUC_CONST;
 const char* mu_msg_flag_name (MuMsgFlags flag) G_GNUC_CONST;
 
 
-
-
 typedef void (*MuMsgFlagsForeachFunc)
 	(MuMsgFlags flag, gpointer user_data);
 
@@ -142,22 +140,6 @@ typedef void (*MuMsgFlagsForeachFunc)
 void mu_msg_flags_foreach (MuMsgFlagsForeachFunc func, gpointer user_data);
 
 
-
-/**
- * get the Maildir flags from a mailfile. The flags are as specified
- * in http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html, plus MU_MSG_FLAG_NEW for
- * new messages, ie the ones that live in new/. The flags are
- * logically OR'ed. Note that the file does not have to exist; the
- * flags are based on the name only. 
- *
- * @param pathname of a mailfile; it does not have to refer to an
- * actual message
- * 
- * @return the flags, or MU_MSG_FILE_FLAG_UNKNOWN in case of error
- */
-MuMsgFlags mu_msg_flags_from_file (const char* pathname) G_GNUC_PURE;
-
-
 /**
  * is the message flag a file flag? ie. encoded in the filename
  *