diff --git a/lib/mu-store-priv.hh b/lib/mu-store-priv.hh
index afe11e84..fc03eb71 100644
--- a/lib/mu-store-priv.hh
+++ b/lib/mu-store-priv.hh
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public:
 	/* create a read-write MuStore */
 	_MuStore (const char *path, const char *contacts_path,
 		  const char **my_addresses,
-		  bool rebuild) {
+		  bool rebuild) :_my_addresses(NULL) {
 
 		init (path, contacts_path, my_addresses, rebuild, false);
 
@@ -88,7 +88,8 @@ public:
 		MU_WRITE_LOG ("%s: opened %s read-only", __FUNCTION__, this->path());
 	}
 
-	void init (const char *path, const char *contacts_path, const char **my_addresses,
+	void init (const char *path, const char *contacts_path,
+		   const char **my_addresses,
 		   bool rebuild, bool read_only) {
 
 		_batch_size	= DEFAULT_BATCH_SIZE;
@@ -100,16 +101,24 @@ public:
 		_ref_count      = 1;
 		_version        = NULL;
 
-		/* copy 'my adresses' */
-		_my_addresses    = NULL;
+		set_my_addresses (my_addresses);
+	}
+
+	void set_my_addresses (const char **my_addresses) {
+
+		if (_my_addresses) {
+			mu_str_free_list (_my_addresses);
+			_my_addresses = NULL;
+		}
+
 		while (my_addresses && *my_addresses) {
 			_my_addresses = g_slist_prepend
 				(_my_addresses, g_strdup (*my_addresses));
 			++my_addresses;
 		}
-
 	}
 
+
 	void check_set_version () {
 		/* check version...*/
 		gchar *version;
diff --git a/lib/mu-store.cc b/lib/mu-store.cc
index 587958f4..a27b3440 100644
--- a/lib/mu-store.cc
+++ b/lib/mu-store.cc
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ mu_store_unref (MuStore *store)
 {
 	g_return_val_if_fail (store, NULL);
 
-
 	if (store->unref() == 0) {
 		try { delete store; } MU_XAPIAN_CATCH_BLOCK;
 	}
@@ -117,3 +116,12 @@ mu_store_database_is_locked (const gchar *xpath)
 
 	return FALSE;
 }
+
+
+void
+mu_store_set_my_addresses (MuStore *store, const char **my_addresses)
+{
+	g_return_if_fail (store);
+
+	store->set_my_addresses (my_addresses);
+}
diff --git a/lib/mu-store.h b/lib/mu-store.h
index 431c0fe4..c975363a 100644
--- a/lib/mu-store.h
+++ b/lib/mu-store.h
@@ -133,6 +133,18 @@ XapianDatabase* mu_store_get_read_only_database (MuStore *store);
 void  mu_store_set_batch_size (MuStore *store, guint batchsize);
 
 
+/**
+ * register a char** of email addresses as 'my' addresses, ie. mark
+ * message that have these addresses in one of the address fields as
+ * 'personal' (e.g., in mu-contacts). calling this function overrides
+ * any 'my addresses' that were set before, using this function or
+ * through mu_store_new_writable
+ *
+ * @param store a valid store object
+ * @param my_addresses a char** of email addresses
+ */
+void mu_store_set_my_addresses (MuStore *store, const char **my_addresses);
+
 
 /**
  * get the numbers of documents in the database