diff --git a/src/mu-msg-iter.cc b/src/mu-msg-iter.cc
index e239599f..a60d31ad 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg-iter.cc
+++ b/src/mu-msg-iter.cc
@@ -124,6 +124,21 @@ update_msg (MuMsgIter *iter)
 }
 
 
+gboolean
+mu_msg_iter_reset (MuMsgIter *iter)
+{
+	g_return_val_if_fail (iter, FALSE);
+
+	try {
+		iter->_cursor = iter->_matches.begin();
+
+	} MU_XAPIAN_CATCH_BLOCK_RETURN (FALSE);
+
+	return TRUE;
+}
+
+
+
 gboolean
 mu_msg_iter_next (MuMsgIter *iter)
 {
diff --git a/src/mu-msg-iter.h b/src/mu-msg-iter.h
index 42098f8c..94675c8f 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg-iter.h
+++ b/src/mu-msg-iter.h
@@ -62,6 +62,16 @@ MuMsgIter *mu_msg_iter_new (XapianEnquire *enq,
 gboolean         mu_msg_iter_next              (MuMsgIter *iter);
 
 
+
+/**
+ * reset the iterator to the beginning
+ * 
+ * @param iter a valid MuMsgIter iterator
+ * 
+ * @return TRUE if it succeeded, FALSE otherwise
+ */
+gboolean mu_msg_iter_reset (MuMsgIter *iter);
+
 /**
  * does this iterator point past the end of the list?
  * 
diff --git a/src/tests/test-mu-query.c b/src/tests/test-mu-query.c
index fc3d36de..86ec4306 100644
--- a/src/tests/test-mu-query.c
+++ b/src/tests/test-mu-query.c
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ run_and_count_matches (const char *xpath, const char *query)
 {
 	MuQuery  *mquery;
 	MuMsgIter *iter;
-	guint count;
+	guint count1, count2;
 	
 	mquery = mu_query_new (xpath, NULL);
 	g_assert (query);
@@ -85,12 +85,20 @@ run_and_count_matches (const char *xpath, const char *query)
 	mu_query_destroy (mquery);
 	g_assert (iter);
 
-	for (count = 0; !mu_msg_iter_is_done(iter);
-	     mu_msg_iter_next(iter), ++count);
+	/* run query twice, to test mu_msg_iter_reset */
+	for (count1 = 0; !mu_msg_iter_is_done(iter);
+	     mu_msg_iter_next(iter), ++count1);
+
+	g_assert(mu_msg_iter_reset (iter));
+	
+	for (count2 = 0; !mu_msg_iter_is_done(iter);
+	     mu_msg_iter_next(iter), ++count2);
 	
 	mu_msg_iter_destroy (iter);
+
+	g_assert_cmpuint (count1, ==, count2);
 	
-	return count;
+	return count1;
 }