diff --git a/src/mu-msg-contact.c b/src/mu-msg-contact.c
index f715be07..250f349d 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg-contact.c
+++ b/src/mu-msg-contact.c
@@ -30,6 +30,37 @@
 #include "mu-msg-contact.h"
 #include "mu-util.h"
 
+
+MuMsgContact *
+mu_msg_contact_new (const char *name, const char *address,
+		    MuMsgContactType type)
+{
+	MuMsgContact *contact;
+	
+	g_return_val_if_fail (name, NULL);
+	g_return_val_if_fail (address, NULL);
+	g_return_val_if_fail (!mu_msg_contact_type_is_valid(type),
+			      NULL);
+
+	contact = g_slice_new (MuMsgContact);
+
+	contact->name	 = g_strdup(name);
+	contact->address = g_strdup(address);
+	contact->type    = type;
+
+	return contact;	
+}
+
+
+void
+mu_msg_contact_destroy (MuMsgContact *contacts)
+{
+	if (contacts) {
+		g_free ((gchar*)contacts->name);
+		g_free ((gchar*)contacts->address);
+		g_slice_free (MuMsgContact, contacts);
+	}
+}
 	
 
 static gboolean
diff --git a/src/mu-msg-contact.h b/src/mu-msg-contact.h
index 87b509b3..4d32d461 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg-contact.h
+++ b/src/mu-msg-contact.h
@@ -26,21 +26,48 @@
 G_BEGIN_DECLS
 
 enum _MuMsgContactType {  /* Reply-To:? */
-	MU_MSG_CONTACT_TYPE_TO,
+	MU_MSG_CONTACT_TYPE_TO = 0,
 	MU_MSG_CONTACT_TYPE_FROM,
 	MU_MSG_CONTACT_TYPE_CC,
-	MU_MSG_CONTACT_TYPE_BCC
+	MU_MSG_CONTACT_TYPE_BCC,
+	
+	MU_MSG_CONTACT_TYPE_NUM
 };
-typedef enum _MuMsgContactType MuMsgContactType;
+typedef guint MuMsgContactType;
 
+#define mu_msg_contact_type_is_valid(MCT)\
+	((MCT) < MU_MSG_CONTACT_TYPE_NUM)
 
 struct _MuMsgContact {
 	const char		*name;	/* Foo Bar */
 	const char		*address;	/* foo@bar.cuux */
-	MuMsgContactType	 type;	/*MU_MSG_CONTACT_TYPE_{TO,CC,BCC,FROM}*/  
+	MuMsgContactType	 type;	/*MU_MSG_CONTACT_TYPE_{ TO,
+					 * CC, BCC, FROM}*/  
 };
 typedef struct _MuMsgContact	 MuMsgContact;
 
+/**
+ * create a new MuMsgContact object; note, in many case, this is not
+ * needed, any a stack-allocated struct can be uses.
+ * 
+ * @param name the name of the contact
+ * @param address the e-mail address of the contact
+ * @param type the type of contact: cc, bcc, from, to
+ * 
+ * @return a newly allocated MuMsgConcact or NULL in case of
+ * error. use mu_msg_contact_destroy to destroy it when it's no longer
+ * needed.
+ */
+MuMsgContact *mu_msg_contact_new (const char *name, const char *address,
+				  MuMsgContactType type);
+
+/**
+ * destroy a MuMsgConcact object
+ * 
+ * @param contact a contact object, or NULL
+ */
+void          mu_msg_contact_destroy (MuMsgContact *contact);
+
 /**
  * macro to get the name of a contact
  *