diff --git a/src/mu-msg-file.c b/src/mu-msg-file.c
index 0d9ed106..1fc504d9 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg-file.c
+++ b/src/mu-msg-file.c
@@ -828,3 +828,14 @@ mu_msg_file_get_num_field (MuMsgFile *self, const MuMsgFieldId mfid)
 	}
 }
 
+
+
+const char*
+mu_msg_file_get_header (MuMsgFile *self, const char *header)
+{
+	g_return_val_if_fail (self, NULL);
+	g_return_val_if_fail (header, NULL);
+	
+	return g_mime_object_get_header
+		(GMIME_OBJECT(self->_mime_msg), header);
+}
diff --git a/src/mu-msg-file.h b/src/mu-msg-file.h
index 2935ddfc..529e52a6 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg-file.h
+++ b/src/mu-msg-file.h
@@ -47,6 +47,19 @@ void mu_msg_file_destroy (MuMsgFile *self);
 
 
 
+/**
+ * get a specific header
+ * 
+ * @param self a MuMsgFile instance
+ * @param header a header (e.g. 'X-Mailer' or 'List-Id')
+ * 
+ * @return the value of the header or NULL if not found. Note, only
+ * valid as long as this MuMsgFile is valid -- before
+ * mu_msg_file_destroy
+ */
+const char* mu_msg_file_get_header (MuMsgFile *self, const char *header);
+
+
 /**
  * get a string value for this message
  * 
diff --git a/src/mu-msg.c b/src/mu-msg.c
index 3f811289..36320cf2 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg.c
+++ b/src/mu-msg.c
@@ -249,6 +249,23 @@ get_num_field (MuMsg *self, MuMsgFieldId mfid)
 }
 
 
+const char*
+mu_msg_get_header (MuMsg *self, const char *header)
+{
+	g_return_val_if_fail (self, NULL);
+	g_return_val_if_fail (header, NULL);
+
+	/* if we don't have a file object yet, we need to
+	 * create it from the file on disk */
+	if (!self->_file)
+		self->_file = get_msg_file (self);
+	if (!self->_file && !(self->_file = get_msg_file (self)))
+		return NULL;
+
+	return mu_msg_file_get_header (self->_file, header);
+}
+
+
 const char*    
 mu_msg_get_path (MuMsg *self)
 {
diff --git a/src/mu-msg.h b/src/mu-msg.h
index 1bbc2c2d..eb9ce35a 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg.h
+++ b/src/mu-msg.h
@@ -298,6 +298,19 @@ time_t          mu_msg_get_timestamp       (MuMsg *msg);
 
 
 
+/**
+ * get a specific header from the message. This value will _not_ be
+ * cached
+ * 
+ * @param self a MuMsg instance
+ * @param header a specific header (like 'X-Mailer' or 'Organization')
+ * 
+ * @return a header string which is valid as long as this MuMsg is
+ */
+const char* mu_msg_get_header (MuMsg *self, const char *header);
+
+
+
 /**
  * get the list of references as a comma-separated string
  *