diff --git a/lib/mu-msg.c b/lib/mu-msg.c
index c9359035..44e99fa1 100644
--- a/lib/mu-msg.c
+++ b/lib/mu-msg.c
@@ -902,3 +902,19 @@ mu_msg_move_to_maildir (MuMsg *self, const char *maildir,
 
 	return self->_file ? TRUE : FALSE;
 }
+
+
+/*
+ * Rename a message-file, keeping the same flags. This is useful for tricking
+ * some 3rd party progs such as mbsync
+ */
+gboolean
+mu_msg_tickle (MuMsg *self, GError **err)
+{
+	g_return_val_if_fail (self, FALSE);
+
+	return mu_msg_move_to_maildir (self,
+				       mu_msg_get_maildir (self),
+				       mu_msg_get_flags (self),
+				       FALSE, TRUE, err);
+}
diff --git a/lib/mu-msg.h b/lib/mu-msg.h
index 150d466f..0358cff8 100644
--- a/lib/mu-msg.h
+++ b/lib/mu-msg.h
@@ -476,6 +476,23 @@ gboolean mu_msg_move_to_maildir (MuMsg *msg, const char *maildir,
 				 GError **err);
 
 
+/**
+ * Tickle a message -- ie., rxename a message while maintaining the maildir and
+ * flags. This can be useful when dealing with third-party tools such as mbsync
+ * that depend on changed filenames.
+ *
+ * @param msg a message with an existing file system path in an actual
+ * maildir
+ * @param err (may be NULL) may contain error information; note if the
+ * function return FALSE, err is not set for all error condition
+ * (ie. not for parameter error
+ *
+ * @return TRUE if it worked, FALSE otherwise
+ */
+gboolean mu_msg_tickle (MuMsg *msg, GError **err);
+
+
+
 enum _MuMsgContactType {  /* Reply-To:? */
 	MU_MSG_CONTACT_TYPE_TO    = 0,
 	MU_MSG_CONTACT_TYPE_FROM,
diff --git a/mu/mu-cmd.c b/mu/mu-cmd.c
index 4c2ee909..d887f32f 100644
--- a/mu/mu-cmd.c
+++ b/mu/mu-cmd.c
@@ -412,6 +412,33 @@ mu_cmd_remove (MuStore *store, MuConfig *opts, GError **err)
 	return foreach_msg_file (store, opts, remove_path_func, err);
 }
 
+static gboolean
+tickle_func (MuStore *store, const char *path, GError **err)
+{
+	MuMsg		*msg;
+	gboolean	 rv;
+
+	msg = mu_msg_new_from_file (path, NULL, err);
+	if (!msg)
+		return FALSE;
+
+	rv = mu_msg_tickle (msg, err);
+	mu_msg_unref (msg);
+
+	return rv;
+}
+
+
+MuError
+mu_cmd_tickle (MuStore *store, MuConfig *opts, GError **err)
+{
+	g_return_val_if_fail (opts, MU_ERROR_INTERNAL);
+	g_return_val_if_fail (opts->cmd == MU_CONFIG_CMD_TICKLE,
+			      MU_ERROR_INTERNAL);
+
+	return foreach_msg_file (store, opts, tickle_func, err);
+}
+
 struct _VData {
 	MuMsgPartSigStatus combined_status;
 	char *report;
@@ -632,6 +659,8 @@ mu_cmd_execute (MuConfig *opts, GError **err)
 		merr = with_store (mu_cmd_add, opts, FALSE, err);      break;
 	case MU_CONFIG_CMD_REMOVE:
 		merr = with_store (mu_cmd_remove, opts, FALSE, err);   break;
+	case MU_CONFIG_CMD_TICKLE:
+		merr = with_store (mu_cmd_tickle, opts, FALSE, err);   break;
 	case MU_CONFIG_CMD_SERVER:
 		merr = with_store (mu_cmd_server, opts, FALSE, err);   break;
 	default:
diff --git a/mu/mu-cmd.h b/mu/mu-cmd.h
index 0ec483ca..b8693ec0 100644
--- a/mu/mu-cmd.h
+++ b/mu/mu-cmd.h
@@ -151,6 +151,18 @@ MuError mu_cmd_add (MuStore *store, MuConfig *opts, GError **err);
  */
 MuError mu_cmd_remove (MuStore *store, MuConfig *opts, GError **err);
 
+/**
+ * execute the tickle command
+ *
+ * @param store store object to use
+ * @param opts configuration options
+ * @param err receives error information, or NULL
+ *
+ * @return MU_OK (0) if the command succeeds,
+ * some error code otherwise
+ */
+MuError mu_cmd_tickle (MuStore *store, MuConfig *opts, GError **err);
+
 
 /**
  * execute the server command
diff --git a/mu/mu-config.c b/mu/mu-config.c
index bd744f86..8e3c3532 100644
--- a/mu/mu-config.c
+++ b/mu/mu-config.c
@@ -471,6 +471,7 @@ cmd_from_string (const char *str)
 		{ "remove",  MU_CONFIG_CMD_REMOVE  },
 		{ "script",  MU_CONFIG_CMD_SCRIPT  },
 		{ "server",  MU_CONFIG_CMD_SERVER  },
+		{ "tickle",  MU_CONFIG_CMD_TICKLE  },
 		{ "verify",  MU_CONFIG_CMD_VERIFY  },
 		{ "view",    MU_CONFIG_CMD_VIEW    }
 	};
diff --git a/mu/mu-config.h b/mu/mu-config.h
index d4574168..e192d5cc 100644
--- a/mu/mu-config.h
+++ b/mu/mu-config.h
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ enum _MuConfigCmd {
 	MU_CONFIG_CMD_REMOVE,
 	MU_CONFIG_CMD_SCRIPT,
 	MU_CONFIG_CMD_SERVER,
+	MU_CONFIG_CMD_TICKLE,
 	MU_CONFIG_CMD_VERIFY,
 	MU_CONFIG_CMD_VIEW,