diff --git a/mu4e/mu4e-main.el b/mu4e/mu4e-main.el
index 6da88cc5..24044852 100644
--- a/mu4e/mu4e-main.el
+++ b/mu4e/mu4e-main.el
@@ -375,7 +375,11 @@ When REFRESH is non nil refresh infos from server."
     ;; `mu4e--main-view' is called from `mu4e--start', so don't call it
     ;; a second time here i.e. do not refresh unless specified
     ;; explicitly with REFRESH arg.
+
     (mu4e-display-buffer buf t)
+    ;; undo some of the mu4e-display-buffer magic; we want a full screen.
+    ;; perhaps we could use display-buffer-alist instead?
+    (delete-other-windows)
     (with-current-buffer buf
       (mu4e--main-view-real-1 refresh))
     (goto-char (point-min))))