diff --git a/src/mu-cmd-find.c b/src/mu-cmd-find.c
index c166e8e0..a71910ae 100644
--- a/src/mu-cmd-find.c
+++ b/src/mu-cmd-find.c
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ run_query (MuQuery *xapian, const gchar *query, MuConfig *opts,
 	}
 
 	iter = mu_query_run (xapian, query, opts->threads, sortid,
-			     opts->reverse, err);
+			     opts->reverse, -1, err);
 	return iter;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/mu-cmd-server.c b/src/mu-cmd-server.c
index dde43834..5cb28fbd 100644
--- a/src/mu-cmd-server.c
+++ b/src/mu-cmd-server.c
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ install_sig_handler (void)
 }
 
 
+/* BOX - beginning-of-expression */
 #define BOX "\376"
 
 static void  send_expr (const char* frm, ...) G_GNUC_PRINTF(1, 2);
@@ -310,19 +311,29 @@ cmd_info (MuStore *store, GSList *lst, GError **err)
 
 
 
-
+/*
+ * find  <query> <maxnum>
+ * => list of s-expression, each describing a message
+ * => (:found <number of found messages>)
+ */
 static MuError
 cmd_find (MuStore *store, MuQuery *query, GSList *lst, GError **err)
 {
 	MuMsgIter *iter;
 	unsigned u;
+	int maxnum;
 
-	if (!check_param_num (lst, 1, 1))
+	if (!check_param_num (lst, 2, 2))
 		return server_error (NULL, MU_ERROR_IN_PARAMETERS,
-				     "usage: find <searchexpr>");
+				     "usage: find <searchexpr> <maxnum>");
+
+	maxnum = atoi((const char*)lst->next->data);
+	if (maxnum == 0)
+		return server_error (NULL, MU_ERROR_IN_PARAMETERS,
+				     "usage: find <maxnum> <searchexpr>");
 
 	iter = mu_query_run (query, (const char*)lst->data, TRUE,
-			     MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_DATE, TRUE, err);
+			     MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_DATE, TRUE, maxnum, err);
 	if (!iter)
 		return server_error (err, MU_ERROR_INTERNAL,
 				     "couldn't get iterator");
@@ -376,7 +387,7 @@ get_docid_from_msgid (MuQuery *query, const char *str, GError **err)
 
 	querystr = g_strdup_printf ("msgid:%s", str);
 	iter = mu_query_run (query, querystr, FALSE,
-			     MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_NONE, FALSE, err);
+			     MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_NONE, FALSE, 1, err);
 	g_free (querystr);
 	docid = MU_STORE_INVALID_DOCID;
 	if (!iter || mu_msg_iter_is_done (iter))
@@ -464,7 +475,8 @@ do_move (MuStore *store, unsigned docid, MuMsg *msg, const char *maildir,
 	 * wel */
 	rv = mu_store_update_msg (store, docid, msg, err);
 	if (rv == MU_STORE_INVALID_DOCID)
-		return server_error (err, MU_ERROR_XAPIAN, "failed to update message");
+		return server_error (err, MU_ERROR_XAPIAN,
+				     "failed to update message");
 
 	sexp = mu_msg_to_sexp (msg, docid, NULL, TRUE);
 	send_expr ("(:update %s :move %s)", sexp, is_move ? "t" : "nil");
diff --git a/src/mu-query.cc b/src/mu-query.cc
index f5d9b5e9..a69d8ddc 100644
--- a/src/mu-query.cc
+++ b/src/mu-query.cc
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ mu_query_preprocess (const char *query)
 
 MuMsgIter*
 mu_query_run (MuQuery *self, const char* searchexpr, gboolean threads,
-	      MuMsgFieldId sortfieldid, gboolean revert,
+	      MuMsgFieldId sortfieldid, gboolean revert, int maxnum,
 	      GError **err)
 {
 	g_return_val_if_fail (self, NULL);
@@ -333,7 +333,8 @@ mu_query_run (MuQuery *self, const char* searchexpr, gboolean threads,
 
 		return mu_msg_iter_new (
 			(XapianEnquire*)&enq,
-			self->db().get_doccount(), threads,
+			maxnum <= 0 ? self->db().get_doccount() : maxnum,
+			threads,
 			threads ? sortfieldid : MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_NONE,
 			revert);
 
diff --git a/src/mu-query.h b/src/mu-query.h
index d07f80a3..6360081d 100644
--- a/src/mu-query.h
+++ b/src/mu-query.h
@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@ char* mu_query_version (MuQuery *store)
  * sorting is not desired
  * @param reverse if TRUE, sort in descending (Z-A) order, otherwise,
  * sort in descending (A-Z) order
+ * @param maxnum maximum number of search results to return, or <= 0 for
+ * unlimited
  * @param err receives error information (if there is any); if
  * function returns non-NULL, err will _not_be set. err can be NULL
  * possible error (err->code) is MU_ERROR_QUERY,
@@ -83,7 +85,7 @@ char* mu_query_version (MuQuery *store)
  * case of error
  */
 MuMsgIter* mu_query_run (MuQuery *self, const char* expr, gboolean threads,
-			 MuMsgFieldId sortfieldid, gboolean ascending,
+			 MuMsgFieldId sortfieldid, gboolean ascending, int maxnum,
 			 GError **err)
     G_GNUC_MALLOC G_GNUC_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;
 
diff --git a/src/tests/test-mu-query.c b/src/tests/test-mu-query.c
index 89dad737..1a5f4003 100644
--- a/src/tests/test-mu-query.c
+++ b/src/tests/test-mu-query.c
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ run_and_count_matches (const char *xpath, const char *query)
 	}
 
 	iter = mu_query_run (mquery, query, FALSE, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_NONE,
-			     FALSE, NULL);
+			     FALSE, -1, NULL);
 	mu_query_destroy (mquery);
 	g_assert (iter);
 
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ test_mu_query_accented_chars_01 (void)
 	mu_store_unref (store);
 
 	iter = mu_query_run (query, "fünkÿ", FALSE, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_NONE,
-			     FALSE, NULL);
+			     FALSE, -1, NULL);
 	err = NULL;
 	msg = mu_msg_iter_get_msg_floating (iter); /* don't unref */
 	if (!msg) {
diff --git a/src/tests/test-mu-threads.c b/src/tests/test-mu-threads.c
index 8bfee176..32fd8b28 100644
--- a/src/tests/test-mu-threads.c
+++ b/src/tests/test-mu-threads.c
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ run_and_get_iter (const char *xpath, const char *query)
 	g_assert (query);
 
 	iter = mu_query_run (mquery, query, TRUE, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_DATE,
-			     FALSE, NULL);
+			     FALSE, -1, NULL);
 	mu_query_destroy (mquery);
 	g_assert (iter);
 
@@ -244,4 +244,3 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	return rv;
 }
-