diff --git a/src/mu-msg-iter.cc b/src/mu-msg-iter.cc
index 4d05db43..ffa9d1db 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg-iter.cc
+++ b/src/mu-msg-iter.cc
@@ -253,6 +253,14 @@ mu_msg_iter_get_path (MuMsgIter *iter)
 	return get_field (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_PATH);
 }
 
+const char*
+mu_msg_iter_get_maildir (MuMsgIter *iter)
+{
+	g_return_val_if_fail (!mu_msg_iter_is_done(iter), NULL);
+	return get_field (iter, MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_MAILDIR);
+}
+
+
 
 const char*
 mu_msg_iter_get_from (MuMsgIter *iter)
diff --git a/src/mu-msg-iter.h b/src/mu-msg-iter.h
index 4547d6c1..cd324316 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg-iter.h
+++ b/src/mu-msg-iter.h
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ unsigned int     mu_msg_iter_get_docid         (MuMsgIter *iter);
 
 
 /**
- * get the directory path of the message
+ * get the full path of the message file
  * 
  * @param iter a valid MuMsgIter iterator
  * 
@@ -93,6 +93,18 @@ unsigned int     mu_msg_iter_get_docid         (MuMsgIter *iter);
 const char*      mu_msg_iter_get_path          (MuMsgIter *iter);
 
 
+/**
+ * get the maildir of the message - e.g., a message file 
+ * /home/user/Maildir/foo/bar/cur/abc123 would have maildir
+ *   "/foo/bar"
+ * 
+ * @param iter a valid MuMsgIter iterator
+ * 
+ * @return the path, or NULL in case of error
+ */
+const char*      mu_msg_iter_get_maildir (MuMsgIter *iter);
+
+
 /**
  * get the size of the message
  *