diff --git a/src/mu-msg-fields.c b/src/mu-msg-fields.c
index 03e240c4..cd7ddd1b 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg-fields.c
+++ b/src/mu-msg-fields.c
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ static const MuMsgField* mu_msg_field (MuMsgFieldId id)
 
 	/* initialize the array, but only once... */
 	if (G_UNLIKELY(!_initialized)) {
-		int i;
+		int i; 
 		for (i = 0; i != G_N_ELEMENTS(FIELD_DATA); ++i)
 			_msg_field_data[FIELD_DATA[i]._id] =
 				(MuMsgField*)&FIELD_DATA[i];
@@ -221,7 +221,6 @@ mu_msg_field_id_from_shortcut (char kar, gboolean err)
 gboolean
 mu_msg_field_gmime (MuMsgFieldId id)
 {
-
 	g_return_val_if_fail (mu_msg_field_id_is_valid(id),FALSE);
 	return mu_msg_field(id)->_flags & FLAG_GMIME;
 }
@@ -259,11 +258,15 @@ mu_msg_field_xapian_contact (MuMsgFieldId id)
 gboolean
 mu_msg_field_is_numeric (MuMsgFieldId mfid)
 {
-	g_return_val_if_fail (mu_msg_field_id_is_valid(mfid),FALSE);
+	MuMsgFieldType type;
 	
-	return  mfid == MU_MSG_FIELD_TYPE_BYTESIZE ||
-		mfid == MU_MSG_FIELD_TYPE_TIME_T ||
-		mfid == MU_MSG_FIELD_TYPE_INT;
+	g_return_val_if_fail (mu_msg_field_id_is_valid(mfid),FALSE);
+
+	type = mu_msg_field_type (mfid);
+	
+	return  type == MU_MSG_FIELD_TYPE_BYTESIZE ||
+		type == MU_MSG_FIELD_TYPE_TIME_T ||
+		type == MU_MSG_FIELD_TYPE_INT;
 }
 
 const char*    
diff --git a/src/mu-msg-iter.cc b/src/mu-msg-iter.cc
index cfab58e6..9bc3541b 100644
--- a/src/mu-msg-iter.cc
+++ b/src/mu-msg-iter.cc
@@ -203,6 +203,11 @@ gint64
 mu_msg_iter_get_field_numeric (MuMsgIter *iter, MuMsgFieldId mfid)
 {
 	g_return_val_if_fail (!mu_msg_iter_is_done(iter), -1);
+
+	if (!mu_msg_field_is_numeric(mfid))
+		g_printerr ("%s: %s\n", __FUNCTION__,
+			    mu_msg_field_name (mfid));
+	
 	g_return_val_if_fail (mu_msg_field_is_numeric(mfid), -1);
 	
 	try {
diff --git a/src/tests/test-mu-msg-fields.c b/src/tests/test-mu-msg-fields.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b76c2738
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/test-mu-msg-fields.c
@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+/* 
+** Copyright (C) 2008-2010 Dirk-Jan C. Binnema <djcb@djcbsoftware.nl>
+**
+** This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+** under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
+** Free Software Foundation; either version 3, or (at your option) any
+** later version.
+**
+** This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+** but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+** MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+** GNU General Public License for more details.
+**
+** You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+** along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
+** Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.  
+**  
+*/
+
+#if HAVE_CONFIG_H
+#include "config.h"
+#endif /*HAVE_CONFIG_H*/
+
+#include <glib.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <time.h>
+
+#include <locale.h>
+
+#include "test-mu-common.h"
+#include "src/mu-msg-fields.h"
+
+static void
+test_mu_msg_field_body (void)
+{
+	MuMsgFieldId field;
+
+	field = MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_BODY_TEXT;
+	
+	g_assert_cmpstr (mu_msg_field_name(field),==, "body");
+	g_assert_cmpuint (mu_msg_field_shortcut(field),==, 'b');
+	g_assert_cmpuint (mu_msg_field_xapian_prefix(field),==, 'B');
+	
+	g_assert_cmpuint (mu_msg_field_is_numeric(field), ==, FALSE);
+}
+
+static void
+test_mu_msg_field_subject (void)
+{
+	MuMsgFieldId field;
+
+	field = MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_SUBJECT;
+	
+	g_assert_cmpstr (mu_msg_field_name(field),==, "subject");
+	g_assert_cmpuint (mu_msg_field_shortcut(field),==, 's');
+	g_assert_cmpuint (mu_msg_field_xapian_prefix(field),==, 'S');
+	
+	g_assert_cmpuint (mu_msg_field_is_numeric(field), ==,FALSE);
+}
+
+static void
+test_mu_msg_field_to (void)
+{
+	MuMsgFieldId field;
+
+	field = MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_TO;
+	
+	g_assert_cmpstr (mu_msg_field_name(field),==, "to");
+	g_assert_cmpuint (mu_msg_field_shortcut(field),==, 't');
+	g_assert_cmpuint (mu_msg_field_xapian_prefix(field),==, 'T');
+
+	g_assert_cmpuint (mu_msg_field_is_numeric(field), ==, FALSE);
+}
+
+
+static void
+test_mu_msg_field_prio (void)
+{
+	MuMsgFieldId field;
+
+	field = MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_PRIO;
+	
+	g_assert_cmpstr (mu_msg_field_name(field),==, "prio");
+	g_assert_cmpuint (mu_msg_field_shortcut(field),==, 'p');
+	g_assert_cmpuint (mu_msg_field_xapian_prefix(field),==, 'P');
+
+	g_assert_cmpuint (mu_msg_field_is_numeric(field), ==, TRUE);
+}
+
+static void
+test_mu_msg_field_flags (void)
+{
+	MuMsgFieldId field;
+
+	field = MU_MSG_FIELD_ID_FLAGS;
+	
+	g_assert_cmpstr (mu_msg_field_name(field),==, "flags");
+	g_assert_cmpuint (mu_msg_field_shortcut(field),==, 'g');
+	g_assert_cmpuint (mu_msg_field_xapian_prefix(field),==, 'G');
+
+	g_assert_cmpuint (mu_msg_field_is_numeric(field),==, TRUE);	
+}
+
+
+
+
+int
+main (int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+	g_test_init (&argc, &argv, NULL);
+
+	/* mu_msg_str_date */
+	g_test_add_func ("/mu-msg-fields/mu-msg-field-body",
+			 test_mu_msg_field_body);
+	g_test_add_func ("/mu-msg-fields/mu-msg-field-subject",
+			 test_mu_msg_field_subject);
+	g_test_add_func ("/mu-msg-fields/mu-msg-field-to",
+			 test_mu_msg_field_to);
+	g_test_add_func ("/mu-msg-fields/mu-msg-field-prio",
+			 test_mu_msg_field_prio);
+	g_test_add_func ("/mu-msg-fields/mu-msg-field-flags",
+			 test_mu_msg_field_flags);
+
+
+	
+	/* FIXME: add tests for mu_msg_str_flags; but note the
+	 * function simply calls mu_msg_field_str */
+		
+	g_log_set_handler (NULL,
+			   G_LOG_LEVEL_MASK | G_LOG_FLAG_FATAL |
+			   G_LOG_FLAG_RECURSION,
+			   (GLogFunc)black_hole, NULL);
+	
+	return g_test_run ();
+}