diff --git a/kmcommands.cpp b/kmcommands.cpp
index 95fda4cf5..450b07078 100644
--- a/kmcommands.cpp
+++ b/kmcommands.cpp
@@ -757,10 +757,7 @@ void KMSaveMsgCommand::slotSaveDataReq()
 
 void KMSaveMsgCommand::slotMessageRetrievedForSaving(KMMessage *msg)
 {
-  QCString str( msg->fromEmail() );
-  if ( str.isEmpty() )
-    str = "unknown@unknown.invalid";
-  str = "From " + str + " " + msg->dateShortStr() + "\n";
+  QCString str( msg->mboxMessageSeparator() );
   str += KMFolderMbox::escapeFrom( msg->asString() );
   str += "\n";
   msg->setTransferInProgress(false);
@@ -1349,7 +1346,7 @@ KMCommand::Result KMSetStatusCommand::execute()
      f->setStatus( (*it2), mStatus, mToggle );
      ++it2;
   }
-  kapp->dcopClient()->emitDCOPSignal( "unreadCountChanged()", QByteArray() );
+  //kapp->dcopClient()->emitDCOPSignal( "unreadCountChanged()", QByteArray() );
 
   return OK;
 }
diff --git a/kmcomposewin.cpp b/kmcomposewin.cpp
index 7e365d153..a96c1a1a5 100644
--- a/kmcomposewin.cpp
+++ b/kmcomposewin.cpp
@@ -663,7 +663,7 @@ void KMComposeWin::deadLetter()
   int fd = open(fname, O_CREAT|O_APPEND|O_WRONLY, S_IWRITE|S_IREAD);
   if (fd != -1)
   {
-    QCString startStr = "From " + msg->fromEmail() + " " + msg->dateShortStr() + "\n";
+    QCString startStr( msg->mboxMessageSeparator() );
     ::write(fd, startStr, startStr.length());
     ::write(fd, msgStr, msgStr.length());
     ::write(fd, "\n", 1);
diff --git a/kmfoldermbox.cpp b/kmfoldermbox.cpp
index 4d74f47b1..e1a631be0 100644
--- a/kmfoldermbox.cpp
+++ b/kmfoldermbox.cpp
@@ -1008,11 +1008,8 @@ if( fileD1.open( IO_WriteOnly ) ) {
     return error;
   }
 
-  QCString address( aMsg->fromEmail() );
-  if ( address.isEmpty() )
-    address = "unknown@unknown.invalid";
-  fprintf(mStream, "From %s %s\n", address.data(),
-          (const char *)aMsg->dateShortStr());
+  QCString messageSeparator( aMsg->mboxMessageSeparator() );
+  fwrite( messageSeparator.data(), messageSeparator.length(), 1, mStream );
   off_t offs = ftell(mStream);
   fwrite(msgText, len, 1, mStream);
   if (msgText[(int)len-1]!='\n') fwrite("\n\n", 1, 2, mStream);
diff --git a/kmmessage.cpp b/kmmessage.cpp
index 2b02aa60b..2dee0288b 100644
--- a/kmmessage.cpp
+++ b/kmmessage.cpp
@@ -4435,3 +4435,19 @@ QString KMMessage::bodyToUnicode(const QTextCodec* codec) const {
   return codec->toUnicode( bodyDecoded() );
 }
 
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+QCString KMMessage::mboxMessageSeparator()
+{
+  QCString str( fromEmail() );
+  if ( str.isEmpty() )
+    str = "unknown@unknown.invalid";
+  QCString dateStr( dateShortStr() );
+  if ( dateStr.isEmpty() ) {
+    time_t t = ::time( 0 );
+    dateStr = ctime( &t );
+    const int len = dateStr.length();
+    if ( dateStr[len-1] == '\n' )
+      dateStr.truncate( len - 1 );
+  }
+  return "From " + str + " " + dateStr + "\n";
+}
diff --git a/kmmessage.h b/kmmessage.h
index 03d928300..0f3dd7bf4 100644
--- a/kmmessage.h
+++ b/kmmessage.h
@@ -297,6 +297,8 @@ public:
 
   /** Get or set the 'Date' header field */
   QString dateStr() const;
+  /** Returns the message date in asctime format or an empty string if the
+      message lacks a Date header. */
   QCString dateShortStr() const;
   QString dateIsoStr() const;
   time_t date() const;
@@ -860,6 +862,12 @@ public:
 
   void updateAttachmentState(DwBodyPart * part = 0);
 
+  /** Returns an mbox message separator line for this message, i.e. a
+      string of the form
+      "From local@domain.invalid Sat Jun 12 14:00:00 2004\n".
+  */
+  QCString mboxMessageSeparator();
+
 private:
   /** Returns message body with quoting header and indented by the
     given indentation string. This is suitable for including the message