diff --git a/src/imap.rs b/src/imap.rs
index c48b2bc1b..4b2adca1b 100644
--- a/src/imap.rs
+++ b/src/imap.rs
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ use crate::login_param::{CertificateChecks, LoginParam, ServerLoginParam};
 use crate::message::{self, Message, MessageState, MessengerMessage, MsgId, Viewtype};
 use crate::mimeparser;
 use crate::oauth2::get_oauth2_access_token;
-use crate::provider::Socket;
 use crate::receive_imf::{
     from_field_to_contact_id, get_prefetch_parent_message, receive_imf_inner, ReceivedMsg,
 };
@@ -342,52 +341,16 @@ impl Imap {
         );
         self.conn_backoff_ms = max(BACKOFF_MIN_MS, self.conn_backoff_ms);
 
-        let connection_res: Result<Client> =
-            if self.lp.security == Socket::Starttls || self.lp.security == Socket::Plain {
-                let imap_server: &str = self.lp.server.as_ref();
-                let imap_port = self.lp.port;
+        let connection_res = Client::connect(
+            context,
+            self.lp.server.as_ref(),
+            self.lp.port,
+            self.strict_tls,
+            self.socks5_config.clone(),
+            self.lp.security,
+        )
+        .await;
 
-                if let Some(socks5_config) = &self.socks5_config {
-                    if self.lp.security == Socket::Starttls {
-                        Client::connect_starttls_socks5(
-                            context,
-                            imap_server,
-                            imap_port,
-                            socks5_config.clone(),
-                            self.strict_tls,
-                        )
-                        .await
-                    } else {
-                        Client::connect_insecure_socks5(
-                            context,
-                            imap_server,
-                            imap_port,
-                            socks5_config.clone(),
-                        )
-                        .await
-                    }
-                } else if self.lp.security == Socket::Starttls {
-                    Client::connect_starttls(context, imap_server, imap_port, self.strict_tls).await
-                } else {
-                    Client::connect_insecure(context, imap_server, imap_port).await
-                }
-            } else {
-                let imap_server: &str = self.lp.server.as_ref();
-                let imap_port = self.lp.port;
-
-                if let Some(socks5_config) = &self.socks5_config {
-                    Client::connect_secure_socks5(
-                        context,
-                        imap_server,
-                        imap_port,
-                        self.strict_tls,
-                        socks5_config.clone(),
-                    )
-                    .await
-                } else {
-                    Client::connect_secure(context, imap_server, imap_port, self.strict_tls).await
-                }
-            };
         let client = connection_res?;
         self.conn_backoff_ms = BACKOFF_MIN_MS;
         self.ratelimit.send();
diff --git a/src/imap/client.rs b/src/imap/client.rs
index d82f6c8e6..97a31a5c6 100644
--- a/src/imap/client.rs
+++ b/src/imap/client.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use std::ops::{Deref, DerefMut};
 
-use anyhow::{Context as _, Result};
+use anyhow::{bail, Context as _, Result};
 use async_imap::Client as ImapClient;
 use async_imap::Session as ImapSession;
 use tokio::io::BufWriter;
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ use crate::context::Context;
 use crate::net::session::SessionStream;
 use crate::net::tls::wrap_tls;
 use crate::net::{connect_starttls_imap, connect_tcp, connect_tls};
+use crate::provider::Socket;
 use crate::socks::Socks5Config;
 use fast_socks5::client::Socks5Stream;
 
@@ -92,7 +93,40 @@ impl Client {
         Ok(Session::new(session, capabilities))
     }
 
-    pub async fn connect_secure(
+    pub async fn connect(
+        context: &Context,
+        host: &str,
+        port: u16,
+        strict_tls: bool,
+        socks5_config: Option<Socks5Config>,
+        security: Socket,
+    ) -> Result<Self> {
+        if let Some(socks5_config) = socks5_config {
+            match security {
+                Socket::Automatic => bail!("IMAP port security is not configured"),
+                Socket::Ssl => {
+                    Client::connect_secure_socks5(context, host, port, strict_tls, socks5_config)
+                        .await
+                }
+                Socket::Starttls => {
+                    Client::connect_starttls_socks5(context, host, port, socks5_config, strict_tls)
+                        .await
+                }
+                Socket::Plain => {
+                    Client::connect_insecure_socks5(context, host, port, socks5_config).await
+                }
+            }
+        } else {
+            match security {
+                Socket::Automatic => bail!("IMAP port security is not configured"),
+                Socket::Ssl => Client::connect_secure(context, host, port, strict_tls).await,
+                Socket::Starttls => Client::connect_starttls(context, host, port, strict_tls).await,
+                Socket::Plain => Client::connect_insecure(context, host, port).await,
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    async fn connect_secure(
         context: &Context,
         hostname: &str,
         port: u16,
@@ -109,7 +143,7 @@ impl Client {
         Ok(client)
     }
 
-    pub async fn connect_insecure(context: &Context, hostname: &str, port: u16) -> Result<Self> {
+    async fn connect_insecure(context: &Context, hostname: &str, port: u16) -> Result<Self> {
         let tcp_stream = connect_tcp(context, hostname, port, false).await?;
         let buffered_stream = BufWriter::new(tcp_stream);
         let session_stream: Box<dyn SessionStream> = Box::new(buffered_stream);
@@ -121,7 +155,7 @@ impl Client {
         Ok(client)
     }
 
-    pub async fn connect_starttls(
+    async fn connect_starttls(
         context: &Context,
         hostname: &str,
         port: u16,
@@ -135,7 +169,7 @@ impl Client {
         Ok(client)
     }
 
-    pub async fn connect_secure_socks5(
+    async fn connect_secure_socks5(
         context: &Context,
         domain: &str,
         port: u16,
@@ -156,7 +190,7 @@ impl Client {
         Ok(client)
     }
 
-    pub async fn connect_insecure_socks5(
+    async fn connect_insecure_socks5(
         context: &Context,
         domain: &str,
         port: u16,
@@ -173,7 +207,7 @@ impl Client {
         Ok(client)
     }
 
-    pub async fn connect_starttls_socks5(
+    async fn connect_starttls_socks5(
         context: &Context,
         hostname: &str,
         port: u16,