diff --git a/src/dc_receive_imf.rs b/src/dc_receive_imf.rs
index d70fe9233..85d4d177f 100644
--- a/src/dc_receive_imf.rs
+++ b/src/dc_receive_imf.rs
@@ -2,10 +2,9 @@ use std::ffi::CString;
 use std::ptr;
 
 use itertools::join;
-use libc::{free, strcmp, strlen};
+use libc::{free, strcmp};
 use mmime::clist::*;
 use mmime::mailimf::types::*;
-use mmime::mailimf::*;
 use mmime::mailmime::content::*;
 use mmime::mailmime::types::*;
 use mmime::mailmime::*;
@@ -819,24 +818,16 @@ unsafe fn handle_reports(
                                     && !of_org_msgid.is_null()
                                     && !(*of_org_msgid).fld_value.is_null()
                                 {
-                                    let mut rfc724_mid_0 = std::ptr::null_mut();
-                                    dummy = 0;
-
-                                    if mailimf_msg_id_parse(
+                                    if let Ok(rfc724_mid) = wrapmime::parse_message_id(as_str(
                                         (*of_org_msgid).fld_value,
-                                        strlen((*of_org_msgid).fld_value),
-                                        &mut dummy,
-                                        &mut rfc724_mid_0,
-                                    ) == MAIL_NO_ERROR as libc::c_int
-                                        && !rfc724_mid_0.is_null()
-                                    {
+                                    )) {
                                         let mut chat_id_0 = 0;
                                         let mut msg_id = 0;
 
                                         if message::mdn_from_ext(
                                             context,
                                             from_id,
-                                            as_str(rfc724_mid_0),
+                                            &rfc724_mid,
                                             sent_timestamp,
                                             &mut chat_id_0,
                                             &mut msg_id,
@@ -844,7 +835,6 @@ unsafe fn handle_reports(
                                             rr_event_to_send.push((chat_id_0, msg_id));
                                         }
                                         mdn_consumed = (msg_id != 0) as libc::c_int;
-                                        free(rfc724_mid_0.cast());
                                     }
                                 }
                             }
diff --git a/src/imap.rs b/src/imap.rs
index cd9122eee..f449ad1c1 100644
--- a/src/imap.rs
+++ b/src/imap.rs
@@ -8,12 +8,14 @@ use std::time::{Duration, SystemTime};
 use crate::constants::*;
 use crate::context::Context;
 use crate::dc_receive_imf::dc_receive_imf;
+use crate::error::Error;
 use crate::events::Event;
 use crate::job::{job_add, Action};
 use crate::login_param::LoginParam;
 use crate::message::{self, update_msg_move_state, update_server_uid};
 use crate::oauth2::dc_get_oauth2_access_token;
 use crate::param::Params;
+use crate::wrapmime;
 
 const DC_IMAP_SEEN: usize = 0x0001;
 
@@ -815,11 +817,7 @@ impl Imap {
             if cur_uid > last_seen_uid {
                 read_cnt += 1;
 
-                let message_id = msg
-                    .envelope()
-                    .expect("missing envelope")
-                    .message_id
-                    .expect("missing message id");
+                let message_id = prefetch_get_message_id(msg).unwrap_or_default();
 
                 if !precheck_imf(context, &message_id, folder.as_ref(), cur_uid) {
                     // check passed, go fetch the rest
@@ -1322,25 +1320,31 @@ impl Imap {
                 if let Some(ref mut session) = &mut *self.session.lock().unwrap() {
                     match session.uid_fetch(set, PREFETCH_FLAGS) {
                         Ok(msgs) => {
-                            if msgs.is_empty()
-                                || msgs
-                                    .first()
-                                    .unwrap()
-                                    .envelope()
-                                    .expect("missing envelope")
-                                    .message_id
-                                    .expect("missing message id")
-                                    != message_id.as_ref()
-                            {
+                            if msgs.is_empty() {
                                 warn!(
                                     context,
-                                    "Cannot delete on IMAP, {}/{} does not match {}.",
+                                    "Cannot delete on IMAP, {}/{}: message-id gone '{}'",
                                     folder.as_ref(),
                                     server_uid,
                                     message_id.as_ref(),
                                 );
-                                *server_uid = 0;
+                            } else {
+                                let remote_message_id =
+                                    prefetch_get_message_id(msgs.first().unwrap())
+                                        .unwrap_or_default();
+
+                                if remote_message_id != message_id.as_ref() {
+                                    warn!(
+                                        context,
+                                        "Cannot delete on IMAP, {}/{}: remote message-id '{}' != '{}'",
+                                        folder.as_ref(),
+                                        server_uid,
+                                        remote_message_id,
+                                        message_id.as_ref(),
+                                    );
+                                }
                             }
+                            *server_uid = 0;
                         }
                         Err(err) => {
                             eprintln!("fetch error: {:?}", err);
@@ -1555,3 +1559,8 @@ fn precheck_imf(context: &Context, rfc724_mid: &str, server_folder: &str, server
         false
     }
 }
+
+fn prefetch_get_message_id(prefetch_msg: &imap::types::Fetch) -> Result<String, Error> {
+    let message_id = prefetch_msg.envelope().unwrap().message_id.unwrap();
+    wrapmime::parse_message_id(&message_id)
+}
diff --git a/src/wrapmime.rs b/src/wrapmime.rs
index e0a3f5402..1b2582911 100644
--- a/src/wrapmime.rs
+++ b/src/wrapmime.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ use crate::dc_tools::*;
 use crate::error::Error;
 use mmime::clist::*;
 // use mmime::display::*;
+use mmime::mailimf::mailimf_msg_id_parse;
 use mmime::mailimf::types::*;
 use mmime::mailimf::types_helper::*;
 use mmime::mailmime::content::*;
@@ -48,6 +49,23 @@ pub fn get_ct_subtype(mime: *mut Mailmime) -> Option<String> {
     }
 }
 
+pub fn parse_message_id(message_id: &str) -> Result<String, Error> {
+    let mut dummy = 0;
+    let c_message_id = CString::new(message_id).unwrap();
+    let c_ptr = c_message_id.as_ptr();
+    let mut rfc724_mid_c = std::ptr::null_mut();
+    if unsafe { mailimf_msg_id_parse(c_ptr, libc::strlen(c_ptr), &mut dummy, &mut rfc724_mid_c) }
+        == MAIL_NO_ERROR as libc::c_int
+        && !rfc724_mid_c.is_null()
+    {
+        let res = to_string_lossy(rfc724_mid_c);
+        unsafe { libc::free(rfc724_mid_c.cast()) };
+        Ok(res)
+    } else {
+        bail!("could not parse message_id: {}", message_id);
+    }
+}
+
 pub fn get_autocrypt_mime(
     mime_undetermined: *mut Mailmime,
 ) -> Result<(*mut Mailmime, *mut Mailmime), Error> {
@@ -518,4 +536,16 @@ mod tests {
             new_content_type("application/pgp-encrypted").unwrap()
         ));
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_parse_message_id() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_message_id("Mr.PRUe8HJBoaO.3whNvLCMFU0@testrun.org").unwrap(),
+            "Mr.PRUe8HJBoaO.3whNvLCMFU0@testrun.org"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_message_id("<Mr.PRUe8HJBoaO.3whNvLCMFU0@testrun.org>").unwrap(),
+            "Mr.PRUe8HJBoaO.3whNvLCMFU0@testrun.org"
+        );
+    }
 }