diff --git a/mailnews/db/msgdb/src/nsMsgDatabase.cpp b/mailnews/db/msgdb/src/nsMsgDatabase.cpp
index 6954802519d2..b00987d002f2 100644
--- a/mailnews/db/msgdb/src/nsMsgDatabase.cpp
+++ b/mailnews/db/msgdb/src/nsMsgDatabase.cpp
@@ -1708,7 +1708,7 @@ PRUint32	nsMsgDatabase::GetStatusFlags(nsIMsgDBHdr *msgHdr, PRUint32 origFlags)
   
   nsMsgKey key;
   (void)msgHdr->GetMessageKey(&key);
-  if (m_newSet.IndexOf(key) != kNotFound)
+  if (m_newSet.GetSize() > 0 && m_newSet.GetAt(m_newSet.GetSize() - 1) == key || m_newSet.IndexOf(key) != kNotFound)
     statusFlags |= MSG_FLAG_NEW;
   else
     statusFlags &= ~MSG_FLAG_NEW;
@@ -2250,7 +2250,9 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgDatabase::MarkReadByDate (PRTime startDate, PRTime endDate, n
 
 NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgDatabase::AddToNewList(nsMsgKey key)
 {
-  if (m_newSet.IndexOf(key) == kNotFound)
+  // we add new keys in increasing order...
+  if (m_newSet.GetSize() == 0 
+      || (m_newSet.GetAt(m_newSet.GetSize() - 1) < key))
     m_newSet.Add(key);
   return NS_OK;
 }
@@ -3451,7 +3453,10 @@ nsresult nsMsgDatabase::ThreadNewHdr(nsMsgHdr* newHdr, PRBool &newThread)
   PRUint16 numReferences = 0;
   PRUint32 newHdrFlags = 0;
   
-  newHdr->GetFlags(&newHdrFlags);
+  // use raw flags instead of GetFlags, because GetFlags will
+  // pay attention to what's in m_newSet, and this new hdr isn't
+  // in m_newSet yet.
+  newHdr->GetRawFlags(&newHdrFlags);
   newHdr->GetNumReferences(&numReferences);
   
 #define SUBJ_THREADING 1// try reference threading first
@@ -3518,7 +3523,7 @@ nsresult nsMsgDatabase::AddToThread(nsMsgHdr *newHdr, nsIMsgThread *thread, nsIM
   return thread->AddChild(newHdr, inReplyTo, threadInThread, announcer);
 }
 
-nsMsgHdr	*	nsMsgDatabase::GetMsgHdrForReference(nsCString &reference)
+nsMsgHdr * nsMsgDatabase::GetMsgHdrForReference(nsCString &reference)
 {
   NS_ASSERTION(PR_FALSE, "not implemented yet.");
   return nsnull;
diff --git a/mailnews/db/msgdb/src/nsMsgHdr.cpp b/mailnews/db/msgdb/src/nsMsgHdr.cpp
index 69a3c77d0a43..a011f049f883 100644
--- a/mailnews/db/msgdb/src/nsMsgHdr.cpp
+++ b/mailnews/db/msgdb/src/nsMsgHdr.cpp
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgHdr::GetMessageOffset(PRUint32 *result)
   GetRawFlags(&rawFlags);
   if (rawFlags & MSG_FLAG_OFFLINE)
   {
-  	return GetUInt32Column(m_mdb->m_offlineMsgOffsetColumnToken, result);
+    return GetUInt32Column(m_mdb->m_offlineMsgOffsetColumnToken, result);
   }
   else
   {
diff --git a/mailnews/db/msgdb/src/nsMsgThread.cpp b/mailnews/db/msgdb/src/nsMsgThread.cpp
index 1d0eb105d1de..60f2a1a49b7a 100644
--- a/mailnews/db/msgdb/src/nsMsgThread.cpp
+++ b/mailnews/db/msgdb/src/nsMsgThread.cpp
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgThread::AddChild(nsIMsgDBHdr *child, nsIMsgDBHdr *inReplyTo,
   PRBool parentKeyNeedsSetting = PR_TRUE;
   
   nsIMdbRow *hdrRow = hdr->GetMDBRow();
-  hdr->GetFlags(&newHdrFlags);
+  hdr->GetRawFlags(&newHdrFlags);
   hdr->GetMessageKey(&newHdrKey);
   hdr->GetDateInSeconds(&msgDate);
   if (msgDate > m_newestMsgDate)
diff --git a/mailnews/db/msgdb/src/nsNewsDatabase.cpp b/mailnews/db/msgdb/src/nsNewsDatabase.cpp
index 2cb679751d1e..6e834657fcc4 100644
--- a/mailnews/db/msgdb/src/nsNewsDatabase.cpp
+++ b/mailnews/db/msgdb/src/nsNewsDatabase.cpp
@@ -256,8 +256,8 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsNewsDatabase::GetHighWaterArticleNum(nsMsgKey *key)
 // Do we need to keep track of known arts permanently?
 NS_IMETHODIMP nsNewsDatabase::GetLowWaterArticleNum(nsMsgKey *key)
 {
-  nsresult		rv;
-  nsMsgHdr		*pHeader;
+  nsresult  rv;
+  nsMsgHdr  *pHeader;
 
   nsCOMPtr<nsISimpleEnumerator> hdrs;
   rv = EnumerateMessages(getter_AddRefs(hdrs));
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsNewsDatabase::GetLowWaterArticleNum(nsMsgKey *key)
   return pHeader->GetMessageKey(key);
 }
  
-nsresult		nsNewsDatabase::ExpireUpTo(nsMsgKey expireKey)
+nsresult  nsNewsDatabase::ExpireUpTo(nsMsgKey expireKey)
 {
   return NS_ERROR_NOT_IMPLEMENTED;
 }
diff --git a/mailnews/news/src/nsNNTPNewsgroupList.cpp b/mailnews/news/src/nsNNTPNewsgroupList.cpp
index 6c1bb22f6cc0..07b33ac6f138 100644
--- a/mailnews/news/src/nsNNTPNewsgroupList.cpp
+++ b/mailnews/news/src/nsNNTPNewsgroupList.cpp
@@ -504,17 +504,12 @@ nsNNTPNewsgroupList::ParseLine(char *line, PRUint32 * message_number)
     const char *subject = line;  /* #### const evilness */
     PRUint32 subjectLen = strlen(line);
     
-    PRUint32 flags;
-    rv = newMsgHdr->GetFlags(&flags);
-    if (NS_FAILED(rv)) 
-      return rv;
+    PRUint32 flags = 0;
+    // ### should call IsHeaderRead here...
     /* strip "Re: " */
     nsXPIDLCString modifiedSubject;
     if (NS_MsgStripRE(&subject, &subjectLen, getter_Copies(modifiedSubject)))
-      flags |= MSG_FLAG_HAS_RE;
-    rv = newMsgHdr->SetFlags(flags); // this will make sure read flags agree with newsrc
-    if (NS_FAILED(rv)) 
-      return rv;
+      (void) newMsgHdr->OrFlags(MSG_FLAG_HAS_RE, &flags); // this will make sure read flags agree with newsrc
     
     if (! (flags & MSG_FLAG_READ))
       rv = newMsgHdr->OrFlags(MSG_FLAG_NEW, &flags);