diff --git a/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/IMAPInboundProtocol.cpp b/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/IMAPInboundProtocol.cpp
index 0610e3e852..6a1c7768d4 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/IMAPInboundProtocol.cpp
+++ b/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/IMAPInboundProtocol.cpp
@@ -77,39 +77,30 @@ DispatcherIMAPListener::FetchEnd()
 const uint32 kMsgStartWatching = '&StW';
 
 
-IMAPMailboxThread::IMAPMailboxThread(IMAPInboundProtocol& protocol,
-	IMAPMailbox& mailbox)
-	:
-	BLooper("IMAPMailboxThread"),
-
-	fProtocol(protocol),
-	fIMAPMailbox(mailbox),
-
-	fIsWatching(false)
+int32
+watch_mailbox(void* data)
 {
-
+	((IMAPMailboxThread*)data)->_Watch();
+	return B_OK;
 }
 
 
-void
-IMAPMailboxThread::MessageReceived(BMessage* message)
+IMAPMailboxThread::IMAPMailboxThread(IMAPInboundProtocol& protocol,
+	IMAPMailbox& mailbox)
+	:
+	fProtocol(protocol),
+	fIMAPMailbox(mailbox),
+
+	fIsWatching(false),
+	fThread(-1)
 {
-	status_t status = B_ERROR;
+	fWatchSyncSem = create_sem(0, "watch sync sem");
+}
 
-	switch (message->what) {
-		case kMsgStartWatching:
-			status = fIMAPMailbox.StartWatchingMailbox();
-			if (status != B_OK)
-				fProtocol.Disconnect();
 
-			fLock.Lock();
-			fIsWatching = false;
-			fLock.Unlock();
-			break;
-
-		default:
-			BLooper::MessageReceived(message);
-	}
+IMAPMailboxThread::~IMAPMailboxThread()
+{
+	delete_sem(fWatchSyncSem);
 }
 
 
@@ -131,9 +122,14 @@ IMAPMailboxThread::SyncAndStartWatchingMailbox()
 		BAutolock autolock(fLock);
 		if (fIsWatching)
 			return B_OK;
+		fThread = spawn_thread(watch_mailbox, "IMAPMailboxThread",
+			B_LOW_PRIORITY, this);
+		if (resume_thread(fThread) != B_OK) {
+			fThread = -1;
+			return B_ERROR;
+		}
+		acquire_sem(fWatchSyncSem);
 		fIsWatching = true;
-		autolock.Unlock();
-		PostMessage(kMsgStartWatching);
 	} else {
 		status_t status = fIMAPMailbox.CheckMailbox();
 		// if we lost connection reconnect and try again
@@ -158,9 +154,23 @@ IMAPMailboxThread::StopWatchingMailbox()
 		return status;
 
 	// wait till watching stopped
-	const uint32 kMsgNoMeaning = '&NME';
-	BMessage reply;
-	return BMessenger(this).SendMessage(kMsgNoMeaning, &reply);
+	status_t exitCode;
+	return wait_for_thread(fThread, &exitCode);
+}
+
+
+void
+IMAPMailboxThread::_Watch()
+{
+	status_t status = fIMAPMailbox.StartWatchingMailbox(fWatchSyncSem);
+	if (status != B_OK)
+		fProtocol.Disconnect();
+
+	fLock.Lock();
+	fIsWatching = false;
+	fLock.Unlock();
+
+	fThread = -1;
 }
 
 
@@ -192,7 +202,6 @@ MailboxWatcher::StartWatching(const char* mailboxDir)
 }
 
 
-#include <stdio.h>
 void
 MailboxWatcher::MessageReceived(BMessage* message)
 {
@@ -206,7 +215,6 @@ MailboxWatcher::MessageReceived(BMessage* message)
 			break;
 		switch (opcode) {
 			case B_ENTRY_CREATED:
-				printf("entry created\n");
 				break;
 				message->FindInt32("device", &ref.device);
 				message->FindInt64("directory", &ref.directory);
@@ -225,7 +233,6 @@ MailboxWatcher::MessageReceived(BMessage* message)
 
 			case B_ENTRY_MOVED:
 			{
-				printf("entry moved\n");
 				break;
 				entry_ref from;
 				entry_ref to;
@@ -301,7 +308,6 @@ IMAPInboundProtocol::IMAPInboundProtocol(BMailAccountSettings* settings,
 	fIMAPMailbox.SetFetchBodyLimit(bodyLimit);
 
 	fIMAPMailboxThread = new IMAPMailboxThread(*this, fIMAPMailbox);
-	fIMAPMailboxThread->Run();
 
 	// set watch directory
 	fINBOXWatcher = new MailboxWatcher(this);
@@ -316,8 +322,7 @@ IMAPInboundProtocol::~IMAPInboundProtocol()
 	RemoveHandler(fINBOXWatcher);
 	delete fINBOXWatcher;
 
-	fIMAPMailboxThread->Lock();
-	fIMAPMailboxThread->Quit();
+	delete fIMAPMailboxThread;
 }
 
 
@@ -456,7 +461,6 @@ IMAPInboundProtocol::UpdateSettings(const BMessage& settings)
 		delete[] passwd;
 	}
 
-	// restart mailbox's
 	SyncMessages();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/IMAPInboundProtocol.h b/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/IMAPInboundProtocol.h
index 837dcb2928..a06380c8bd 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/IMAPInboundProtocol.h
+++ b/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/IMAPInboundProtocol.h
@@ -41,24 +41,34 @@ private:
 
 class IMAPInboundProtocol;
 
+
+int32 watch_mailbox(void* data);
+
+
 /*! Just wait for a IDLE (watching) IMAP response in this thread. */
-class IMAPMailboxThread : public BLooper {
+class IMAPMailboxThread {
 public:
 								IMAPMailboxThread(IMAPInboundProtocol& protocol,
 									IMAPMailbox& mailbox);
-
-			void				MessageReceived(BMessage* message);
+								~IMAPMailboxThread();
 
 			bool				IsWatching();
 			status_t			SyncAndStartWatchingMailbox();
 			status_t			StopWatchingMailbox();
 
 private:
+			void				_Watch();
+
+	friend	int32 watch_mailbox(void* data);
+
 			IMAPInboundProtocol&	fProtocol;
 			IMAPMailbox&		fIMAPMailbox;
 
 			BLocker				fLock;
 			bool				fIsWatching;
+
+			thread_id			fThread;
+			sem_id				fWatchSyncSem;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/IMAPRootInboundProtocol.cpp b/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/IMAPRootInboundProtocol.cpp
index 9d51f85309..2f24efb528 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/IMAPRootInboundProtocol.cpp
+++ b/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/IMAPRootInboundProtocol.cpp
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ IMAPRootInboundProtocol::Connect(const char* server, const char* username,
 		if (!folders[i].subscribed || folders[i].folder == "INBOX")
 			continue;
 
-
 		IMAPInboundProtocol* inboundProtocol = new IMAPInboundProtocol(
 			&fAccountSettings, folders[i].folder);
 		inboundProtocol->SetMailNotifier(fMailNotifier->Clone());
diff --git a/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/imap_lib/IMAPMailbox.cpp b/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/imap_lib/IMAPMailbox.cpp
index e64e5b47fd..3ad46e15ed 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/imap_lib/IMAPMailbox.cpp
+++ b/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/imap_lib/IMAPMailbox.cpp
@@ -122,11 +122,11 @@ IMAPMailbox::SupportWatching()
 
 
 status_t
-IMAPMailbox::StartWatchingMailbox()
+IMAPMailbox::StartWatchingMailbox(sem_id startedSem)
 {
-	//TODO set it when we actually watching
 	atomic_set(&fWatching, 1);
 
+	bool firstIDLE = true;
 	// refresh every 29 min
 	bigtime_t timeout = 1000 * 1000 * 60 * 29; // 29 min
 	status_t status;
@@ -134,8 +134,13 @@ IMAPMailbox::StartWatchingMailbox()
 		int32 commandId = NextCommandId();
 		TRACE("IDLE ...\n");
 		status = SendCommand("IDLE", commandId);
+		if (firstIDLE) {
+			release_sem(startedSem);
+			firstIDLE = false;
+		}
 		if (status != B_OK)
 			break;
+
 		status = HandleResponse(commandId, timeout, false);
 		ProcessAfterQuacks(kIMAP4ClientTimeout);
 
@@ -157,6 +162,7 @@ IMAPMailbox::StartWatchingMailbox()
 		if (status != B_OK)
 			break;
 	}
+
 	atomic_set(&fWatching, 0);
 	return status;
 }
diff --git a/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/imap_lib/IMAPMailbox.h b/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/imap_lib/IMAPMailbox.h
index 50bc0d0a11..e1910f54a0 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/imap_lib/IMAPMailbox.h
+++ b/src/add-ons/mail_daemon/inbound_protocols/imap/imap_lib/IMAPMailbox.h
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ public:
 			status_t			Sync();
 
 			bool				SupportWatching();
-			status_t			StartWatchingMailbox();
+			status_t			StartWatchingMailbox(sem_id startedSem = -1);
 			status_t			StopWatchingMailbox();
 
 			status_t			CheckMailbox();
diff --git a/src/preferences/mail/DNSQuery.cpp b/src/preferences/mail/DNSQuery.cpp
index fc2b2f95a0..ee31cfd13e 100644
--- a/src/preferences/mail/DNSQuery.cpp
+++ b/src/preferences/mail/DNSQuery.cpp
@@ -95,10 +95,10 @@ status_t
 BRawNetBuffer::ReadString(BString& string)
 {
 	string = "";
-	int32 read = _ReadStringAt(string, fReadPosition);
-	if (read < 0)
+	ssize_t bytesRead = _ReadStringAt(string, fReadPosition);
+	if (bytesRead < 0)
 		return B_ERROR;
-	fReadPosition += read;
+	fReadPosition += bytesRead;
 	return B_OK;
 }
 
@@ -122,13 +122,13 @@ BRawNetBuffer::_Init(const void* buf, size_t size)
 }
 
 
-int32
+ssize_t
 BRawNetBuffer::_ReadStringAt(BString& string, off_t pos)
 {
 	if (pos >= fBuffer.BufferLength())
 		return -1;
 
-	int32 readed = 0;
+	ssize_t bytesRead = 0;
 	char* buffer = (char*)fBuffer.Buffer();
 	buffer = &buffer[pos];
 	// if the string is compressed we have to follow the links to the
@@ -137,17 +137,17 @@ BRawNetBuffer::_ReadStringAt(BString& string, off_t pos)
 		if (uint8(*buffer) == 192) {
 			// found a pointer mark
 			buffer++;
-			readed++;
+			bytesRead++;
 			off_t subPos = uint8(*buffer);
 			_ReadStringAt(string, subPos);
 			break;
 		}
 		string.Append(buffer, 1);
 		buffer++;
-		readed++;
+		bytesRead++;
 	}
-	readed++;
-	return readed;
+	bytesRead++;
+	return bytesRead;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/preferences/mail/DNSQuery.h b/src/preferences/mail/DNSQuery.h
index 51cf75bfb0..600b4bbd5a 100644
--- a/src/preferences/mail/DNSQuery.h
+++ b/src/preferences/mail/DNSQuery.h
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public:
 
 private:
 		void			_Init(const void* buf, size_t size);
-		int32			_ReadStringAt(BString& string, off_t pos);
+		ssize_t			_ReadStringAt(BString& string, off_t pos);
 
 		off_t 			fWritePosition;
 		off_t 			fReadPosition;
diff --git a/src/servers/mail/MailDaemon.cpp b/src/servers/mail/MailDaemon.cpp
index 2f2a110195..22dd336110 100644
--- a/src/servers/mail/MailDaemon.cpp
+++ b/src/servers/mail/MailDaemon.cpp
@@ -197,15 +197,15 @@ MailDaemonApp::RefsReceived(BMessage* message)
 			sizeof(account)) < 0)
 			continue;
 
-		InboundProtocolThread* protocol = _FindInboundProtocol(account);
-		if (!protocol)
+		InboundProtocolThread* protocolThread = _FindInboundProtocol(account);
+		if (!protocolThread)
 			continue;
 
 		BMessenger target;
 		BMessenger* messenger = &target;
 		if (message->FindMessenger("target", &target) != B_OK)
 			messenger = NULL;
-		protocol->FetchBody(ref, messenger);
+		protocolThread->FetchBody(ref, messenger);
 	}
 }