diff --git a/worker/notmuch/eventhandlers.go b/worker/notmuch/eventhandlers.go
index 4eec1f6..7b3c517 100644
--- a/worker/notmuch/eventhandlers.go
+++ b/worker/notmuch/eventhandlers.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ func (w *worker) handleNotmuchEvent(et eventType) error {
 
 func (w *worker) handleUpdateDirCounts(ev eventType) error {
 	for name, query := range w.nameQueryMap {
-		info, err := w.gatherDirectoryInfo(name, query)
+		info, err := w.buildDirInfo(name, query, true)
 		if err != nil {
 			logging.Errorf("could not gather DirectoryInfo: %v", err)
 			continue
diff --git a/worker/notmuch/worker.go b/worker/notmuch/worker.go
index 6941809..28029b2 100644
--- a/worker/notmuch/worker.go
+++ b/worker/notmuch/worker.go
@@ -211,12 +211,18 @@ func (w *worker) handleListDirectories(msg *types.ListDirectories) error {
 }
 
 func (w *worker) gatherDirectoryInfo(name string, query string) (
+	*types.DirectoryInfo, error) {
+	return w.buildDirInfo(name, query, false)
+}
+
+func (w *worker) buildDirInfo(name string, query string, skipSort bool) (
 	*types.DirectoryInfo, error) {
 	count, err := w.db.QueryCountMessages(query)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	info := &types.DirectoryInfo{
+		SkipSort: skipSort,
 		Info: &models.DirectoryInfo{
 			Name:     name,
 			Flags:    []string{},