diff --git a/widgets/account.go b/widgets/account.go
index 3172a30..ff51636 100644
--- a/widgets/account.go
+++ b/widgets/account.go
@@ -276,9 +276,8 @@ func (acct *AccountView) onMessage(msg types.WorkerMessage) {
 		case *types.RemoveDirectory:
 			acct.dirlist.UpdateList(nil)
 		case *types.FetchMessageHeaders:
-			if acct.newConn && acct.AccountConfig().CheckMail.Minutes() > 0 {
-				acct.newConn = false
-				acct.CheckMail()
+			if acct.newConn {
+				acct.checkMailOnStartup()
 			}
 		}
 	case *types.DirectoryInfo:
@@ -307,6 +306,9 @@ func (acct *AccountView) onMessage(msg types.WorkerMessage) {
 			store.Update(msg)
 			acct.SetStatus(statusline.Threading(store.ThreadedView()))
 		}
+		if acct.newConn && len(msg.Uids) == 0 {
+			acct.checkMailOnStartup()
+		}
 	case *types.DirectoryThreaded:
 		if store, ok := acct.dirlist.SelectedMsgStore(); ok {
 			if acct.msglist.Store() == nil {
@@ -315,6 +317,9 @@ func (acct *AccountView) onMessage(msg types.WorkerMessage) {
 			store.Update(msg)
 			acct.SetStatus(statusline.Threading(store.ThreadedView()))
 		}
+		if acct.newConn && len(msg.Threads) == 0 {
+			acct.checkMailOnStartup()
+		}
 	case *types.FullMessage:
 		if store, ok := acct.dirlist.SelectedMsgStore(); ok {
 			store.Update(msg)
@@ -418,6 +423,13 @@ func (acct *AccountView) CheckMail() {
 	})
 }
 
+func (acct *AccountView) checkMailOnStartup() {
+	if acct.AccountConfig().CheckMail.Minutes() > 0 {
+		acct.newConn = false
+		acct.CheckMail()
+	}
+}
+
 func (acct *AccountView) CheckMailTimer(d time.Duration) {
 	ticker := time.NewTicker(d)
 	go func() {