diff --git a/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/messenger/MessageLoadedEvent.groovy b/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/messenger/MessageLoadedEvent.groovy
index c9ad1cf1..63431537 100644
--- a/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/messenger/MessageLoadedEvent.groovy
+++ b/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/messenger/MessageLoadedEvent.groovy
@@ -4,6 +4,6 @@ import com.muwire.core.Event
 
 class MessageLoadedEvent extends Event {
     MWMessage message
-    int folder
+    String folder
     boolean unread
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/messenger/Messenger.groovy b/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/messenger/Messenger.groovy
index b254e995..059979a3 100644
--- a/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/messenger/Messenger.groovy
+++ b/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/messenger/Messenger.groovy
@@ -23,17 +23,24 @@ import net.i2p.data.Base64
 @Log
 class Messenger {
 
-    public final static int INBOX = 0
-    public final static int OUTBOX = 1
-    public final static int SENT = 2
+    public final static String INBOX = "inbox"
+    public final static String OUTBOX = "outbox"
+    public final static String SENT = "sent"
+    private static final Set<String> RESERVED_FOLDERS = new HashSet<>()
+    static {
+        RESERVED_FOLDERS.add(INBOX)
+        RESERVED_FOLDERS.add(OUTBOX)
+        RESERVED_FOLDERS.add(SENT)
+    }
     
     private static final int MAX_IN_PROCESS = 4
     
     private final EventBus eventBus
-    private final File inbox, outbox, sent
+    private final Map<String,File> folders = new HashMap<>()
     private final I2PConnector connector
     private final MuWireSettings settings
     
+    private final Map<File, Set<MWMessage>> messages = new HashMap<>()
     private final Set<MWMessage> inboxMessages = new LinkedHashSet<>()
     private final Set<MWMessage> outboxMessages = new LinkedHashSet<>()
     private final Set<MWMessage> sentMessages = new LinkedHashSet<>()
@@ -52,26 +59,32 @@ class Messenger {
     private long lastSendTime
     
     
-    public Messenger(EventBus eventBus, File home, I2PConnector connector, MuWireSettings settings) {
+    Messenger(EventBus eventBus, File home, I2PConnector connector, MuWireSettings settings) {
         this.eventBus = eventBus
         this.connector = connector
         this.settings = settings
         
         File messages = new File(home, "messages")
-        inbox = new File(messages, "inbox")
-        outbox = new File(messages, "outbox")
-        sent = new File(messages, "sent")
-        
-        inbox.mkdirs()
-        outbox.mkdirs()
-        sent.mkdirs()
+        folders.put(INBOX, new File(messages, INBOX))
+        folders.put(OUTBOX, new File(messages, OUTBOX))
+        folders.put(SENT, new File(messages, SENT))
+     
+        folders.values().each {it.mkdirs()}
+
+        this.messages.put(folders[INBOX], inboxMessages)
+        this.messages.put(folders[OUTBOX], outboxMessages)
+        this.messages.put(folders[SENT], sentMessages)
     }
     
-    public void onUILoadedEvent(UILoadedEvent e) {
+    Set<String> getFolderNames() {
+        folders.keySet()
+    }
+    
+    void onUILoadedEvent(UILoadedEvent e) {
         diskIO.execute({load()} as Runnable)
     }
     
-    public void stop() {
+    void stop() {
         diskIO.shutdown()
         netIO.shutdown()
         timer.cancel()
@@ -79,14 +92,20 @@ class Messenger {
     
     private void load() {
         log.info("loading messages")
-        loadFolder(inbox, inboxMessages, INBOX)
-        loadFolder(outbox, outboxMessages, OUTBOX)
-        loadFolder(sent, sentMessages, SENT)
+        folders.each {name, file ->
+            log.info("loading message folder $name")    
+            Set<MWMessage> set = messages.get(file)
+            if (set == null) {
+                set = new LinkedHashSet<>()
+                messages.put(file, set)
+            }
+            loadFolder(file, set, name)
+        }
         log.info("loaded messages")
         timer.schedule({send()} as TimerTask, 1000, 1000)
     }
     
-    private void loadFolder(File file, Set<MWMessage> dest, int folder) {
+    private void loadFolder(File file, Set<MWMessage> dest, String folder) {
         Files.walk(file.toPath())
             .filter({it.getFileName().toString().endsWith(".mwmessage")})
             .forEach { Path path ->
diff --git a/gui/griffon-app/models/com/muwire/gui/MainFrameModel.groovy b/gui/griffon-app/models/com/muwire/gui/MainFrameModel.groovy
index 7e52699a..a5664411 100644
--- a/gui/griffon-app/models/com/muwire/gui/MainFrameModel.groovy
+++ b/gui/griffon-app/models/com/muwire/gui/MainFrameModel.groovy
@@ -117,10 +117,12 @@ class MainFrameModel {
     def feeds = []
     def feedItems = []
     
-    def messageFolders = [trans("INBOX"), trans("OUTBOX"), trans("SENT")] 
+    def messageFolders = [Messenger.INBOX, Messenger.OUTBOX, Messenger.SENT] 
+    def messageFolderTx = messageFolders.collect {trans(it.toUpperCase())}
+    
     List<MWMessageStatus> messageHeaders = new ArrayList<>()
-    Map<Integer, Set<MWMessageStatus>> messageHeadersMap = new HashMap<>()
-    int folderIdx
+    Map<String, Set<MWMessageStatus>> messageHeadersMap = new HashMap<>()
+    String folderIdx
     List<Object> messageAttachments = new ArrayList<>()
     MessageNotificator messageNotificator
     
@@ -213,9 +215,9 @@ class MainFrameModel {
         treeRoot = new DefaultMutableTreeNode()
         sharedTree = new DefaultTreeModel(treeRoot)
         
-        messageHeadersMap.put(0, new LinkedHashSet<>())
-        messageHeadersMap.put(1, new LinkedHashSet<>())
-        messageHeadersMap.put(2, new LinkedHashSet<>())
+        messageHeadersMap.put(Messenger.INBOX, new LinkedHashSet<>())
+        messageHeadersMap.put(Messenger.OUTBOX, new LinkedHashSet<>())
+        messageHeadersMap.put(Messenger.SENT, new LinkedHashSet<>())
 
         Timer timer = new Timer("download-pumper", true)
         timer.schedule({
diff --git a/gui/griffon-app/views/com/muwire/gui/MainFrameView.groovy b/gui/griffon-app/views/com/muwire/gui/MainFrameView.groovy
index 82a0e972..166f737f 100644
--- a/gui/griffon-app/views/com/muwire/gui/MainFrameView.groovy
+++ b/gui/griffon-app/views/com/muwire/gui/MainFrameView.groovy
@@ -648,7 +648,7 @@ class MainFrameView {
                         gridLayout(rows : 1, cols : 1) 
                         splitPane(orientation : JSplitPane.HORIZONTAL_SPLIT, continuousLayout : true, dividerLocation : 100) {
                             panel {
-                                list(id : "message-folders-list", items:model.messageFolders)
+                                list(id : "message-folders-list", items:model.messageFolderTx)
                             }
                             panel {
                                 gridLayout(rows :1, cols : 1)
@@ -1254,9 +1254,9 @@ class MainFrameView {
             int index = messageFolderList.getSelectedIndex()
             if (index < 0)
                 index = 0
-            model.folderIdx = index
+            model.folderIdx = model.messageFolders[index]
             model.messageHeaders.clear()
-            model.messageHeaders.addAll(model.messageHeadersMap.get(index))
+            model.messageHeaders.addAll(model.messageHeadersMap.get(model.folderIdx))
             messageHeaderTable.model.fireTableDataChanged()
         })