diff --git a/melib/src/backends/imap.rs b/melib/src/backends/imap.rs
index a68ca3ae..e349b2c8 100644
--- a/melib/src/backends/imap.rs
+++ b/melib/src/backends/imap.rs
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ use crate::conf::AccountSettings;
 use crate::email::*;
 use crate::error::{MeliError, Result};
 use fnv::{FnvHashMap, FnvHashSet};
-use std::collections::hash_map::DefaultHasher;
+use std::collections::{hash_map::DefaultHasher, BTreeMap};
 use std::hash::Hasher;
 use std::str::FromStr;
 use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex, RwLock};
@@ -128,6 +128,8 @@ pub struct ImapType {
     connection: Arc<Mutex<ImapConnection>>,
     server_conf: ImapServerConf,
     uid_store: Arc<UIDStore>,
+    can_create_flags: Arc<Mutex<bool>>,
+    tag_index: Arc<RwLock<BTreeMap<u64, String>>>,
 
     folders: Arc<RwLock<FnvHashMap<FolderHash, ImapFolder>>>,
 }
@@ -151,6 +153,7 @@ impl MailBackend for ImapType {
         let handle = {
             let tx = w.tx();
             let uid_store = self.uid_store.clone();
+            let can_create_flags = self.can_create_flags.clone();
             let folder_path = folder.path().to_string();
             let folder_hash = folder.hash();
             let (permissions, folder_exists) = {
@@ -176,6 +179,7 @@ impl MailBackend for ImapType {
                 let examine_response = protocol_parser::select_response(&response);
                 exit_on_error!(&tx, examine_response);
                 let examine_response = examine_response.unwrap();
+                *can_create_flags.lock().unwrap() = examine_response.can_create_flags;
                 debug!(
                     "folder: {} examine_response: {:?}",
                     folder_path, examine_response
@@ -445,6 +449,14 @@ impl MailBackend for ImapType {
     fn as_any(&self) -> &dyn::std::any::Any {
         self
     }
+
+    fn tags(&self) -> Option<Arc<RwLock<BTreeMap<u64, String>>>> {
+        if *self.can_create_flags.lock().unwrap() {
+            Some(self.tag_index.clone())
+        } else {
+            None
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 impl ImapType {
@@ -481,6 +493,8 @@ impl ImapType {
             server_conf,
             is_subscribed: Arc::new(IsSubscribedFn(is_subscribed)),
 
+            can_create_flags: Arc::new(Mutex::new(false)),
+            tag_index: Arc::new(RwLock::new(Default::default())),
             folders: Arc::new(RwLock::new(Default::default())),
             connection: Arc::new(Mutex::new(connection)),
             uid_store: Arc::new(UIDStore {
diff --git a/melib/src/backends/imap/protocol_parser.rs b/melib/src/backends/imap/protocol_parser.rs
index 6bfd7263..dd8cfdaa 100644
--- a/melib/src/backends/imap/protocol_parser.rs
+++ b/melib/src/backends/imap/protocol_parser.rs
@@ -302,6 +302,8 @@ pub struct SelectResponse {
     pub uidvalidity: usize,
     pub uidnext: usize,
     pub permanentflags: Flag,
+    /// if SELECT returns \* we can set arbritary flags permanently.
+    pub can_create_flags: bool,
     pub read_only: bool,
 }
 
@@ -332,27 +334,23 @@ pub fn select_response(input: &str) -> Result<SelectResponse> {
         let mut ret = SelectResponse::default();
         for l in input.split("\r\n") {
             if l.starts_with("* ") && l.ends_with(" EXISTS") {
-                ret.exists = usize::from_str(&l["* ".len()..l.len() - " EXISTS".len()]).unwrap();
+                ret.exists = usize::from_str(&l["* ".len()..l.len() - " EXISTS".len()])?;
             } else if l.starts_with("* ") && l.ends_with(" RECENT") {
-                ret.recent = usize::from_str(&l["* ".len()..l.len() - " RECENT".len()]).unwrap();
+                ret.recent = usize::from_str(&l["* ".len()..l.len() - " RECENT".len()])?;
             } else if l.starts_with("* FLAGS (") {
-                ret.flags = flags(&l["* FLAGS (".len()..l.len() - ")".len()])
-                    .to_full_result()
-                    .unwrap();
+                ret.flags = flags(&l["* FLAGS (".len()..l.len() - ")".len()]).to_full_result()?;
             } else if l.starts_with("* OK [UNSEEN ") {
-                ret.unseen =
-                    usize::from_str(&l["* OK [UNSEEN ".len()..l.find(']').unwrap()]).unwrap();
+                ret.unseen = usize::from_str(&l["* OK [UNSEEN ".len()..l.find(']').unwrap()])?;
             } else if l.starts_with("* OK [UIDVALIDITY ") {
                 ret.uidvalidity =
-                    usize::from_str(&l["* OK [UIDVALIDITY ".len()..l.find(']').unwrap()]).unwrap();
+                    usize::from_str(&l["* OK [UIDVALIDITY ".len()..l.find(']').unwrap()])?;
             } else if l.starts_with("* OK [UIDNEXT ") {
-                ret.uidnext =
-                    usize::from_str(&l["* OK [UIDNEXT ".len()..l.find(']').unwrap()]).unwrap();
+                ret.uidnext = usize::from_str(&l["* OK [UIDNEXT ".len()..l.find(']').unwrap()])?;
             } else if l.starts_with("* OK [PERMANENTFLAGS (") {
                 ret.permanentflags =
                     flags(&l["* OK [PERMANENTFLAGS (".len()..l.find(')').unwrap()])
-                        .to_full_result()
-                        .unwrap();
+                        .to_full_result()?;
+                ret.can_create_flags = l.contains("\\*");
             } else if l.contains("OK [READ-WRITE]") {
                 ret.read_only = false;
             } else if l.contains("OK [READ-ONLY]") {
diff --git a/melib/src/error.rs b/melib/src/error.rs
index fca37b08..25182a65 100644
--- a/melib/src/error.rs
+++ b/melib/src/error.rs
@@ -144,6 +144,13 @@ impl From<native_tls::Error> for MeliError {
     }
 }
 
+impl From<std::num::ParseIntError> for MeliError {
+    #[inline]
+    fn from(kind: std::num::ParseIntError) -> MeliError {
+        MeliError::new(format!("{}", kind))
+    }
+}
+
 impl From<&str> for MeliError {
     #[inline]
     fn from(kind: &str) -> MeliError {