diff --git a/melib/src/backends.rs b/melib/src/backends.rs
index b26ba479a..e3981f335 100644
--- a/melib/src/backends.rs
+++ b/melib/src/backends.rs
@@ -297,6 +297,8 @@ impl NotifyFn {
 pub type ResultFuture<T> = Result<Pin<Box<dyn Future<Output = Result<T>> + Send + 'static>>>;
 
 pub trait MailBackend: ::std::fmt::Debug + Send + Sync {
+    fn is_async(&self) -> bool;
+    fn is_remote(&self) -> bool;
     fn is_online(&self) -> Result<()>;
     fn is_online_async(&self) -> ResultFuture<()> {
         Err(MeliError::new("Unimplemented."))
diff --git a/melib/src/backends/imap.rs b/melib/src/backends/imap.rs
index b83c83412..f97a770db 100644
--- a/melib/src/backends/imap.rs
+++ b/melib/src/backends/imap.rs
@@ -185,6 +185,14 @@ pub(self) fn try_lock<T>(
 }
 
 impl MailBackend for ImapType {
+    fn is_async(&self) -> bool {
+        false
+    }
+
+    fn is_remote(&self) -> bool {
+        true
+    }
+
     fn is_online(&self) -> Result<()> {
         //if let Ok(mut g) = try_lock(&self.connection, None) {
         //    let _ = g.connect();
diff --git a/melib/src/backends/imap_async.rs b/melib/src/backends/imap_async.rs
index bca41fdb5..ba61d2d6b 100644
--- a/melib/src/backends/imap_async.rs
+++ b/melib/src/backends/imap_async.rs
@@ -174,6 +174,12 @@ pub struct ImapType {
 }
 
 impl MailBackend for ImapType {
+    fn is_async(&self) -> bool {
+        true
+    }
+    fn is_remote(&self) -> bool {
+        true
+    }
     fn get_async(
         &mut self,
         mailbox: &Mailbox,
diff --git a/melib/src/backends/jmap.rs b/melib/src/backends/jmap.rs
index 8d7f095d7..9394a1246 100644
--- a/melib/src/backends/jmap.rs
+++ b/melib/src/backends/jmap.rs
@@ -190,6 +190,14 @@ pub struct JmapType {
 }
 
 impl MailBackend for JmapType {
+    fn is_async(&self) -> bool {
+        false
+    }
+
+    fn is_remote(&self) -> bool {
+        true
+    }
+
     fn is_online(&self) -> Result<()> {
         self.online.lock().unwrap().1.clone()
     }
diff --git a/melib/src/backends/maildir/backend.rs b/melib/src/backends/maildir/backend.rs
index fd7761ba1..ac2637c5c 100644
--- a/melib/src/backends/maildir/backend.rs
+++ b/melib/src/backends/maildir/backend.rs
@@ -175,6 +175,14 @@ pub fn move_to_cur(p: PathBuf) -> Result<PathBuf> {
 }
 
 impl MailBackend for MaildirType {
+    fn is_async(&self) -> bool {
+        false
+    }
+
+    fn is_remote(&self) -> bool {
+        false
+    }
+
     fn is_online(&self) -> Result<()> {
         Ok(())
     }
diff --git a/melib/src/backends/mbox.rs b/melib/src/backends/mbox.rs
index 81ee7db29..df23fdeb7 100644
--- a/melib/src/backends/mbox.rs
+++ b/melib/src/backends/mbox.rs
@@ -647,6 +647,14 @@ pub struct MboxType {
 }
 
 impl MailBackend for MboxType {
+    fn is_async(&self) -> bool {
+        false
+    }
+
+    fn is_remote(&self) -> bool {
+        false
+    }
+
     fn is_online(&self) -> Result<()> {
         Ok(())
     }
diff --git a/melib/src/backends/notmuch.rs b/melib/src/backends/notmuch.rs
index d8c4aa7b0..9e3afdbc7 100644
--- a/melib/src/backends/notmuch.rs
+++ b/melib/src/backends/notmuch.rs
@@ -318,9 +318,18 @@ impl NotmuchDb {
 }
 
 impl MailBackend for NotmuchDb {
+    fn is_async(&self) -> bool {
+        false
+    }
+
+    fn is_remote(&self) -> bool {
+        false
+    }
+
     fn is_online(&self) -> Result<()> {
         Ok(())
     }
+
     fn get(&mut self, mailbox: &Mailbox) -> Result<Async<Result<Vec<Envelope>>>> {
         let mut w = AsyncBuilder::new();
         let mailbox_hash = mailbox.hash();
diff --git a/src/plugins/backend.rs b/src/plugins/backend.rs
index 507c9c1fe..d6feb4705 100644
--- a/src/plugins/backend.rs
+++ b/src/plugins/backend.rs
@@ -65,6 +65,16 @@ impl Drop for PluginBackend {
 }
 
 impl MailBackend for PluginBackend {
+    fn is_async(&self) -> bool {
+        // TODO
+        false
+    }
+
+    fn is_remote(&self) -> bool {
+        // TODO
+        false
+    }
+
     fn is_online(&self) -> Result<()> {
         if let Ok(mut is_online) = self.is_online.try_lock() {
             let now = std::time::Instant::now();