diff --git a/mailnews/base/util/nsMsgDBFolder.cpp b/mailnews/base/util/nsMsgDBFolder.cpp
index 1a117ae030af..f8c931a2a8ed 100644
--- a/mailnews/base/util/nsMsgDBFolder.cpp
+++ b/mailnews/base/util/nsMsgDBFolder.cpp
@@ -18,8 +18,11 @@
 
 #include "nsMsgDBFolder.h"
 #include "nsMsgFolderFlags.h"
+#include "nsIPref.h"
 
 
+static NS_DEFINE_CID(kPrefServiceCID, NS_PREF_CID);
+
 NS_IMPL_ADDREF_INHERITED(nsMsgDBFolder, nsMsgFolder)
 NS_IMPL_RELEASE_INHERITED(nsMsgDBFolder, nsMsgFolder)
 
@@ -42,6 +45,7 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgDBFolder::QueryInterface(REFNSIID aIID, void** aInstancePtr)
 }
 
 nsMsgDBFolder::nsMsgDBFolder(void)
+: mCharset("")
 {
 
 }
@@ -108,6 +112,57 @@ nsMsgDBFolder::HasMessage(nsIMessage *message, PRBool *hasMessage)
 	return rv;
 
 }
+
+NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgDBFolder::GetCharset(PRUnichar * *aCharset)
+{
+	nsresult rv = NS_OK;
+	if(!aCharset)
+		return NS_ERROR_NULL_POINTER;
+
+	if(mCharset == "")
+	{
+		NS_WITH_SERVICE(nsIPref, prefs, kPrefServiceCID, &rv);
+
+		char *prefCharset = nsnull;
+		if (NS_SUCCEEDED(rv))
+		{
+			rv = prefs->CopyCharPref("intl.character_set_name", &prefCharset);
+		}
+  
+		nsString prefCharsetStr;
+		if(prefCharset)
+		{
+			prefCharsetStr = prefCharset;
+			PR_Free(prefCharset);
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			prefCharsetStr = "us-ascii";
+		}
+		*aCharset = prefCharsetStr.ToNewUnicode();
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		*aCharset = mCharset.ToNewUnicode();
+	}
+	return rv;
+}
+
+NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgDBFolder::SetCharset(PRUnichar * aCharset)
+{
+	nsresult rv;
+
+	nsCOMPtr<nsIDBFolderInfo> folderInfo;
+	nsCOMPtr<nsIMsgDatabase> db; 
+	rv = GetDBFolderInfoAndDB(getter_AddRefs(folderInfo), getter_AddRefs(db));
+	if(NS_SUCCEEDED(rv))
+	{
+		nsString charset(aCharset);
+		rv = folderInfo->SetCharacterSet(charset);
+	}
+	return rv;
+}
+
 nsresult nsMsgDBFolder::ReadDBFolderInfo(PRBool force)
 {
 	// Since it turns out to be pretty expensive to open and close
@@ -119,8 +174,8 @@ nsresult nsMsgDBFolder::ReadDBFolderInfo(PRBool force)
     {
         nsCOMPtr<nsIDBFolderInfo> folderInfo;
         nsCOMPtr<nsIMsgDatabase> db; 
-        result = NS_SUCCEEDED(GetDBFolderInfoAndDB(getter_AddRefs(folderInfo), getter_AddRefs(db)));
-        if(result)
+        result = GetDBFolderInfoAndDB(getter_AddRefs(folderInfo), getter_AddRefs(db));
+        if(NS_SUCCEEDED(result))
         {
 			mIsCachable = TRUE;
             if (folderInfo)
@@ -137,7 +192,7 @@ nsresult nsMsgDBFolder::ReadDBFolderInfo(PRBool force)
 				//folderInfo->GetImapTotalPendingMessages(&mNumPendingTotalMessages);
 				//folderInfo->GetImapUnreadPendingMessages(&mNumPendingUnreadMessages);
 
-				// folderInfo->GetCSID(&mCsid);
+				folderInfo->GetCharacterSet(mCharset);
         
 				if (db && !db->HasNew() && mNumPendingUnreadMessages <= 0)
 					ClearFlag(MSG_FOLDER_FLAG_GOT_NEW);
diff --git a/mailnews/base/util/nsMsgDBFolder.h b/mailnews/base/util/nsMsgDBFolder.h
index 1a5df7daaf28..1ed820a1645a 100644
--- a/mailnews/base/util/nsMsgDBFolder.h
+++ b/mailnews/base/util/nsMsgDBFolder.h
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ public:
 	NS_IMETHOD GetThreads(nsIEnumerator** threadEnumerator);
 	NS_IMETHOD GetThreadForMessage(nsIMessage *message, nsIMsgThread **thread);
 	NS_IMETHOD HasMessage(nsIMessage *message, PRBool *hasMessage);
+	NS_IMETHOD GetCharset(PRUnichar * *aCharset);
+	NS_IMETHOD SetCharset(PRUnichar * aCharset);
 
 	//nsIDBChangeListener
 	NS_IMETHOD OnKeyChange(nsMsgKey aKeyChanged, PRUint32 aOldFlags, PRUint32 aNewFlags, 
@@ -60,6 +62,7 @@ protected:
 
 protected:
 	nsCOMPtr<nsIMsgDatabase> mDatabase;  
+	nsString mCharset;
 
 
 };
diff --git a/mailnews/base/util/nsMsgFolder.cpp b/mailnews/base/util/nsMsgFolder.cpp
index fae0791e0758..0c43b97fd9fd 100644
--- a/mailnews/base/util/nsMsgFolder.cpp
+++ b/mailnews/base/util/nsMsgFolder.cpp
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ nsMsgFolder::nsMsgFolder(void)
     mParent(nsnull),
     mNumUnreadMessages(-1),
     mNumTotalMessages(-1),
-    mCsid(0),
     mDepth(0), 
     mPrefFlags(0)
 	{
@@ -802,15 +801,6 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgFolder::GetFolderPrefFlags(PRUint32 *flags)
 
 }
 
-NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgFolder::SetFolderCSID(PRInt16 csid)
-{
-
-}
-
-NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgFolder::GetFolderCSID(PRInt16 *csid)
-{
-
-}
 
 NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgFolder::SetLastMessageLoaded(nsMsgKey lastMessageLoaded)
 {
diff --git a/mailnews/base/util/nsMsgFolder.h b/mailnews/base/util/nsMsgFolder.h
index 24de78f38c1d..057f5595afce 100644
--- a/mailnews/base/util/nsMsgFolder.h
+++ b/mailnews/base/util/nsMsgFolder.h
@@ -178,8 +178,6 @@ public:
 
   NS_IMETHOD SetFolderPrefFlags(PRUint32 flags);
   NS_IMETHOD GetFolderPrefFlags(PRUint32 *flags);
-  NS_IMETHOD SetFolderCSID(PRInt16 csid);
-  NS_IMETHOD GetFolderCSID(PRInt16 *csid);
 
 
   NS_IMETHOD SetLastMessageLoaded(nsMsgKey lastMessageLoaded);
@@ -263,6 +261,9 @@ public:
 	NS_IMETHOD DeleteMessages(nsISupportsArray *messages) = 0;
 	NS_IMETHOD GetNewMessages();
 
+	NS_IMETHOD GetCharset(PRUnichar * *aCharset) = 0;
+	NS_IMETHOD SetCharset(PRUnichar * aCharset) = 0;
+
 protected:
 	nsresult NotifyPropertyChanged(char *property, char* oldValue, char* newValue);
 	nsresult NotifyPropertyFlagChanged(nsISupports *item, char *property, PRUint32 oldValue,
@@ -288,7 +289,6 @@ protected:
   nsVoidArray *mListeners; //This can't be an nsISupportsArray because due to
 													 //ownership issues, listeners can't be AddRef'd
 
-  PRInt16 mCsid;			// default csid for folder/newsgroup - maintained by fe.
   PRUint8 mDepth;
   PRInt32 mPrefFlags;       // prefs like MSG_PREF_OFFLINE, MSG_PREF_ONE_PANE, etc
   nsISupports *mSemaphoreHolder; // set when the folder is being written to