diff --git a/src/driver.h b/src/driver.h
index c091ec1..2de793c 100644
--- a/src/driver.h
+++ b/src/driver.h
@@ -166,9 +166,14 @@ struct driver {
 	 * return quickly, and must not fail. */
 	store_t *(*alloc_store)( store_conf_t *conf, const char *label );
 
-	/* When this callback is invoked (at most once per store), the store is fubar;
-	 * call cancel_store() to dispose of it. */
-	void (*set_bad_callback)( store_t *ctx, void (*cb)( void *aux ), void *aux );
+	// When exp_cb is invoked, the passed message has been expunged;
+	// its status is M_DEAD now.
+	// When bad_cb is invoked (at most once per store), the store is fubar;
+	// call cancel_store() to dispose of it.
+	void (*set_callbacks)( store_t *ctx,
+	                       void (*exp_cb)( message_t *msg, void *aux ),
+	                       void (*bad_cb)( void *aux ),
+	                       void *aux );
 
 	/* Open/connect the store. This may recycle existing server connections. */
 	void (*connect_store)( store_t *ctx,
diff --git a/src/drv_imap.c b/src/drv_imap.c
index 06a879e..fdc6cca 100644
--- a/src/drv_imap.c
+++ b/src/drv_imap.c
@@ -1787,7 +1787,8 @@ imap_deref( imap_store_t *ctx )
 }
 
 static void
-imap_set_bad_callback( store_t *gctx, void (*cb)( void *aux ), void *aux )
+imap_set_callbacks( store_t *gctx, void (*exp_cb)( message_t *, void * ) ATTR_UNUSED,
+                    void (*cb)( void * ), void *aux )
 {
 	imap_store_t *ctx = (imap_store_t *)gctx;
 
@@ -1833,7 +1834,7 @@ imap_free_store( store_t *gctx )
 
 	free_generic_messages( &ctx->msgs->gen );
 	ctx->msgs = NULL;
-	imap_set_bad_callback( gctx, imap_cancel_unowned, gctx );
+	imap_set_callbacks( gctx, NULL, imap_cancel_unowned, gctx );
 	ctx->next = unowned;
 	unowned = ctx;
 }
@@ -1849,7 +1850,7 @@ imap_cleanup( void )
 
 	for (ctx = unowned; ctx; ctx = nctx) {
 		nctx = ctx->next;
-		imap_set_bad_callback( &ctx->gen, (void (*)(void *))imap_cancel_store, ctx );
+		imap_set_callbacks( &ctx->gen, NULL, (void (*)( void * ))imap_cancel_store, ctx );
 		ctx->expectBYE = 1;
 		imap_exec( ctx, NULL, imap_cleanup_p2, "LOGOUT" );
 	}
@@ -3795,7 +3796,7 @@ struct driver imap_driver = {
 	imap_parse_store,
 	imap_cleanup,
 	imap_alloc_store,
-	imap_set_bad_callback,
+	imap_set_callbacks,
 	imap_connect_store,
 	imap_free_store,
 	imap_cancel_store,
diff --git a/src/drv_maildir.c b/src/drv_maildir.c
index fbef3a8..9d29336 100644
--- a/src/drv_maildir.c
+++ b/src/drv_maildir.c
@@ -75,8 +75,9 @@ typedef union maildir_store {
 		maildir_message_t *msgs;
 		wakeup_t lcktmr;
 
+		void (*expunge_callback)( message_t *msg, void *aux );
 		void (*bad_callback)( void *aux );
-		void *bad_callback_aux;
+		void *callback_aux;
 	};
 } maildir_store_t;
 
@@ -277,18 +278,20 @@ maildir_cleanup_drv( void )
 }
 
 static void
-maildir_set_bad_callback( store_t *gctx, void (*cb)( void *aux ), void *aux )
+maildir_set_callbacks( store_t *gctx, void (*exp_cb)( message_t *, void * ),
+                       void (*bad_cb)( void * ), void *aux )
 {
 	maildir_store_t *ctx = (maildir_store_t *)gctx;
 
-	ctx->bad_callback = cb;
-	ctx->bad_callback_aux = aux;
+	ctx->expunge_callback = exp_cb;
+	ctx->bad_callback = bad_cb;
+	ctx->callback_aux = aux;
 }
 
 static void
 maildir_invoke_bad_callback( maildir_store_t *ctx )
 {
-	ctx->bad_callback( ctx->bad_callback_aux );
+	ctx->bad_callback( ctx->callback_aux );
 }
 
 static int
@@ -1457,6 +1460,7 @@ maildir_rescan( maildir_store_t *ctx )
 		} else if (i >= msglist.array.size) {
 			debug( "  purging deleted message %u\n", msg->uid );
 			msg->status = M_DEAD;
+			ctx->expunge_callback( &msg->gen, ctx->callback_aux );
 			msgapp = &msg->next;
 		} else if (msglist.array.data[i].uid < msg->uid) {
 			/* this should not happen, actually */
@@ -1470,6 +1474,7 @@ maildir_rescan( maildir_store_t *ctx )
 		} else if (msglist.array.data[i].uid > msg->uid) {
 			debug( "  purging deleted message %u\n", msg->uid );
 			msg->status = M_DEAD;
+			ctx->expunge_callback( &msg->gen, ctx->callback_aux );
 			msgapp = &msg->next;
 		} else {
 			debug( "  updating message %u\n", msg->uid );
@@ -1765,6 +1770,7 @@ maildir_trash_msg( store_t *gctx, message_t *gmsg,
 	}
 	gmsg->status |= M_DEAD;
 	ctx->total_msgs--;
+	ctx->expunge_callback( gmsg, ctx->callback_aux );
 
 #ifdef USE_DB
 	if (ctx->usedb) {
@@ -1798,6 +1804,7 @@ maildir_close_box( store_t *gctx,
 				} else {
 					msg->status |= M_DEAD;
 					ctx->total_msgs--;
+					ctx->expunge_callback( &msg->gen, ctx->callback_aux );
 #ifdef USE_DB
 					if (ctx->db && (ret = maildir_purge_msg( ctx, msg->base )) != DRV_OK) {
 						cb( ret, aux );
@@ -1914,7 +1921,7 @@ struct driver maildir_driver = {
 	maildir_parse_store,
 	maildir_cleanup_drv,
 	maildir_alloc_store,
-	maildir_set_bad_callback,
+	maildir_set_callbacks,
 	maildir_connect_store,
 	maildir_free_store,
 	maildir_free_store, /* _cancel_, but it's the same */
diff --git a/src/drv_proxy.c b/src/drv_proxy.c
index 4715ba7..cd0d5aa 100644
--- a/src/drv_proxy.c
+++ b/src/drv_proxy.c
@@ -25,8 +25,9 @@ typedef union proxy_store {
 		wakeup_t wakeup;
 		char force_async;
 
+		void (*expunge_callback)( message_t *msg, void *aux );
 		void (*bad_callback)( void *aux );
-		void *bad_callback_aux;
+		void *callback_aux;
 	};
 } proxy_store_t;
 
@@ -337,14 +338,26 @@ static @type@proxy_@name@( store_t *gctx@decl_args@, void (*cb)( @decl_cb_args@v
 //# END
 #endif
 
-//# SPECIAL set_bad_callback
+//# SPECIAL set_callbacks
 static void
-proxy_set_bad_callback( store_t *gctx, void (*cb)( void *aux ), void *aux )
+proxy_set_callbacks( store_t *gctx, void (*exp_cb)( message_t *, void * ),
+                     void (*bad_cb)( void * ), void *aux )
 {
 	proxy_store_t *ctx = (proxy_store_t *)gctx;
 
-	ctx->bad_callback = cb;
-	ctx->bad_callback_aux = aux;
+	ctx->expunge_callback = exp_cb;
+	ctx->bad_callback = bad_cb;
+	ctx->callback_aux = aux;
+}
+
+static void
+proxy_invoke_expunge_callback( message_t *msg, proxy_store_t *ctx )
+{
+	ctx->ref_count++;
+	debug( "%sCallback enter expunged message %u\n", ctx->label, msg->uid );
+	ctx->expunge_callback( msg, ctx->callback_aux );
+	debug( "%sCallback leave expunged message %u\n", ctx->label, msg->uid );
+	proxy_store_deref( ctx );
 }
 
 static void
@@ -352,7 +365,7 @@ proxy_invoke_bad_callback( proxy_store_t *ctx )
 {
 	ctx->ref_count++;
 	debug( "%sCallback enter bad store\n", ctx->label );
-	ctx->bad_callback( ctx->bad_callback_aux );
+	ctx->bad_callback( ctx->callback_aux );
 	debug( "%sCallback leave bad store\n", ctx->label );
 	proxy_store_deref( ctx );
 }
@@ -373,7 +386,9 @@ proxy_alloc_store( store_t *real_ctx, const char *label, int force_async )
 	ctx->check_cmds_append = &ctx->check_cmds;
 	ctx->real_driver = real_ctx->driver;
 	ctx->real_store = real_ctx;
-	ctx->real_driver->set_bad_callback( ctx->real_store, (void (*)(void *))proxy_invoke_bad_callback, ctx );
+	ctx->real_driver->set_callbacks( ctx->real_store,
+	                                 (void (*)( message_t *, void * ))proxy_invoke_expunge_callback,
+	                                 (void (*)( void * ))proxy_invoke_bad_callback, ctx );
 	init_wakeup( &ctx->wakeup, proxy_wakeup, ctx );
 	return &ctx->gen;
 }
diff --git a/src/main_list.c b/src/main_list.c
index ee02906..48bf4dd 100644
--- a/src/main_list.c
+++ b/src/main_list.c
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ do_list_stores( list_vars_t *lvars )
 			ctx = proxy_alloc_store( ctx, "", DFlags & FORCEASYNC(F) );
 		}
 		lvars->ctx = ctx;
-		lvars->drv->set_bad_callback( ctx, list_store_bad, lvars );
+		lvars->drv->set_callbacks( ctx, NULL, list_store_bad, lvars );
 		info( "Opening store %s...\n", lvars->store->name );
 		lvars->cben = lvars->done = 0;
 		lvars->drv->connect_store( lvars->ctx, list_store_connected, lvars );
diff --git a/src/main_sync.c b/src/main_sync.c
index d5783c5..2dd859e 100644
--- a/src/main_sync.c
+++ b/src/main_sync.c
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ do_sync_chans( main_vars_t *mvars )
 				ctx = proxy_alloc_store( ctx, labels[t], DFlags & FORCEASYNC(t) );
 			}
 			mvars->ctx[t] = ctx;
-			mvars->drv[t]->set_bad_callback( ctx, store_bad, AUX );
+			mvars->drv[t]->set_callbacks( ctx, NULL, store_bad, AUX );
 			mvars->state[t] = ST_FRESH;
 		}
 		mvars->chan_cben = 0;
diff --git a/src/sync.c b/src/sync.c
index 4ebc438..845a883 100644
--- a/src/sync.c
+++ b/src/sync.c
@@ -432,6 +432,18 @@ check_ret( int sts, void *aux )
 	} \
 	INIT_SVARS(vars->aux)
 
+static void
+message_expunged( message_t *msg, void *aux )
+{
+	DECL_INIT_SVARS(aux);
+	(void)svars;
+
+	if (msg->srec) {
+		msg->srec->msg[t] = NULL;
+		msg->srec = NULL;
+	}
+}
+
 static void box_confirmed( int sts, uint uidvalidity, void *aux );
 static void box_confirmed2( sync_vars_t *svars, int t );
 static void box_deleted( int sts, void *aux );
@@ -473,7 +485,7 @@ sync_boxes( store_t *ctx[], const char * const names[], int present[], channel_c
 			return;
 		}
 		svars->drv[t] = ctx[t]->driver;
-		svars->drv[t]->set_bad_callback( ctx[t], store_bad, AUX );
+		svars->drv[t]->set_callbacks( ctx[t], message_expunged, store_bad, AUX );
 		svars->can_crlf[t] = (svars->drv[t]->get_caps( svars->ctx[t] ) / DRV_CRLF) & 1;
 	}
 	/* Both boxes must be fully set up at this point, so that error exit paths
@@ -1259,6 +1271,13 @@ box_loaded( int sts, message_t *msgs, int total_msgs, int recent_msgs, void *aux
 		for (t = 0; t < 2; t++) {
 			if (!srec->uid[t])
 				continue;
+			if (!srec->msg[t] && (svars->opts[t] & OPEN_OLD)) {
+				// The message was expunged. No need to call flags_set(), because:
+				// - for S_DELETE and S_PURGE, the entry will be pruned due to both sides being gone
+				// - for regular flag propagations, there is nothing to do
+				// - expirations were already handled above
+				continue;
+			}
 			aflags = srec->aflags[t];
 			dflags = srec->dflags[t];
 			if (srec->status & (S_DELETE | S_PURGE)) {
@@ -1267,11 +1286,6 @@ box_loaded( int sts, message_t *msgs, int total_msgs, int recent_msgs, void *aux
 					// this deletion of a dummy happens on the other side.
 					continue;
 				}
-				if (!srec->msg[t] && (svars->opts[t] & OPEN_OLD)) {
-					// The message disappeared. This can happen, because the status may
-					// come from the journal, and things could have happened meanwhile.
-					continue;
-				}
 			} else {
 				/* The trigger is an expiration transaction being ongoing ... */
 				if ((t == N) && ((shifted_bit(srec->status, S_EXPIRE, S_EXPIRED) ^ srec->status) & S_EXPIRED)) {