diff --git a/src/java/davmail/exchange/FolderLoadThread.java b/src/java/davmail/exchange/FolderLoadThread.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c154a426
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/java/davmail/exchange/FolderLoadThread.java
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+/*
+ * DavMail POP/IMAP/SMTP/CalDav/LDAP Exchange Gateway
+ * Copyright (C) 2013  Mickael Guessant
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
+ * as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
+ * of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
+ */
+package davmail.exchange;
+
+import davmail.Settings;
+import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
+
+import javax.mail.MessagingException;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.OutputStream;
+import java.net.SocketException;
+
+/**
+ * Load folder messages in a separate thread.
+ */
+public class FolderLoadThread extends Thread {
+    private static final Logger LOGGER = Logger.getLogger(FolderLoadThread.class);
+
+    boolean isComplete = false;
+    ExchangeSession.Folder folder;
+    IOException exception;
+
+    FolderLoadThread(String threadName, ExchangeSession.Folder folder) {
+        super(threadName + "-LoadFolder");
+        setDaemon(true);
+        this.folder = folder;
+    }
+
+    public void run() {
+        try {
+            folder.loadMessages();
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+            exception = e;
+        } finally {
+            isComplete = true;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Load folder in a separate thread.
+     *
+     * @param folder       current folder
+     * @param outputStream client connection
+     * @throws InterruptedException on error
+     * @throws IOException          on error
+     */
+    public static void loadFolder(ExchangeSession.Folder folder, OutputStream outputStream) throws InterruptedException, IOException {
+        FolderLoadThread folderLoadThread = new FolderLoadThread(currentThread().getName(), folder);
+        folderLoadThread.start();
+        while (!folderLoadThread.isComplete) {
+            folderLoadThread.join(20000);
+            LOGGER.debug("Still loading " + folder.folderPath + " (" + folder.count() + " messages)");
+            if (Settings.getBooleanProperty("davmail.imapEnableKeepalive", false)) {
+                try {
+                    outputStream.write(' ');
+                    outputStream.flush();
+                } catch (SocketException e) {
+                    folderLoadThread.interrupt();
+                    throw e;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        if (folderLoadThread.exception != null) {
+            throw folderLoadThread.exception;
+        }
+
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/java/davmail/exchange/MessageLoadThread.java b/src/java/davmail/exchange/MessageLoadThread.java
index 6c29718b..22fd37ff 100644
--- a/src/java/davmail/exchange/MessageLoadThread.java
+++ b/src/java/davmail/exchange/MessageLoadThread.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package davmail.exchange;
 
+import davmail.Settings;
 import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
 
 import javax.mail.MessagingException;
@@ -57,14 +58,16 @@ public class MessageLoadThread extends Thread {
                 while (!messageLoadThread.isComplete) {
                     messageLoadThread.join(10000);
                     LOGGER.debug("Still loading uid " + message.getUid() + " imapUid " + message.getImapUid());
-                    try {
-                        outputStream.write(' ');
-                        outputStream.flush();
-                    } catch (SocketException e) {
-                        // client closed connection, stop thread
-                        message.dropMimeMessage();
-                        messageLoadThread.interrupt();
-                        throw e;
+                    if (Settings.getBooleanProperty("davmail.imapEnableKeepalive", false)) {
+                        try {
+                            outputStream.write(' ');
+                            outputStream.flush();
+                        } catch (SocketException e) {
+                            // client closed connection, stop thread
+                            message.dropMimeMessage();
+                            messageLoadThread.interrupt();
+                            throw e;
+                        }
                     }
                 }
                 if (messageLoadThread.ioException != null) {
diff --git a/src/java/davmail/imap/ImapConnection.java b/src/java/davmail/imap/ImapConnection.java
index 64fa3548..1e350e84 100644
--- a/src/java/davmail/imap/ImapConnection.java
+++ b/src/java/davmail/imap/ImapConnection.java
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import davmail.exception.HttpNotFoundException;
 import davmail.exception.InsufficientStorageException;
 import davmail.exchange.ExchangeSession;
 import davmail.exchange.ExchangeSessionFactory;
+import davmail.exchange.FolderLoadThread;
 import davmail.exchange.MessageLoadThread;
 import davmail.ui.tray.DavGatewayTray;
 import davmail.util.IOUtil;
@@ -57,28 +58,6 @@ public class ImapConnection extends AbstractConnection {
     protected String baseMailboxPath;
     ExchangeSession.Folder currentFolder;
 
-    class FolderLoadThread extends Thread {
-        boolean isComplete = false;
-        ExchangeSession.Folder folder;
-        IOException exception;
-
-        FolderLoadThread(String threadName, ExchangeSession.Folder folder) {
-            super(threadName + "-LoadFolder");
-            setDaemon(true);
-            this.folder = folder;
-        }
-
-        public void run() {
-            try {
-                folder.loadMessages();
-            } catch (IOException e) {
-                exception = e;
-            } finally {
-                isComplete = true;
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
     /**
      * Initialize the streams and start the thread.
      *
@@ -251,25 +230,10 @@ public class ImapConnection extends AbstractConnection {
                                                 sendClient("* " + currentFolder.count() + " EXISTS");
                                             } else {
                                                 // load folder in a separate thread
-                                                FolderLoadThread folderLoadThread = new FolderLoadThread(currentThread().getName(), currentFolder);
-                                                folderLoadThread.start();
                                                 LOGGER.debug("*");
                                                 os.write('*');
-                                                while (!folderLoadThread.isComplete) {
-                                                    folderLoadThread.join(20000);
-                                                    LOGGER.debug("Still loading " + currentFolder.folderPath+" ("+currentFolder.count()+" messages)");
-                                                    try {
-                                                        os.write(' ');
-                                                        os.flush();
-                                                    } catch (SocketException e) {
-                                                        folderLoadThread.interrupt();
-                                                        throw e;
-                                                    }
-                                                }
+                                                FolderLoadThread.loadFolder(currentFolder, os);
                                                 sendClient(" " + currentFolder.count() + " EXISTS");
-                                                if (folderLoadThread.exception != null) {
-                                                    throw folderLoadThread.exception;
-                                                }
                                             }
 
                                             sendClient("* " + currentFolder.recent + " RECENT");