diff --git a/src/com/android/email/MessagingController.java b/src/com/android/email/MessagingController.java
index f94b2279c..83579d108 100644
--- a/src/com/android/email/MessagingController.java
+++ b/src/com/android/email/MessagingController.java
@@ -1528,7 +1528,7 @@ public class MessagingController implements Runnable {
     		Store localStore = Store.getInstance(account.getLocalStoreUri(), mApplication);
     		LocalFolder localFolder = (LocalFolder)localStore.getFolder(account.getErrorFolderName());
     		Message[] messages = new Message[1];
-    		Message message = new MimeMessage();
+    		MimeMessage message = new MimeMessage();
     		ByteArrayOutputStream baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
     		PrintStream ps = new PrintStream(baos);
     		t.printStackTrace(ps);
@@ -1540,7 +1540,7 @@ public class MessagingController implements Runnable {
     		long nowTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
     		Date nowDate = new Date(nowTime);
     		message.setInternalDate(nowDate);
-    		message.setSentDate(nowDate);
+    		message.addSentDate(nowDate);
     		message.setFrom(new Address(account.getEmail(), "K9mail internal"));
     		messages[0] = message;
     		
@@ -1579,7 +1579,7 @@ public class MessagingController implements Runnable {
         Store localStore = Store.getInstance(account.getLocalStoreUri(), mApplication);
         LocalFolder localFolder = (LocalFolder)localStore.getFolder(account.getErrorFolderName());
         Message[] messages = new Message[1];
-        Message message = new MimeMessage();
+        MimeMessage message = new MimeMessage();
         
 
         message.setBody(new TextBody(body));
@@ -1589,7 +1589,7 @@ public class MessagingController implements Runnable {
         long nowTime = System.currentTimeMillis();
         Date nowDate = new Date(nowTime);
         message.setInternalDate(nowDate);
-        message.setSentDate(nowDate);
+        message.addSentDate(nowDate);
         message.setFrom(new Address(account.getEmail(), "K9mail internal"));
         messages[0] = message;
         
diff --git a/src/com/android/email/activity/MessageCompose.java b/src/com/android/email/activity/MessageCompose.java
index 333525e42..aff49bdb8 100644
--- a/src/com/android/email/activity/MessageCompose.java
+++ b/src/com/android/email/activity/MessageCompose.java
@@ -630,7 +630,7 @@ public class MessageCompose extends K9Activity implements OnClickListener, OnFoc
 
     private MimeMessage createMessage(boolean appendSig) throws MessagingException {
         MimeMessage message = new MimeMessage();
-        message.setSentDate(new Date());
+        message.addSentDate(new Date());
         Address from = new Address(mIdentity.getEmail(), mIdentity.getName());
         message.setFrom(from);
         message.setRecipients(RecipientType.TO, getAddresses(mToView));
diff --git a/src/com/android/email/mail/internet/MimeMessage.java b/src/com/android/email/mail/internet/MimeMessage.java
index c201ddeea..a2cb08029 100644
--- a/src/com/android/email/mail/internet/MimeMessage.java
+++ b/src/com/android/email/mail/internet/MimeMessage.java
@@ -104,20 +104,31 @@ public class MimeMessage extends Message {
         return mSentDate;
     }
 
-    public void setSentDate(Date sentDate) throws MessagingException {
+    /**
+     * Sets the sent date object member as well as *adds* the 'Date' header
+     * instead of setting it (for performance reasons).
+     *
+     * @see #mSentDate
+     * @param sentDate
+     * @throws com.android.email.mail.MessagingException
+     */
+    public void addSentDate(Date sentDate) throws MessagingException {
         if (mDateFormat == null) {
-                mDateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("EEE, dd MMM yyyy HH:mm:ss Z", Locale.US);
+            mDateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("EEE, dd MMM yyyy HH:mm:ss Z", Locale.US);
         }
-        setHeader("Date", mDateFormat.format(sentDate));
+        addHeader("Date", mDateFormat.format(sentDate));
         setInternalSentDate(sentDate);
     }
 
+    public void setSentDate(Date sentDate) throws MessagingException {
+        removeHeader("Date");
+        addSentDate(sentDate);
+    }
+
     public void setInternalSentDate(Date sentDate) throws MessagingException {
         this.mSentDate = sentDate;
     }
 
-
-
     public String getContentType() throws MessagingException {
         String contentType = getFirstHeader(MimeHeader.HEADER_CONTENT_TYPE);
         if (contentType == null) {
diff --git a/src/com/android/email/mail/store/LocalStore.java b/src/com/android/email/mail/store/LocalStore.java
index 574686a34..6c00b32be 100644
--- a/src/com/android/email/mail/store/LocalStore.java
+++ b/src/com/android/email/mail/store/LocalStore.java
@@ -897,7 +897,7 @@ public class LocalStore extends Store implements Serializable {
             if (from.length > 0) {
                 message.setFrom(from[0]);
             }
-            message.setInternalSentDate(new Date(cursor.getLong(2)));
+            message.addSentDate(new Date(cursor.getLong(2)));
             message.setUid(cursor.getString(3));
             String flagList = cursor.getString(4);
             if (flagList != null && flagList.length() > 0) {