diff --git a/database.cc b/database.cc
index 1666aff0..d513b855 100644
--- a/database.cc
+++ b/database.cc
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ typedef struct {
 prefix_t BOOLEAN_PREFIX[] = {
     { "type", "K" },
     { "tag", "L" },
-    { "msgid", "Q" },
     { "id", "Q" },
     { "thread", "H" },
     { "ref", "R" },
@@ -207,7 +206,7 @@ notmuch_database_find_message (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
     notmuch_private_status_t status;
     unsigned int doc_id;
 
-    status = find_unique_doc_id (notmuch, "msgid", message_id, &doc_id);
+    status = find_unique_doc_id (notmuch, "id", message_id, &doc_id);
 
     if (status == NOTMUCH_PRIVATE_STATUS_NO_DOCUMENT_FOUND)
 	return NULL;
diff --git a/message.cc b/message.cc
index 21befc20..78b6fed6 100644
--- a/message.cc
+++ b/message.cc
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ _notmuch_message_create_for_message_id (const void *talloc_owner,
 	return talloc_steal (talloc_owner, message);
 
     term = talloc_asprintf (NULL, "%s%s",
-			    _find_prefix ("msgid"), message_id);
+			    _find_prefix ("id"), message_id);
     doc.add_term (term);
     talloc_free (term);
 
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ notmuch_message_get_message_id (notmuch_message_t *message)
 	return message->message_id;
 
     i = message->doc.termlist_begin ();
-    i.skip_to (_find_prefix ("msgid"));
+    i.skip_to (_find_prefix ("id"));
 
     if (i == message->doc.termlist_end ()) {
 	fprintf (stderr, "Internal error: Message with document ID of %d has no message ID.\n",