diff --git a/lib/database.cc b/lib/database.cc
index 205d0360..dc967c8c 100644
--- a/lib/database.cc
+++ b/lib/database.cc
@@ -1201,14 +1201,16 @@ notmuch_database_remove_message (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
 	    strncmp ((*j).c_str (), prefix, strlen (prefix)))
 	{
 	    db->delete_document (document.get_docid ());
+	    status = NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
 	} else {
 	    db->replace_document (document.get_docid (), document);
+	    status = NOTMUCH_STATUS_DUPLICATE_MESSAGE_ID;
 	}
     }
 
     talloc_free (local);
 
-    return NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+    return status;
 }
 
 notmuch_tags_t *
diff --git a/lib/notmuch.h b/lib/notmuch.h
index 52078e81..110061c2 100644
--- a/lib/notmuch.h
+++ b/lib/notmuch.h
@@ -237,12 +237,21 @@ notmuch_database_add_message (notmuch_database_t *database,
 
 /* Remove a message from the given notmuch database.
  *
- * Note that the only this particular filename association is removed
- * from the database. If the same message (as determined by the
- * message ID) is still available via other filenames, then the
- * message will persist in the database for those filenames. When the
- * last filename is removed for a particular message, the database
- * content for that message will be entirely removed.
+ * Note that only this particular filename association is removed from
+ * the database. If the same message (as determined by the message ID)
+ * is still available via other filenames, then the message will
+ * persist in the database for those filenames. When the last filename
+ * is removed for a particular message, the database content for that
+ * message will be entirely removed.
+ *
+ * Return value:
+ *
+ * NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS: The last filename was removed and the
+ *	message was removed from the database.
+ *
+ * NOTMUCH_STATUS_DUPLICATE_MESSAGE_ID: This filename was removed but
+ *	the message persists in the database with at least one other
+ *	filename.
  */
 notmuch_status_t
 notmuch_database_remove_message (notmuch_database_t *database,