diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 99ef277d..a7d4c205 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,3 +1,20 @@
+Notmuch 0.23.4 (UNRELEASED)
+===========================
+
+Command Line Interface
+----------------------
+
+Improve error handling in notmuch insert
+
+  Database lock errors no longer prevent message file delivery to the
+  filesystem.  Certain errors during `notmuch insert` most likely to
+  be temporary return EX_TEMPFAIL.
+
+Emacs
+-----
+
+Restore autoload cookie for notmuch-search.
+
 Notmuch 0.23.3 (2016-11-27)
 ===========================
 
diff --git a/doc/man1/notmuch-insert.rst b/doc/man1/notmuch-insert.rst
index 9e7afc36..9847e674 100644
--- a/doc/man1/notmuch-insert.rst
+++ b/doc/man1/notmuch-insert.rst
@@ -60,6 +60,13 @@ indexing to Notmuch database, changing tags, and synchronizing tags to
 maildir flags. The ``--keep`` option may be used to settle for
 successful message file delivery.
 
+This command supports the following special exit status code for
+errors most likely to be temporary in nature, e.g. failure to get a
+database write lock.
+
+``75 (EX_TEMPFAIL)``
+    A temporary failure occured; the user is invited to retry.
+
 The exit status of the **post-insert** hook does not affect the exit
 status of the **insert** command.
 
diff --git a/emacs/notmuch.el b/emacs/notmuch.el
index 44519b7a..d8d3afeb 100644
--- a/emacs/notmuch.el
+++ b/emacs/notmuch.el
@@ -940,8 +940,8 @@ PROMPT is the string to prompt with."
   "Return the current query in this search buffer"
   notmuch-search-query-string)
 
-;;;###autoload
 (put 'notmuch-search 'notmuch-doc "Search for messages.")
+;;;###autoload
 (defun notmuch-search (&optional query oldest-first target-thread target-line no-display)
   "Display threads matching QUERY in a notmuch-search buffer.