diff --git a/lib/notmuch.h b/lib/notmuch.h
index 9b40fb69..8bba442f 100644
--- a/lib/notmuch.h
+++ b/lib/notmuch.h
@@ -361,14 +361,6 @@ notmuch_query_search_threads (notmuch_query_t *query);
  * messages object is owned by the query and as such, will only be
  * valid until notmuch_query_destroy.
  *
- * The 'first' and 'max_messages' arguments can be used to obtain
- * partial results from the search. For example, to get results 10 at
- * a time, pass 'max_messages' as 10 and for 'first' pass the values
- * 0, 10, 20, etc. As a special case, a value of -1 for 'max_messages'
- * indicates that no limiting is to be performed. So a search with
- * 'first' == 0 and 'max_messages' == -1 will return the complete
- * results of the search.
- *
  * Typical usage might be:
  *
  *     notmuch_query_t *query;
@@ -401,8 +393,7 @@ notmuch_query_search_threads (notmuch_query_t *query);
  * reason to call it if the query is about to be destroyed).
  */
 notmuch_messages_t *
-notmuch_query_search_messages (notmuch_query_t *query,
-			       int first, int max_messages);
+notmuch_query_search_messages (notmuch_query_t *query);
 
 /* Destroy a notmuch_query_t along with any associated resources.
  *
diff --git a/lib/query.cc b/lib/query.cc
index 504ab9e6..7d191e52 100644
--- a/lib/query.cc
+++ b/lib/query.cc
@@ -76,9 +76,7 @@ notmuch_query_set_sort (notmuch_query_t *query, notmuch_sort_t sort)
 }
 
 notmuch_messages_t *
-notmuch_query_search_messages (notmuch_query_t *query,
-			       int first,
-			       int max_messages)
+notmuch_query_search_messages (notmuch_query_t *query)
 {
     notmuch_database_t *notmuch = query->notmuch;
     const char *query_string = query->query_string;
@@ -130,9 +128,7 @@ notmuch_query_search_messages (notmuch_query_t *query,
 
 	enquire.set_query (final_query);
 
-	if (max_messages == -1)
-	    max_messages = notmuch->xapian_db->get_doccount ();
-	mset = enquire.get_mset (first, max_messages);
+	mset = enquire.get_mset (0, notmuch->xapian_db->get_doccount ());
 
 	for (i = mset.begin (); i != mset.end (); i++) {
 	    notmuch_message_t *message;
@@ -186,7 +182,7 @@ notmuch_query_search_threads (notmuch_query_t *query)
     threads->threads = g_hash_table_new_full (g_str_hash, g_str_equal,
 					      free, NULL);
 
-    threads->messages = notmuch_query_search_messages (query, 0, -1);
+    threads->messages = notmuch_query_search_messages (query);
 
     threads->thread_id = NULL;
 
diff --git a/lib/thread.cc b/lib/thread.cc
index 267f4dba..58d88c2d 100644
--- a/lib/thread.cc
+++ b/lib/thread.cc
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ _notmuch_thread_create (void *ctx,
 
     notmuch_query_set_sort (thread_id_query, NOTMUCH_SORT_OLDEST_FIRST);
 
-    for (messages = notmuch_query_search_messages (thread_id_query, 0, -1);
+    for (messages = notmuch_query_search_messages (thread_id_query);
 	 notmuch_messages_has_more (messages);
 	 notmuch_messages_advance (messages))
     {
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ _notmuch_thread_create (void *ctx,
 
     notmuch_query_destroy (thread_id_query);
 
-    for (messages = notmuch_query_search_messages (matched_query, 0, -1);
+    for (messages = notmuch_query_search_messages (matched_query);
 	 notmuch_messages_has_more (messages);
 	 notmuch_messages_advance (messages))
     {
diff --git a/notmuch-dump.c b/notmuch-dump.c
index fc06f3f9..ea326bb6 100644
--- a/notmuch-dump.c
+++ b/notmuch-dump.c
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ notmuch_dump_command (unused (void *ctx), int argc, char *argv[])
 	output = stdout;
     }
 
-    for (messages = notmuch_query_search_messages (query, 0, -1);
+    for (messages = notmuch_query_search_messages (query);
 	 notmuch_messages_has_more (messages);
 	 notmuch_messages_advance (messages))
     {
diff --git a/notmuch-reply.c b/notmuch-reply.c
index cd81e769..65bd3564 100644
--- a/notmuch-reply.c
+++ b/notmuch-reply.c
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ notmuch_reply_command (void *ctx, int argc, char *argv[])
 	return 1;
     }
 
-    for (messages = notmuch_query_search_messages (query, 0, -1);
+    for (messages = notmuch_query_search_messages (query);
 	 notmuch_messages_has_more (messages);
 	 notmuch_messages_advance (messages))
     {
diff --git a/notmuch-tag.c b/notmuch-tag.c
index e2311f61..07cb8c5f 100644
--- a/notmuch-tag.c
+++ b/notmuch-tag.c
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ notmuch_tag_command (void *ctx, unused (int argc), unused (char *argv[]))
 	return 1;
     }
 
-    for (messages = notmuch_query_search_messages (query, 0, -1);
+    for (messages = notmuch_query_search_messages (query);
 	 notmuch_messages_has_more (messages) && !interrupted;
 	 notmuch_messages_advance (messages))
     {