diff --git a/emacs/notmuch-hello.el b/emacs/notmuch-hello.el
index 8bde808f..b42e0f24 100644
--- a/emacs/notmuch-hello.el
+++ b/emacs/notmuch-hello.el
@@ -652,8 +652,12 @@ with `notmuch-hello-query-counts'."
 
 (defvar notmuch-hello-mode-map
   (let ((map (if (fboundp 'make-composed-keymap)
-		 ;; Inherit both widget-keymap and notmuch-common-keymap
-		 (make-composed-keymap widget-keymap)
+		 ;; Inherit both widget-keymap and
+		 ;; notmuch-common-keymap. We have to use
+		 ;; make-sparse-keymap to force this to be a new
+		 ;; keymap (so that when we modify map it does not
+		 ;; modify widget-keymap).
+		 (make-composed-keymap (list (make-sparse-keymap) widget-keymap))
 	       ;; Before Emacs 24, keymaps didn't support multiple
 	       ;; inheritance,, so just copy the widget keymap since
 	       ;; it's unlikely to change.
diff --git a/emacs/notmuch-lib.el b/emacs/notmuch-lib.el
index 1c3a9fe1..89c01a57 100644
--- a/emacs/notmuch-lib.el
+++ b/emacs/notmuch-lib.el
@@ -243,8 +243,9 @@ depending on the value of `notmuch-poll-script'."
   (interactive)
   (if (stringp notmuch-poll-script)
       (unless (string= notmuch-poll-script "")
-	(call-process notmuch-poll-script nil nil))
-    (call-process notmuch-command nil nil nil "new")))
+	(unless (equal (call-process notmuch-poll-script nil nil) 0)
+	  (error "Notmuch: poll script `%s' failed!" notmuch-poll-script)))
+    (notmuch-call-notmuch-process "new")))
 
 (defun notmuch-bury-or-kill-this-buffer ()
   "Undisplay the current buffer.