diff --git a/lib/database.cc b/lib/database.cc
index 4ff748f6..2aff56be 100644
--- a/lib/database.cc
+++ b/lib/database.cc
@@ -1605,8 +1605,8 @@ notmuch_database_upgrade (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
 		mtime = Xapian::sortable_unserialise (
 		    document.get_value (NOTMUCH_VALUE_TIMESTAMP));
 
-		directory = _notmuch_directory_create (notmuch, term.c_str () + 10,
-						       NOTMUCH_FIND_CREATE, &status);
+		directory = _notmuch_directory_find_or_create (notmuch, term.c_str () + 10,
+							       NOTMUCH_FIND_CREATE, &status);
 		notmuch_directory_set_mtime (directory, mtime);
 		notmuch_directory_destroy (directory);
 
@@ -1878,7 +1878,7 @@ _notmuch_database_find_directory_id (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
 	return NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
     }
 
-    directory = _notmuch_directory_create (notmuch, path, flags, &status);
+    directory = _notmuch_directory_find_or_create (notmuch, path, flags, &status);
     if (status || ! directory) {
 	*directory_id = -1;
 	return status;
@@ -1988,8 +1988,8 @@ notmuch_database_get_directory (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
     *directory = NULL;
 
     try {
-	*directory = _notmuch_directory_create (notmuch, path,
-						NOTMUCH_FIND_LOOKUP, &status);
+	*directory = _notmuch_directory_find_or_create (notmuch, path,
+							NOTMUCH_FIND_LOOKUP, &status);
     } catch (const Xapian::Error &error) {
 	_notmuch_database_log (notmuch, "A Xapian exception occurred getting directory: %s.\n",
 			       error.get_msg ().c_str ());
diff --git a/lib/directory.cc b/lib/directory.cc
index af71f402..09b49245 100644
--- a/lib/directory.cc
+++ b/lib/directory.cc
@@ -94,10 +94,10 @@ find_directory_document (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
  * NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS and this returns NULL.
  */
 notmuch_directory_t *
-_notmuch_directory_create (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
-			   const char *path,
-			   notmuch_find_flags_t flags,
-			   notmuch_status_t *status_ret)
+_notmuch_directory_find_or_create (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
+				   const char *path,
+				   notmuch_find_flags_t flags,
+				   notmuch_status_t *status_ret)
 {
     Xapian::WritableDatabase *db;
     notmuch_directory_t *directory;
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ _notmuch_directory_create (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
 	    directory->doc.get_value (NOTMUCH_VALUE_TIMESTAMP));
     } catch (const Xapian::Error &error) {
 	_notmuch_database_log (notmuch,
-			       "A Xapian exception occurred creating a directory: %s.\n",
+			       "A Xapian exception occurred finding/creating a directory: %s.\n",
 			       error.get_msg ().c_str ());
 	notmuch->exception_reported = true;
 	notmuch_directory_destroy (directory);
diff --git a/lib/notmuch-private.h b/lib/notmuch-private.h
index 28ced3a2..2bbbb293 100644
--- a/lib/notmuch-private.h
+++ b/lib/notmuch-private.h
@@ -251,10 +251,10 @@ _notmuch_database_filename_to_direntry (void *ctx,
 /* directory.cc */
 
 notmuch_directory_t *
-_notmuch_directory_create (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
-			   const char *path,
-			   notmuch_find_flags_t flags,
-			   notmuch_status_t *status_ret);
+_notmuch_directory_find_or_create (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
+				   const char *path,
+				   notmuch_find_flags_t flags,
+				   notmuch_status_t *status_ret);
 
 unsigned int
 _notmuch_directory_get_document_id (notmuch_directory_t *directory);
diff --git a/test/T560-lib-error.sh b/test/T560-lib-error.sh
index 8a608341..68180e41 100755
--- a/test/T560-lib-error.sh
+++ b/test/T560-lib-error.sh
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ sed 's/^\(A Xapian exception [^:]*\):.*$/\1/' < OUTPUT > OUTPUT.clean
 cat <<'EOF' >EXPECTED
 == stdout ==
 == stderr ==
-A Xapian exception occurred creating a directory
+A Xapian exception occurred finding/creating a directory
 EOF
 test_expect_equal_file EXPECTED OUTPUT.clean
 restore_database
diff --git a/test/T562-lib-database.sh b/test/T562-lib-database.sh
index 75a31091..f7391d3f 100755
--- a/test/T562-lib-database.sh
+++ b/test/T562-lib-database.sh
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ cat <<EOF > EXPECTED
 == stdout ==
 1
 == stderr ==
-A Xapian exception occurred creating a directory: Database has been closed.
+A Xapian exception occurred finding/creating a directory: Database has been closed.
 EOF
 test_expect_equal_file EXPECTED OUTPUT
 
@@ -289,7 +289,6 @@ EOF
 test_expect_equal_file EXPECTED OUTPUT
 
 test_begin_subtest "remove message file with a closed db"
-test_subtest_known_broken
 cat c_head - c_tail <<'EOF' | test_C ${MAIL_DIR}
     {
         EXPECT0(notmuch_database_close (db));