diff --git a/lib/database.cc b/lib/database.cc
index f8c4a7d1..df996a9a 100644
--- a/lib/database.cc
+++ b/lib/database.cc
@@ -956,7 +956,7 @@ notmuch_database_upgrade (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
 		    document.get_value (NOTMUCH_VALUE_TIMESTAMP));
 
 		directory = _notmuch_directory_create (notmuch, term.c_str() + 10,
-						       &status);
+						       NOTMUCH_FIND_CREATE, &status);
 		notmuch_directory_set_mtime (directory, mtime);
 		notmuch_directory_destroy (directory);
 	    }
@@ -1210,7 +1210,7 @@ _notmuch_database_find_directory_id (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
 	return NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
     }
 
-    directory = _notmuch_directory_create (notmuch, path, &status);
+    directory = _notmuch_directory_create (notmuch, path, NOTMUCH_FIND_CREATE, &status);
     if (status) {
 	*directory_id = -1;
 	return status;
@@ -1320,7 +1320,7 @@ notmuch_database_get_directory (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
 	return NOTMUCH_STATUS_READ_ONLY_DATABASE;
 
     try {
-	*directory = _notmuch_directory_create (notmuch, path, &status);
+	*directory = _notmuch_directory_create (notmuch, path, NOTMUCH_FIND_CREATE, &status);
     } catch (const Xapian::Error &error) {
 	fprintf (stderr, "A Xapian exception occurred getting directory: %s.\n",
 		 error.get_msg().c_str());
diff --git a/lib/directory.cc b/lib/directory.cc
index 70e1693e..83bb19bc 100644
--- a/lib/directory.cc
+++ b/lib/directory.cc
@@ -82,28 +82,41 @@ find_directory_document (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
     return NOTMUCH_PRIVATE_STATUS_SUCCESS;
 }
 
+/* Find or create a directory document.
+ *
+ * 'path' should be a path relative to the path of 'database', or else
+ * should be an absolute path with initial components that match the
+ * path of 'database'.
+ *
+ * If (flags & NOTMUCH_FIND_CREATE), then the directory document will
+ * be created if it does not exist.  Otherwise, if the directory
+ * document does not exist, *status_ret is set to
+ * 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)
 {
     Xapian::WritableDatabase *db;
     notmuch_directory_t *directory;
     notmuch_private_status_t private_status;
     const char *db_path;
+    notmuch_bool_t create = (flags & NOTMUCH_FIND_CREATE);
 
     *status_ret = NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
 
     path = _notmuch_database_relative_path (notmuch, path);
 
-    if (notmuch->mode == NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_ONLY)
+    if (create && notmuch->mode == NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_ONLY)
 	INTERNAL_ERROR ("Failure to ensure database is writable");
 
-    db = static_cast <Xapian::WritableDatabase *> (notmuch->xapian_db);
-
     directory = talloc (notmuch, notmuch_directory_t);
-    if (unlikely (directory == NULL))
+    if (unlikely (directory == NULL)) {
+	*status_ret = NOTMUCH_STATUS_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
 	return NULL;
+    }
 
     directory->notmuch = notmuch;
 
@@ -122,6 +135,13 @@ _notmuch_directory_create (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
 	directory->document_id = directory->doc.get_docid ();
 
 	if (private_status == NOTMUCH_PRIVATE_STATUS_NO_DOCUMENT_FOUND) {
+	    if (!create) {
+		notmuch_directory_destroy (directory);
+		directory = NULL;
+		*status_ret = NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
+		goto DONE;
+	    }
+
 	    void *local = talloc_new (directory);
 	    const char *parent, *basename;
 	    Xapian::docid parent_id;
@@ -145,6 +165,8 @@ _notmuch_directory_create (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
 	    directory->doc.add_value (NOTMUCH_VALUE_TIMESTAMP,
 				      Xapian::sortable_serialise (0));
 
+	    db = static_cast <Xapian::WritableDatabase *> (notmuch->xapian_db);
+
 	    directory->document_id = _notmuch_database_generate_doc_id (notmuch);
 	    db->replace_document (directory->document_id, directory->doc);
 	    talloc_free (local);
@@ -158,10 +180,11 @@ _notmuch_directory_create (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
 		 error.get_msg().c_str());
 	notmuch->exception_reported = TRUE;
 	notmuch_directory_destroy (directory);
+	directory = NULL;
 	*status_ret = NOTMUCH_STATUS_XAPIAN_EXCEPTION;
-	return NULL;
     }
 
+  DONE:
     if (db_path != path)
 	free ((char *) db_path);
 
diff --git a/lib/notmuch-private.h b/lib/notmuch-private.h
index 3886e0ca..538274f4 100644
--- a/lib/notmuch-private.h
+++ b/lib/notmuch-private.h
@@ -146,6 +146,13 @@ typedef enum _notmuch_private_status {
      :									\
      (notmuch_status_t) private_status)
 
+/* Flags shared by various lookup functions. */
+typedef enum _notmuch_find_flags {
+    /* If set, create the necessary document (or documents) if they
+     * are missing.  Requires a read/write database. */
+    NOTMUCH_FIND_CREATE = 1<<0,
+} notmuch_find_flags_t;
+
 typedef struct _notmuch_doc_id_set notmuch_doc_id_set_t;
 
 typedef struct _notmuch_string_list notmuch_string_list_t;
@@ -206,6 +213,7 @@ _notmuch_database_filename_to_direntry (void *ctx,
 notmuch_directory_t *
 _notmuch_directory_create (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
 			   const char *path,
+			   notmuch_find_flags_t flags,
 			   notmuch_status_t *status_ret);
 
 unsigned int