diff -urN -x '*~' mutt-1.5.4orig/curs_main.c mutt-1.5.4/curs_main.c
--- mutt-1.5.4orig/curs_main.c	2003-01-23 23:04:28.000000000 +0100
+++ mutt-1.5.4/curs_main.c	2003-06-02 16:30:04.000000000 +0200
@@ -102,6 +102,19 @@
 extern const char *ReleaseDate;
 extern size_t UngetCount;
 
+#define ASCII_CTRL_G                  0x07
+#define ASCII_CTRL_OPEN_SQUARE_BRAKET 0x1b
+ 
+static void set_xterm_title_bar(char *title)
+{
+fprintf(stderr ,"%c]2;%s%c", ASCII_CTRL_OPEN_SQUARE_BRAKET, title, ASCII_CTRL_G);
+}
+
+static void set_xterm_icon_name(char *name)
+{
+fprintf(stderr, "%c]1;%s%c", ASCII_CTRL_OPEN_SQUARE_BRAKET, name, ASCII_CTRL_G);
+}
+
 void index_make_entry (char *s, size_t l, MUTTMENU *menu, int num)
 {
   format_flag flag = M_FORMAT_MAKEPRINT | M_FORMAT_ARROWCURSOR | M_FORMAT_INDEX;
@@ -560,6 +573,13 @@
 	mutt_paddstr (COLS, buf);
 	SETCOLOR (MT_COLOR_NORMAL);
 	menu->redraw &= ~REDRAW_STATUS;
+        if (option(OPTXTERMSETTITLES))
+        {
+          menu_status_line (buf, sizeof (buf), menu, NONULL (XtermTitle));
+          set_xterm_title_bar(buf);
+          menu_status_line (buf, sizeof (buf), menu, NONULL (XtermIcon));
+          set_xterm_icon_name(buf);
+        }
       }
 
       menu->redraw = 0;
diff -urN -x '*~' mutt-1.5.4orig/globals.h mutt-1.5.4/globals.h
--- mutt-1.5.4orig/globals.h	2003-03-07 09:19:41.000000000 +0100
+++ mutt-1.5.4/globals.h	2003-06-02 16:30:04.000000000 +0200
@@ -112,6 +112,8 @@
 WHERE char *Tochars;
 WHERE char *Username;
 WHERE char *Visual;
+WHERE char *XtermTitle;
+WHERE char *XtermIcon;
 
 WHERE char *LastFolder;
 
diff -urN -x '*~' mutt-1.5.4orig/init.c mutt-1.5.4/init.c
--- mutt-1.5.4orig/init.c	2003-03-04 08:49:48.000000000 +0100
+++ mutt-1.5.4/init.c	2003-06-02 16:30:04.000000000 +0200
@@ -890,6 +890,17 @@
 	toggle_option (MuttVars[idx].data);
       else
 	set_option (MuttVars[idx].data);
+
+      /* sanity check for xterm */
+      if ((mutt_strcmp (MuttVars[idx].option, "xterm_set_titles") == 0) && option
+ (OPTXTERMSETTITLES))
+      {
+        char *ep = getenv ("TERM");
+        /* Make sure that the terminal can take the control codes */
+        if (ep == NULL) unset_option (MuttVars[idx].data);
+        else if (mutt_strcasecmp (ep, "xterm") != 0) unset_option (MuttVars[idx].
+data);
+      }
     }
     else if (DTYPE (MuttVars[idx].type) == DT_STR ||
 	     DTYPE (MuttVars[idx].type) == DT_PATH ||
diff -urN -x '*~' mutt-1.5.4orig/init.h mutt-1.5.4/init.h
--- mutt-1.5.4orig/init.h	2003-03-04 10:28:12.000000000 +0100
+++ mutt-1.5.4/init.h	2003-06-02 16:30:04.000000000 +0200
@@ -2639,6 +2639,27 @@
   ** name of original article author) to article that followuped to newsgroup.
   */
 #endif
+  {"xterm_icon",       DT_STR,   R_BOTH, UL &XtermIcon,  UL "M%?n?AIL&ail?"},
+  /*
+  ** .pp
+  ** Controls the format of the icon title, as long as xterm_set_titles
+  ** is enabled. This string is identical in formatting to the one used by
+  ** ``$$status_format''.
+  */
+  {"xterm_set_titles", DT_BOOL,  R_BOTH, OPTXTERMSETTITLES, 0},
+  /*
+  ** .pp
+  ** Controls whether mutt sets the xterm title bar and icon name
+  ** (as long as you're in an appropriate terminal). The default must
+  ** be off to force in the validity checking.
+  */
+  {"xterm_title",      DT_STR,   R_BOTH, UL &XtermTitle, UL "Mutt with %?m?%m messages&no messages?%?n? [%n NEW]?"},
+  /*
+  ** .pp
+  ** Controls the format of the title bar of the xterm provided that
+  ** xterm_set_titles has been set. This string is identical in formatting
+  ** to the one used by ``$$status_format''.
+  */
   /*--*/
   { NULL }
 };
diff -urN -x '*~' mutt-1.5.4orig/mutt.h mutt-1.5.4/mutt.h
--- mutt-1.5.4orig/mutt.h	2003-03-04 08:49:48.000000000 +0100
+++ mutt-1.5.4/mutt.h	2003-06-02 16:30:04.000000000 +0200
@@ -422,6 +422,7 @@
   OPTWRAPSEARCH,
   OPTWRITEBCC,		/* write out a bcc header? */
   OPTXMAILER,
+  OPTXTERMSETTITLES,
 
   /* PGP options */
   
diff -urN -x '*~' mutt-1.5.4orig/pager.c mutt-1.5.4/pager.c
--- mutt-1.5.4orig/pager.c	2003-01-23 23:04:28.000000000 +0100
+++ mutt-1.5.4/pager.c	2003-06-02 16:44:43.000000000 +0200
@@ -86,6 +86,19 @@
 		}
 #endif
 
+#define ASCII_CTRL_G                  0x07
+#define ASCII_CTRL_OPEN_SQUARE_BRAKET 0x1b
+
+static void set_xterm_title_bar(char *title)
+{
+  fprintf(stderr ,"%c]2;%s%c", ASCII_CTRL_OPEN_SQUARE_BRAKET, title, ASCII_CTRL_G);
+}
+
+static void set_xterm_icon_name(char *name)
+{
+  fprintf(stderr, "%c]1;%s%c", ASCII_CTRL_OPEN_SQUARE_BRAKET, name, ASCII_CTRL_G);
+}
+
 struct q_class_t
 {
   int length;
@@ -1740,6 +1753,13 @@
       SETCOLOR (MT_COLOR_STATUS);
       mutt_paddstr (COLS, buffer);
       SETCOLOR (MT_COLOR_NORMAL);
+      if (option(OPTXTERMSETTITLES))
+      {
+	menu_status_line (buffer, sizeof (buffer), index, NONULL (XtermTitle));
+	set_xterm_title_bar(buffer);
+	menu_status_line (buffer, sizeof (buffer), index, NONULL (XtermIcon));
+	set_xterm_icon_name(buffer);
+      }
     }
 
     redraw = 0;