--- a/gnus-sum.el	2010-09-26 14:53:35.000000000 -0400
+++ b/gnus-sum.el	2010-09-26 14:55:49.000000000 -0400
@@ -8826,26 +8826,38 @@
   (interactive "P")
   (let ((id (mail-header-id (gnus-summary-article-header)))
 	(limit (if limit (prefix-numeric-value limit)
-		 gnus-refer-thread-limit)))
-    (unless (eq gnus-fetch-old-headers 'invisible)
-      (gnus-message 5 "Fetching headers for %s..." gnus-newsgroup-name)
-      ;; Retrieve the headers and read them in.
-      (if (eq (if (numberp limit)
-		  (gnus-retrieve-headers
-		   (list (min
-			  (+ (mail-header-number
-			      (gnus-summary-article-header))
-			     limit)
-			  gnus-newsgroup-end))
-		   gnus-newsgroup-name (* limit 2))
-		;; gnus-refer-thread-limit is t, i.e. fetch _all_
-		;; headers.
-		(gnus-retrieve-headers (list gnus-newsgroup-end)
-				       gnus-newsgroup-name limit))
-	      'nov)
-	  (gnus-build-all-threads)
-	(error "Can't fetch thread from back ends that don't support NOV"))
-      (gnus-message 5 "Fetching headers for %s...done" gnus-newsgroup-name))
+		 gnus-refer-thread-limit))
+	(subject (mail-header-subject (gnus-summary-article-header)))
+	(group (if (string-match "-ephemeral" gnus-newsgroup-name)
+		   (replace-match "" nil t gnus-newsgroup-name)
+		 gnus-newsgroup-name)))
+    (if (string= (car (gnus-group-method group)) "nnimap")
+	(with-current-buffer (nnimap-buffer)
+	  (let ((result (nnimap-command
+			 "UID SEARCH OR HEADER REFERENCES %S HEADER  Message-Id %S" id id)))
+	    (gnus-summary-read-group-1  group t t nil nil
+					(and (car result)
+					     (delete 0 (mapcar #'string-to-number
+							       (cdr (assoc "SEARCH" (cdr result)))))))))
+      (unless (eq gnus-fetch-old-headers 'invisible)
+	(gnus-message 5 "Fetching headers for %s..." gnus-newsgroup-name)
+	;; Retrieve the headers and read them in.
+	(if (eq (if (numberp limit)
+		    (gnus-retrieve-headers
+		     (list (min
+			    (+ (mail-header-number
+				(gnus-summary-article-header))
+			       limit)
+			    gnus-newsgroup-end))
+		     gnus-newsgroup-name (* limit 2))
+		  ;; gnus-refer-thread-limit is t, i.e. fetch _all_
+		  ;; headers.
+		  (gnus-retrieve-headers (list gnus-newsgroup-end)
+					 gnus-newsgroup-name limit))
+		'nov)
+	    (gnus-build-all-threads)
+	  (error "Can't fetch thread from back ends that don't support NOV"))
+	(gnus-message 5 "Fetching headers for %s...done" gnus-newsgroup-name)))
     (gnus-summary-limit-include-thread id)))
 
 (defun gnus-summary-refer-article (message-id)