diff --git a/lisp/nnir.el b/lisp/nnir.el
index 2a264d1..2dcebe6 100644
--- a/lisp/nnir.el
+++ b/lisp/nnir.el
@@ -343,7 +343,8 @@
 (eval-when-compile
   (autoload 'nnimap-buffer "nnimap")
   (autoload 'nnimap-command "nnimap")
-  (autoload 'nnimap-possibly-change-group "nnimap"))
+  (autoload 'nnimap-possibly-change-group "nnimap")
+  (autoload 'nnimap-find-thread "nnimap"))
 
 (nnoo-declare nnir)
 (nnoo-define-basics nnir)
@@ -717,21 +718,8 @@ and show thread that contains this article."
 	 (refs (split-string
 		(mail-header-references (gnus-summary-article-header)))))
     (if (string= (car (gnus-group-method group)) "nnimap")
-	(with-current-buffer (nnimap-buffer)
-	  (let* ((cmd (let ((value
-			     (format
-			      "(OR HEADER REFERENCES %s HEADER Message-Id %s)"
-			      id id)))
-			(dolist (refid refs value)
-			  (setq value (format
-				       "(OR (OR HEADER Message-Id %s HEADER REFERENCES %s) %s)"
-				       refid refid value)))))
-		 (result (nnimap-command
-			  "UID SEARCH %s" cmd)))
-	    (gnus-summary-read-group-1 group t t gnus-summary-buffer nil
-				       (and (car result)
-					    (delete 0 (mapcar #'string-to-number
-							      (cdr (assoc "SEARCH" (cdr result)))))))))
+	(gnus-summary-read-group-1 group t t gnus-summary-buffer nil
+				   (nnimap-find-thread id refs))
       (gnus-summary-read-group-1 group t t gnus-summary-buffer
 				 nil (list backend-number))
       (gnus-summary-limit (list backend-number))


diff --git a/lisp/nnimap.el b/lisp/nnimap.el
index c6c8787..5de8518 100644
--- a/lisp/nnimap.el
+++ b/lisp/nnimap.el
@@ -1659,6 +1659,22 @@ textual parts.")
 		  group-art))
 	  nnimap-incoming-split-list)))
 
+(defun nnimap-find-thread (id refs)
+  (let* ((cmd (let ((value
+		     (format
+		      "(OR HEADER REFERENCES %s HEADER Message-Id %s)"
+		      id id)))
+		(dolist (refid refs value)
+		  (setq value (format
+			       "(OR (OR HEADER Message-Id %s HEADER REFERENCES %s) %s)"
+			       refid refid value)))))
+	 (result (with-current-buffer (nnimap-buffer)
+		   (nnimap-command
+		    "UID SEARCH %s" cmd))))
+    (and (car result)
+	 (delete 0 (mapcar #'string-to-number
+			   (cdr (assoc "SEARCH" (cdr result))))))))
+
 (provide 'nnimap)
 
 ;;; nnimap.el ends here


diff --git a/lisp/gnus-sum.el b/lisp/gnus-sum.el
index 1086e28..a2f7a90 100644
--- a/lisp/gnus-sum.el
+++ b/lisp/gnus-sum.el
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@
 (autoload 'gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines "deuglify" nil t)
 (autoload 'gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution "deuglify" nil t)
 (autoload 'gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation "deuglify" nil t)
+(autoload 'nnimap-find-thread "nnimap")
 
 (defcustom gnus-kill-summary-on-exit t
   "*If non-nil, kill the summary buffer when you exit from it.
@@ -8828,28 +8829,35 @@ If LIMIT (the numerical prefix), fetch that many old headers instead
 of what's specified by the `gnus-refer-thread-limit' variable."
   (interactive "P")
   (let ((id (mail-header-id (gnus-summary-article-header)))
+	(refs (split-string   (or
+	       (mail-header-references (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-summary-limit-include-thread id)))
+    (if (string= (car (gnus-group-method gnus-newsgroup-name)) "nnimap")
+	(progn	(gnus-select-newsgroup gnus-newsgroup-name nil
+				       (nnimap-find-thread id refs))
+		(when gnus-build-sparse-threads
+		  (gnus-build-sparse-threads)))
+      (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)
   "Fetch an article specified by MESSAGE-ID."