--- a/src/imap/imap-thread-finish.c	Tue May 13 02:00:28 2008 +0300
+++ b/src/imap/imap-thread-finish.c	Tue May 13 02:29:41 2008 +0300
@@ -518,7 +518,6 @@
 	const struct mail_thread_node *node;
 	int ret;
 
-	str_append_c(str, '(');
 	if (!root->dummy) {
 		node = mail_hash_lookup_idx(ctx->hash_trans, root->node.idx);
 		i_assert(node->uid != 0 && node->exists);
@@ -537,15 +536,13 @@
 		if (ret < 0)
 			return -1;
 	}
-
-	str_append_c(str, ')');
 	return 0;
 }
 
 static int send_roots(struct thread_finish_context *ctx)
 {
 	const struct mail_thread_root_node *roots;
-	unsigned int i, count;
+	unsigned int i, count, child_count;
 	string_t *str;
 	int ret = 0;
 
@@ -553,13 +550,30 @@
 	str_append(str, "* THREAD ");
 
 	roots = array_get(&ctx->roots, &count);
-	for (i = 0; i < count; i++) {
-		if (!roots[i].ignore) {
-			if (send_root(ctx, str, &roots[i]) < 0) {
-				ret = -1;
+	/* see if we have only one child */
+	for (i = 0, child_count = 0; i < count && child_count < 2; i++) {
+		if (!roots[i].ignore)
+			child_count++;
+	}
+	if (child_count == 1) {
+		for (i = 0; i < count; i++) {
+			if (!roots[i].ignore) {
+				if (!roots[i].dummy)
+					str_append_c(str, '(');
+				ret = send_root(ctx, str, &roots[i]);
+				if (!roots[i].dummy)
+					str_append_c(str, ')');
 				break;
 			}
 		}
+	} else {
+		for (i = 0; i < count && ret == 0; i++) {
+			if (!roots[i].ignore) {
+				str_append_c(str, '(');
+				ret = send_root(ctx, str, &roots[i]);
+				str_append_c(str, ')');
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	if (ret == 0) {