diff --git a/src/db.cc b/src/db.cc
index 26e2c7ef2..bb30ab8db 100644
--- a/src/db.cc
+++ b/src/db.cc
@@ -451,7 +451,6 @@ namespace Astroid {
     string query_s = "thread:" + thread_id;
 
     notmuch_query_t * query = notmuch_query_create (nm_db, query_s.c_str());
-    notmuch_thread_t  * nm_thread;
     notmuch_threads_t * nm_threads;
     notmuch_status_t st = NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
 
@@ -469,13 +468,8 @@ namespace Astroid {
     int c = 0;
     for ( ; notmuch_threads_valid (nm_threads);
          notmuch_threads_move_to_next (nm_threads)) {
-      if (c > 0) {
-        LOG (error) << "db: got more than one thread for thread id.";
-        throw invalid_argument ("db: got more than one thread for thread id.");
-      }
-
-      nm_thread = notmuch_threads_get (nm_threads);
-
+      notmuch_thread_t* nm_thread = notmuch_threads_get (nm_threads);
+      func (nm_thread);
       c++;
     }
 
@@ -486,9 +480,6 @@ namespace Astroid {
       return;
     }
 
-    /* call function */
-    func (nm_thread);
-
     /* free resources */
     notmuch_query_destroy (query);
   }
diff --git a/src/modes/thread_index/query_loader.cc b/src/modes/thread_index/query_loader.cc
index 40f384ba3..8a5167ff7 100644
--- a/src/modes/thread_index/query_loader.cc
+++ b/src/modes/thread_index/query_loader.cc
@@ -336,35 +336,31 @@ namespace Astroid {
         Gtk::TreeViewColumn *c;
         list_view->get_cursor (path, c);
 
-        auto iter = list_store->prepend ();
-        Gtk::ListStore::Row newrow = *iter;
 
-        NotmuchThread * t;
-
-        db->on_thread (thread_id, [&t](notmuch_thread_t *nmt) {
-
-            t = new NotmuchThread (nmt);
-
-          });
-
-        newrow[list_store->columns.newest_date] = t->newest_date;
-        newrow[list_store->columns.oldest_date] = t->oldest_date;
-        newrow[list_store->columns.thread_id]   = t->thread_id;
-        newrow[list_store->columns.thread]      = Glib::RefPtr<NotmuchThread>(t);
-
-        /* check if we should select it (if this is the only item) */
-        if (list_store->children().size() == 1) {
-          if (!in_destructor)
-            first_thread_ready.emit ();
-        } else {
-
-          if (path == Gtk::TreePath ("0")) {
-            Gtk::TreePath addpath = list_store->get_path (iter);
-            if (addpath <= path) {
-              list_view->set_cursor (addpath);
+        db->on_thread (thread_id, [this, &path](notmuch_thread_t *nmt) {
+            auto iter = list_store->prepend();
+            Gtk::ListStore::Row newrow = *iter;
+            NotmuchThread* t = new NotmuchThread (nmt);
+
+            newrow[list_store->columns.newest_date] = t->newest_date;
+            newrow[list_store->columns.oldest_date] = t->oldest_date;
+            newrow[list_store->columns.thread_id]   = t->thread_id;
+            newrow[list_store->columns.thread]      = Glib::RefPtr<NotmuchThread>(t);
+
+            /* check if we should select it (if this is the only item) */
+            if (list_store->children().size() == 1) {
+              if (!in_destructor)
+                first_thread_ready.emit ();
+            } else {
+
+              if (path == Gtk::TreePath ("0")) {
+                Gtk::TreePath addpath = list_store->get_path (iter);
+                if (addpath <= path) {
+                  list_view->set_cursor (addpath);
+                }
+              }
             }
-          }
-        }
+          });
 
         changed = true;
       }