diff --git a/src/import.c b/src/import.c
index 4fc0c02..e21f51b 100644
--- a/src/import.c
+++ b/src/import.c
@@ -119,15 +119,15 @@
 }
 
 
-unsigned long get_folder_id(struct session_data *sdata, char *foldername){
+unsigned long get_folder_id(struct session_data *sdata, char *foldername, int parent_id){
    unsigned long id=0;
    char s[SMALLBUFSIZE];
    MYSQL_STMT *stmt;
-   MYSQL_BIND bind[1];
-   unsigned long len[1];
+   MYSQL_BIND bind[2];
+   unsigned long len[2];
 
 
-   snprintf(s, SMALLBUFSIZE-1, "SELECT `id` FROM %s WHERE `name`=?", SQL_FOLDER_TABLE);
+   snprintf(s, SMALLBUFSIZE-1, "SELECT `id` FROM %s WHERE `name`=? AND `parent_id`=?", SQL_FOLDER_TABLE);
 
    if(prepare_a_mysql_statement(sdata, &stmt, s) == ERR) goto ENDE;
 
@@ -138,6 +138,10 @@
    bind[0].is_null = 0;
    len[0] = strlen(foldername); bind[0].length = &len[0];
 
+   bind[1].buffer_type = MYSQL_TYPE_LONG;
+   bind[1].buffer = (char *)&parent_id;
+   bind[1].is_null = 0;
+   bind[1].length = 0;
 
    if(mysql_stmt_bind_param(stmt, bind)){
       goto CLOSE;
@@ -175,7 +179,7 @@
 }
 
 
-unsigned long add_new_folder(struct session_data *sdata, char *foldername){
+unsigned long add_new_folder(struct session_data *sdata, char *foldername, int parent_id){
    unsigned long id=0;
    char s[SMALLBUFSIZE];
    MYSQL_STMT *stmt;
@@ -183,7 +187,7 @@
    unsigned long len[2];
 
 
-   snprintf(s, sizeof(s)-1, "INSERT INTO %s (`name`) VALUES(?)", SQL_FOLDER_TABLE);
+   snprintf(s, sizeof(s)-1, "INSERT INTO %s (`name`, `parent_id`) VALUES(?,?)", SQL_FOLDER_TABLE);
 
    if(prepare_a_mysql_statement(sdata, &stmt, s) == ERR) goto ENDE;
 
@@ -194,6 +198,11 @@
    bind[0].is_null = 0;
    len[0] = strlen(foldername); bind[0].length = &len[0];
 
+   bind[1].buffer_type = MYSQL_TYPE_LONG;
+   bind[1].buffer = (char *)&parent_id;
+   bind[1].is_null = 0;
+   bind[1].length = 0;
+
    if(mysql_stmt_bind_param(stmt, bind)){
       syslog(LOG_PRIORITY, "%s: %s.mysql_stmt_bind_param() error: %s", sdata->ttmpfile, SQL_FOLDER_TABLE, mysql_stmt_error(stmt));
       goto CLOSE;
diff --git a/src/piler.c b/src/piler.c
index 2ef5ef6..e2b8415 100644
--- a/src/piler.c
+++ b/src/piler.c
@@ -289,6 +289,7 @@
    free_rule(data.retention_rules);
 
    data.folder = 0;
+   data.recursive_folder_names = 0;
    data.archiving_rules = NULL;
    data.retention_rules = NULL;
 
@@ -343,6 +344,7 @@
    (void) openlog(PROGNAME, LOG_PID, LOG_MAIL);
 
    data.folder = 0;
+   data.recursive_folder_names = 0;
    data.archiving_rules = NULL;
    data.retention_rules = NULL;
 
diff --git a/src/piler.h b/src/piler.h
index d1b1026..1018165 100644
--- a/src/piler.h
+++ b/src/piler.h
@@ -52,8 +52,8 @@
 int prepare_a_mysql_statement(struct session_data *sdata, MYSQL_STMT **stmt, char *s);
 
 int import_message(char *filename, struct session_data *sdata, struct __data *data, struct __config *cfg);
-unsigned long get_folder_id(struct session_data *sdata, char *foldername);
-unsigned long add_new_folder(struct session_data *sdata, char *foldername);
+unsigned long get_folder_id(struct session_data *sdata, char *foldername, int parent_id);
+unsigned long add_new_folder(struct session_data *sdata, char *foldername, int parent_id);
 
 int store_index_data(struct session_data *sdata, struct _state *state, struct __data *data, uint64 id, struct __config *cfg);
 
diff --git a/src/pilerimport.c b/src/pilerimport.c
index 10ace8e..8cf13de 100644
--- a/src/pilerimport.c
+++ b/src/pilerimport.c
@@ -88,7 +88,8 @@
 int import_mbox_from_dir(char *directory, struct session_data *sdata, struct __data *data, int *tot_msgs, struct __config *cfg){
    DIR *dir;
    struct dirent *de;
-   int rc=ERR, ret=OK;
+   int rc=ERR, ret=OK, i=0;
+   unsigned long folder;
    char fname[SMALLBUFSIZE];
    struct stat st;
 
@@ -106,16 +107,35 @@
 
       if(stat(fname, &st) == 0){
          if(S_ISDIR(st.st_mode)){
+            folder = data->folder;
             rc = import_mbox_from_dir(fname, sdata, data, tot_msgs, cfg);
+            data->folder = folder;
             if(rc == ERR) ret = ERR;
          }
          else {
 
             if(S_ISREG(st.st_mode)){
+               if(i == 0 && data->recursive_folder_names == 1){
+                  folder = get_folder_id(sdata, fname, data->folder);
+                  if(folder == 0){
+                     folder = add_new_folder(sdata, fname, data->folder);
+
+                     if(folder == 0){
+                        printf("error: cannot get/add folder '%s' to parent id: %d\n", fname, data->folder);
+                        return ERR;
+                     }
+                     else {
+                        data->folder = folder;
+                     }
+                  }
+
+               }
+
                rc = import_from_mailbox(fname, sdata, data, cfg);
                if(rc == OK) (*tot_msgs)++;
                else ret = ERR;
 
+               i++;
             }
             else {
                printf("%s is not a file\n", fname);
@@ -137,8 +157,9 @@
 int import_from_maildir(char *directory, struct session_data *sdata, struct __data *data, int *tot_msgs, struct __config *cfg){
    DIR *dir;
    struct dirent *de;
-   int rc=ERR, ret=OK;
-   char fname[SMALLBUFSIZE];
+   int rc=ERR, ret=OK, i=0;
+   unsigned long folder;
+   char *p, fname[SMALLBUFSIZE];
    struct stat st;
 
    dir = opendir(directory);
@@ -155,16 +176,43 @@
 
       if(stat(fname, &st) == 0){
          if(S_ISDIR(st.st_mode)){
+            folder = data->folder;
             rc = import_from_maildir(fname, sdata, data, tot_msgs, cfg);
+            data->folder = folder;
             if(rc == ERR) ret = ERR;
          }
          else {
 
             if(S_ISREG(st.st_mode)){
+               if(i == 0 && data->recursive_folder_names == 1){
+                  p = strrchr(directory, '/');
+                  if(p) p++;
+                  else {
+                     printf("invalid directory name: '%s'\n", directory);
+                     return ERR;
+                  }
+
+                  folder = get_folder_id(sdata, p, data->folder);
+                  if(folder == 0){
+                     folder = add_new_folder(sdata, p, data->folder);
+
+                     if(folder == 0){
+                        printf("error: cannot get/add folder '%s' to parent id: %d\n", p, data->folder);
+                        return ERR;
+                     }
+                     else {
+                        data->folder = folder;
+                     }
+                  }
+
+               }
+
                rc = import_message(fname, sdata, data, cfg);
                if(rc == OK) (*tot_msgs)++;
                else ret = ERR;
 
+               i++;
+
                if(quiet == 0) printf("processed: %7d\r", *tot_msgs); fflush(stdout);
             }
             else {
@@ -261,6 +309,7 @@
    for(i=0; i<MBOX_ARGS; i++) mbox[i] = NULL;
 
    data.folder = 0;
+   data.recursive_folder_names = 0;
    data.archiving_rules = NULL;
    data.retention_rules = NULL;
 
@@ -279,15 +328,16 @@
             {"password",     required_argument,  0,  'p' },
             {"skiplist",     required_argument,  0,  'x' },
             {"folder",       required_argument,  0,  'F' },
+            {"recursive",    required_argument,  0,  'R' },
             {"help",         no_argument,        0,  'h' },
             {0,0,0,0}
          };
 
       int option_index = 0;
 
-      c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "c:m:M:e:d:i:u:p:x:F:h?", long_options, &option_index);
+      c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "c:m:M:e:d:i:u:p:x:F:Rh?", long_options, &option_index);
 #else
-      c = getopt(argc, argv, "c:m:M:e:d:i:u:p:x:F:h?");
+      c = getopt(argc, argv, "c:m:M:e:d:i:u:p:x:F:Rh?");
 #endif
 
       if(c == -1) break;
@@ -339,6 +389,10 @@
                     folder = optarg;
                     break;
 
+         case 'R' :
+                    data.recursive_folder_names = 1;
+                    break;
+
          case 'h' :
          case '?' :
                     usage();
@@ -376,10 +430,10 @@
    (void) openlog("pilerimport", LOG_PID, LOG_MAIL);
 
    if(folder){
-      data.folder = get_folder_id(&sdata, folder);
+      data.folder = get_folder_id(&sdata, folder, 0);
 
       if(data.folder == 0){
-         data.folder = add_new_folder(&sdata, folder);
+         data.folder = add_new_folder(&sdata, folder, 0);
       }
 
       if(data.folder == 0){
diff --git a/src/reindex.c b/src/reindex.c
index 7acce38..904cbbd 100644
--- a/src/reindex.c
+++ b/src/reindex.c
@@ -170,11 +170,12 @@
    }
 
    data.folder = 0;
+   data.recursive_folder_names = 0;
    data.archiving_rules = NULL;
    data.retention_rules = NULL;
 
    if(folder){
-      data.folder = get_folder_id(&sdata, folder);
+      data.folder = get_folder_id(&sdata, folder, 0);
       if(data.folder == 0){
          printf("error: could not get folder id for '%s'\n", folder);
          return 0;
diff --git a/src/test.c b/src/test.c
index c70d9f9..3a660c5 100644
--- a/src/test.c
+++ b/src/test.c
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@
    printf("build: %d\n", get_build());
 
    data.folder = 0;
+   data.recursive_folder_names = 0;
    data.archiving_rules = NULL;
    data.retention_rules = NULL;