diff --git a/include/Mailer/account.h b/include/Mailer/account.h
index 87d2430..25b7127 100644
--- a/include/Mailer/account.h
+++ b/include/Mailer/account.h
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ typedef struct _AccountPluginHelper
 {
 	Account * account;
 	int (*error)(Account * account, char const * message, int ret);
-	void (*status)(Account * account, char const * message);
+	void (*status)(Account * account, char const * format, ...);
 	/* folders */
 	Folder * (*folder_new)(Account * account, AccountFolder * folder,
 			Folder * parent, FolderType type, char const * name);
diff --git a/src/account.c b/src/account.c
index d82c3de..f408f5c 100644
--- a/src/account.c
+++ b/src/account.c
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 
 
 
+#include <stdarg.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
@@ -66,7 +67,7 @@ static gboolean _account_get_iter(Account * account, GtkTreeIter * iter);
 /* useful */
 static int _account_helper_error(Account * account, char const * message,
 		int ret);
-static void _account_helper_status(Account * account, char const * message);
+static void _account_helper_status(Account * account, char const * format, ...);
 static Folder * _account_helper_folder_new(Account * account,
 		AccountFolder * folder, Folder * parent, FolderType type,
 		char const * name);
@@ -411,12 +412,27 @@ static int _account_helper_error(Account * account, char const * message,
 
 
 /* account_helper_status */
-static void _account_helper_status(Account * account, char const * message)
+static void _account_helper_status(Account * account, char const * format, ...)
 {
-#ifdef DEBUG
-	fprintf(stderr, "DEBUG: %s(\"%s\")\n", __func__, message);
-#endif
-	/* FIXME implement */
+	va_list ap;
+	int res;
+	size_t size;
+	char * p = NULL;
+
+	va_start(ap, format);
+	res = vsprintf(NULL, format, ap);
+	va_end(ap);
+	if(res >= 0)
+	{
+		va_start(ap, format);
+		size = res;
+		if((p = malloc(++size)) != NULL)
+			vsnprintf(p, size, format, ap);
+		va_end(ap);
+	}
+	if(p != NULL)
+		mailer_set_status(account->mailer, p);
+	free(p);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/account/imap4.c b/src/account/imap4.c
index e0af17f..cfa9847 100644
--- a/src/account/imap4.c
+++ b/src/account/imap4.c
@@ -721,7 +721,9 @@ static gboolean _on_idle(gpointer data)
 
 static gboolean _idle_connect(AccountPlugin * plugin)
 {
+	AccountPluginHelper * helper = plugin->helper;
 	IMAP4 * imap4 = plugin->priv;
+	char const * hostname;
 	char const * p;
 	struct hostent * he;
 	unsigned short port;
@@ -731,11 +733,11 @@ static gboolean _idle_connect(AccountPlugin * plugin)
 	fprintf(stderr, "DEBUG: %s()\n", __func__);
 #endif
 	/* FIXME report errors */
-	if((p = plugin->config[2].value) == NULL)
+	if((hostname = plugin->config[2].value) == NULL)
 		return FALSE;
-	if((he = gethostbyname(p)) == NULL)
+	if((he = gethostbyname(hostname)) == NULL)
 	{
-		plugin->helper->error(NULL, hstrerror(h_errno), 1);
+		helper->error(NULL, hstrerror(h_errno), 1);
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 	if((p = plugin->config[3].value) == NULL)
@@ -743,19 +745,17 @@ static gboolean _idle_connect(AccountPlugin * plugin)
 	port = (unsigned long)p;
 	if((imap4->fd = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0)) == -1)
 	{
-		plugin->helper->error(NULL, strerror(errno), 1);
+		helper->error(NULL, strerror(errno), 1);
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 	sa.sin_family = AF_INET;
 	sa.sin_port = htons(port);
 	sa.sin_addr.s_addr = *((uint32_t*)he->h_addr_list[0]);
-#ifdef DEBUG
-	fprintf(stderr, "DEBUG: %s() connecting to %s:%u\n", __func__,
+	helper->status(helper->account, "Connecting to %s (%s:%u)", hostname,
 			inet_ntoa(sa.sin_addr), port);
-#endif
 	if(connect(imap4->fd, (struct sockaddr *)&sa, sizeof(sa)) != 0)
 	{
-		plugin->helper->error(NULL, strerror(errno), 1);
+		helper->error(NULL, strerror(errno), 1);
 		close(imap4->fd);
 		imap4->fd = -1;
 		return FALSE;
diff --git a/src/account/pop3.c b/src/account/pop3.c
index 39b603a..bbfc640 100644
--- a/src/account/pop3.c
+++ b/src/account/pop3.c
@@ -536,7 +536,9 @@ static gboolean _on_idle(gpointer data)
 
 static gboolean _idle_connect(AccountPlugin * plugin)
 {
+	AccountPluginHelper * helper = plugin->helper;
 	POP3 * pop3 = plugin->priv;
+	char const * hostname;
 	char const * p;
 	struct hostent * he;
 	unsigned short port;
@@ -546,11 +548,11 @@ static gboolean _idle_connect(AccountPlugin * plugin)
 	fprintf(stderr, "DEBUG: %s()\n", __func__);
 #endif
 	/* FIXME report errors */
-	if((p = plugin->config[2].value) == NULL)
+	if((hostname = plugin->config[2].value) == NULL)
 		return FALSE;
-	if((he = gethostbyname(p)) == NULL)
+	if((he = gethostbyname(hostname)) == NULL)
 	{
-		plugin->helper->error(NULL, hstrerror(h_errno), 1);
+		helper->error(NULL, hstrerror(h_errno), 1);
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 	if((p = plugin->config[3].value) == NULL)
@@ -558,19 +560,17 @@ static gboolean _idle_connect(AccountPlugin * plugin)
 	port = (unsigned long)p;
 	if((pop3->fd = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0)) == -1)
 	{
-		plugin->helper->error(NULL, strerror(errno), 1);
+		helper->error(NULL, strerror(errno), 1);
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 	sa.sin_family = AF_INET;
 	sa.sin_port = htons(port);
 	sa.sin_addr.s_addr = *((uint32_t*)he->h_addr_list[0]);
-#ifdef DEBUG
-	fprintf(stderr, "DEBUG: %s() connecting to %s:%u\n", __func__,
+	helper->status(helper->account, "Connecting to %s (%s:%u)", hostname,
 			inet_ntoa(sa.sin_addr), port);
-#endif
 	if(connect(pop3->fd, (struct sockaddr *)&sa, sizeof(sa)) != 0)
 	{
-		plugin->helper->error(NULL, strerror(errno), 1);
+		helper->error(NULL, strerror(errno), 1);
 		close(pop3->fd);
 		pop3->fd = -1;
 		return FALSE;