diff -uNr mutt-1.5.23.nntp/curs_main.c mutt-1.5.23.nntp.xterm/curs_main.c
--- mutt-1.5.23.nntp/curs_main.c	2014-12-03 02:09:36.111330033 +0200
+++ mutt-1.5.23.nntp.xterm/curs_main.c	2014-12-03 02:10:11.933685529 +0200
@@ -115,6 +115,19 @@
 
 extern size_t UngetCount;
 
+#define ASCII_CTRL_G                  0x07
+#define ASCII_CTRL_OPEN_SQUARE_BRAKET 0x1b
+
+void set_xterm_title_bar(char *title)
+{
+  fprintf(stderr ,"%c]2;%s%c", ASCII_CTRL_OPEN_SQUARE_BRAKET, title, ASCII_CTRL_G);
+}
+
+void set_xterm_icon_name(char *name)
+{
+  fprintf(stderr, "%c]1;%s%c", ASCII_CTRL_OPEN_SQUARE_BRAKET, name, ASCII_CTRL_G);
+}
+
 void index_make_entry (char *s, size_t l, MUTTMENU *menu, int num)
 {
   format_flag flag = M_FORMAT_MAKEPRINT | M_FORMAT_ARROWCURSOR | M_FORMAT_INDEX;
@@ -584,6 +597,13 @@
 	mutt_paddstr (COLS, buf);
 	NORMAL_COLOR;
 	menu->redraw &= ~REDRAW_STATUS;
+	if (option(OPTXTERMSETTITLES))
+	{
+	  menu_status_line (buf, sizeof (buf), menu, NONULL (XtermTitle));
+	  set_xterm_title_bar(buf);
+	  menu_status_line (buf, sizeof (buf), menu, NONULL (XtermIcon));
+	  set_xterm_icon_name(buf);
+	}
       }
 
       menu->redraw = 0;
diff -uNr mutt-1.5.23.nntp/globals.h mutt-1.5.23.nntp.xterm/globals.h
--- mutt-1.5.23.nntp/globals.h	2014-12-03 02:09:36.112330043 +0200
+++ mutt-1.5.23.nntp.xterm/globals.h	2014-12-03 02:10:11.933685529 +0200
@@ -152,6 +152,8 @@
 WHERE char *Tochars;
 WHERE char *Username;
 WHERE char *Visual;
+WHERE char *XtermTitle;
+WHERE char *XtermIcon;
 
 WHERE char *CurrentFolder;
 WHERE char *LastFolder;
diff -uNr mutt-1.5.23.nntp/init.c mutt-1.5.23.nntp.xterm/init.c
--- mutt-1.5.23.nntp/init.c	2014-12-03 02:09:36.113330053 +0200
+++ mutt-1.5.23.nntp.xterm/init.c	2014-12-03 02:10:11.933685529 +0200
@@ -1818,6 +1818,26 @@
 	toggle_option (MuttVars[idx].data);
       else
 	set_option (MuttVars[idx].data);
+
+      /* sanity check for xterm */
+      if ((mutt_strcmp (MuttVars[idx].option, "xterm_set_titles") == 0)
+		&& option (OPTXTERMSETTITLES))
+      {
+	char *ep = getenv ("TERM");
+	/* Make sure that the terminal can take the control codes */
+	if (ep == NULL) unset_option (MuttVars[idx].data);
+	else if (mutt_strncasecmp (ep, "xterm", 5) &&
+		 mutt_strncasecmp (ep, "color-xterm", 11) &&
+		 mutt_strncasecmp (ep, "eterm", 5) &&
+		 mutt_strncasecmp (ep, "kterm", 5) &&
+		 mutt_strncasecmp (ep, "nxterm", 6) &&
+		 mutt_strncasecmp (ep, "putty", 5) &&
+		 mutt_strncasecmp (ep, "screen", 6) &&
+		 mutt_strncasecmp (ep, "cygwin", 6) &&
+		 mutt_strncasecmp (ep, "rxvt", 4) )
+	  unset_option (MuttVars[idx].  data);
+
+      }
     }
     else if (myvar || DTYPE (MuttVars[idx].type) == DT_STR ||
 	     DTYPE (MuttVars[idx].type) == DT_PATH ||
diff -uNr mutt-1.5.23.nntp/init.h mutt-1.5.23.nntp.xterm/init.h
--- mutt-1.5.23.nntp/init.h	2014-12-03 02:09:36.113330053 +0200
+++ mutt-1.5.23.nntp.xterm/init.h	2014-12-03 02:12:06.273819281 +0200
@@ -3629,6 +3629,27 @@
   ** name of original article author) to article that followuped to newsgroup.
   */
 #endif
+  {"xterm_icon",       DT_STR,   R_BOTH, UL &XtermIcon,  UL "M%?n?AIL&ail?"},
+  /*
+  ** .pp
+  ** Controls the format of the icon title, as long as xterm_set_titles
+  ** is enabled. This string is identical in formatting to the one used by
+  ** ``$$status_format''.
+  */
+  {"xterm_set_titles", DT_BOOL,  R_BOTH, OPTXTERMSETTITLES, 0},
+  /* The default must be off to force in the validity checking. */
+  /*
+  ** .pp
+  ** Controls whether mutt sets the xterm title bar and icon name
+  ** (as long as you are in an appropriate terminal).
+  */
+  {"xterm_title",      DT_STR,   R_BOTH, UL &XtermTitle, UL "Mutt with %?m?%m messages&no messages?%?n? [%n NEW]?"},
+  /*
+  ** .pp
+  ** Controls the format of the title bar of the xterm provided that
+  ** xterm_set_titles has been set. This string is identical in formatting
+  ** to the one used by ``$$status_format''.
+  */
   /*--*/
   { NULL, 0, 0, 0, 0 }
 };
diff -uNr mutt-1.5.23.nntp/mutt.h mutt-1.5.23.nntp.xterm/mutt.h
--- mutt-1.5.23.nntp/mutt.h	2014-12-03 02:09:36.114330063 +0200
+++ mutt-1.5.23.nntp.xterm/mutt.h	2014-12-03 02:10:11.934685539 +0200
@@ -463,6 +463,7 @@
   OPTWRAPSEARCH,
   OPTWRITEBCC,		/* write out a bcc header? */
   OPTXMAILER,
+  OPTXTERMSETTITLES,
 
   OPTCRYPTUSEGPGME,
   OPTCRYPTUSEPKA,
diff -uNr mutt-1.5.23.nntp/mutt_menu.h mutt-1.5.23.nntp.xterm/mutt_menu.h
--- mutt-1.5.23.nntp/mutt_menu.h	2014-03-12 18:06:17.000000000 +0200
+++ mutt-1.5.23.nntp.xterm/mutt_menu.h	2014-12-03 02:10:11.934685539 +0200
@@ -103,6 +103,8 @@
 void menu_current_bottom (MUTTMENU *);
 void menu_check_recenter (MUTTMENU *);
 void menu_status_line (char *, size_t, MUTTMENU *, const char *);
+void set_xterm_title_bar (char *title);
+void set_xterm_icon_name (char *name);
 
 MUTTMENU *mutt_new_menu (int);
 void mutt_menuDestroy (MUTTMENU **);
diff -uNr mutt-1.5.23.nntp/pager.c mutt-1.5.23.nntp.xterm/pager.c
--- mutt-1.5.23.nntp/pager.c	2014-12-03 02:09:36.116330083 +0200
+++ mutt-1.5.23.nntp.xterm/pager.c	2014-12-03 02:10:11.934685539 +0200
@@ -1835,6 +1835,13 @@
 	mutt_paddstr (COLS, bn);
       }
       NORMAL_COLOR;
+      if (option(OPTXTERMSETTITLES))
+      {
+	menu_status_line (buffer, sizeof (buffer), index, NONULL (XtermTitle));
+	set_xterm_title_bar(buffer);
+	menu_status_line (buffer, sizeof (buffer), index, NONULL (XtermIcon));
+	set_xterm_icon_name(buffer);
+      }
     }
 
     if ((redraw & REDRAW_INDEX) && index)
diff -uNr mutt-1.5.23.nntp/status.c mutt-1.5.23.nntp.xterm/status.c
--- mutt-1.5.23.nntp/status.c	2014-03-12 18:06:17.000000000 +0200
+++ mutt-1.5.23.nntp.xterm/status.c	2014-12-03 02:10:11.934685539 +0200
@@ -195,6 +195,8 @@
       break;
 
     case 'P':
+      if (!menu)
+	break;
       if (menu->top + menu->pagelen >= menu->max)
 	cp = menu->top ? "end" : "all";
       else