diff -dur -x '*~' -x '*.orig' mutt-1.5.10.orig/curs_main.c mutt-1.5.10/curs_main.c
--- mutt-1.5.20.b/curs_main.c	2009-07-14 12:34:25.000000000 +0200
+++ mutt-1.5.20/curs_main.c	2009-07-14 12:42:41.000000000 +0200
@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@
       menu_redraw_current (menu);
   }
 
-  if (menu->redraw & REDRAW_STATUS)
+  if (menu->redraw & REDRAW_STATUS || update_status_time ())
   {
     menu_status_line (buf, sizeof (buf), menu, NONULL (Status));
     mutt_window_move (MuttStatusWindow, 0, 0);
--- mutt-1.5.18/globals.h.orig	2008-01-30 05:26:50.000000000 +0100
+++ mutt-1.5.18/globals.h	2008-07-25 17:41:02.532746787 +0200
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@
 WHERE short SaveHist;
 WHERE short SendmailWait;
 WHERE short SleepTime INITVAL (1);
+WHERE short StatusUpdate;
 WHERE short TimeInc;
 WHERE short Timeout;
 WHERE short Wrap;
diff -dur -x '*~' -x '*.orig' mutt-1.5.10.orig/init.h mutt-1.5.10/init.h
--- mutt-1.5.10.orig/init.h	2005-10-07 09:28:10.000000000 +0200
+++ mutt-1.5.10/init.h	2005-10-07 09:28:24.000000000 +0200
@@ -2626,6 +2626,8 @@
   ** .dt %u  .dd number of unread messages *
   ** .dt %v  .dd Mutt version string
   ** .dt %V  .dd currently active limit pattern, if any *
+  ** .dt %[fmt] .dd the current date and time. ``fmt'' is
+  **                expanded by the system call ``strftime'';
   ** .dt %>X .dd right justify the rest of the string and pad with ``X''
   ** .dt %|X .dd pad to the end of the line with ``X''
   ** .dt %*X .dd soft-fill with character ``X'' as pad
@@ -2671,6 +2674,16 @@
   ** Setting this variable causes the ``status bar'' to be displayed on
   ** the first line of the screen rather than near the bottom.
   */
+  { "status_update",  DT_NUM, R_NONE, UL &StatusUpdate, -1 },
+  /*
+  ** .pp
+  ** This variable controls, if positive, the maximum interval in seconds
+  ** before the time in the status line is updated. It is checked at
+  ** every key press and after a keyboard $$timeout.
+  ** If the value is zero, the status line will be updated at every check.
+  ** If it is negative, the status time will only be updated
+  ** if it necessary to update to the status line for some other reason.
+  */
   { "strict_threads",	DT_BOOL, R_RESORT|R_RESORT_INIT|R_INDEX, OPTSTRICTTHREADS, 0 },
   /*
   ** .pp
diff -dur -x '*~' -x '*.orig' mutt-1.5.10.orig/menu.c mutt-1.5.10/menu.c
--- mutt-1.5.10.orig/menu.c	2005-06-12 20:32:46.000000000 +0200
+++ mutt-1.5.10/menu.c	2005-10-07 09:28:24.000000000 +0200
@@ -1087,3 +1087,23 @@
   }
   /* not reached */
 }
+
+int update_status_time ()
+{
+  static time_t Last;
+  time_t now;
+
+  if (StatusUpdate < 0)
+    return 0;
+  else if (StatusUpdate == 0)
+    return 1;
+
+  now = time (NULL);
+  if (now - Last >= StatusUpdate)
+  {
+    Last = now;
+    return 1;
+  }
+  else
+    return 0;
+}
diff -dur -x '*~' -x '*.orig' mutt-1.5.10.orig/mutt_menu.h mutt-1.5.10/mutt_menu.h
--- mutt-1.5.10.orig/mutt_menu.h	2005-08-11 21:37:02.000000000 +0200
+++ mutt-1.5.10/mutt_menu.h	2005-10-07 09:28:59.000000000 +0200
@@ -112,4 +112,5 @@
 void index_make_entry (char *, size_t, struct menu_t *, int);
 int index_color (int);
 
+int update_status_time (void);
 #endif /* _MUTT_MENU_H_ */
diff -dur -x '*~' -x '*.orig' mutt-1.5.10.orig/pager.c mutt-1.5.10/pager.c
--- mutt-1.5.10.orig/pager.c	2005-08-11 21:37:02.000000000 +0200
+++ mutt-1.5.10/pager.c	2005-10-07 09:28:24.000000000 +0200
@@ -1763,7 +1763,7 @@
     }
   }
 
-  if ((pager_menu->redraw & REDRAW_INDEX) && rd->index)
+  if (( (pager_menu->redraw & REDRAW_INDEX) || update_status_time()) && rd->index)
   {
     /* redraw the pager_index indicator, because the
      * flags for this message might have changed. */
diff -dur -x '*~' -x '*.orig' mutt-1.5.10.orig/status.c mutt-1.5.10/status.c
--- mutt-1.5.10.orig/status.c	2005-10-07 09:28:10.000000000 +0200
+++ mutt-1.5.10/status.c	2005-10-07 09:28:24.000000000 +0200
@@ -303,6 +304,47 @@
       *buf = 0;
       return (src);
 
+    case '[':
+      {
+	int len = sizeof (fmt) - 1;
+
+	cp = fmt;
+	if (*src == '!')
+	{
+	  src++;
+	}
+
+	while (len > 0 && *src != ']')
+	{
+	  if (*src == '%')
+	  {
+	    src++;
+	    if (len >= 2)
+	    {
+	      *cp++ = '%';
+	      *cp++ = *src;
+	      len -= 2;
+	    }
+	    else
+	      break; /* not enough space */
+	    src++;
+	  }
+	  else
+	  {
+	    *cp++ = *src++;
+	     len--;
+	  }
+	}
+	*cp = 0;
+	src++;
+	time_t now = time (NULL);
+	strftime (tmp, sizeof (tmp), fmt, localtime (&now));
+
+	snprintf (fmt, sizeof (fmt), "%%%ss", prefix);
+	snprintf (buf, buflen, fmt, tmp);
+      }
+      break;
+
     default:
       snprintf (buf, buflen, "%%%s%c", prefix, op);
       break;