--- /dev/null
+diff -Nur mutt-1.3.25-2/curs_main.c mutt-1.3.25/curs_main.c
+--- mutt-1.3.25-2/curs_main.c Tue Jan 22 00:06:44 2002
++++ mutt-1.3.25/curs_main.c Tue Jan 22 00:07:02 2002
+@@ -546,7 +546,7 @@
+ 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));
+ CLEARLINE (option (OPTSTATUSONTOP) ? 0 : LINES-2);
+diff -Nur mutt-1.3.25-2/globals.h mutt-1.3.25/globals.h
+--- mutt-1.3.25-2/globals.h Tue Jan 22 00:06:44 2002
++++ mutt-1.3.25/globals.h Tue Jan 22 00:07:02 2002
+@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@
+ WHERE short ReadInc;
+ WHERE short SendmailWait;
+ WHERE short SleepTime INITVAL (1);
++WHERE short StatusUpdate;
+ WHERE short Timeout;
+ WHERE short WrapMargin;
+ WHERE short WriteInc;
+diff -Nur mutt-1.3.25-2/init.h mutt-1.3.25/init.h
+--- mutt-1.3.25-2/init.h Tue Jan 22 00:06:44 2002
++++ mutt-1.3.25/init.h Tue Jan 22 00:09:07 2002
+@@ -2119,6 +2119,9 @@
+ ** .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'';
++ ** a leading bang disables locales
+ ** .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"
+ ** .de
+@@ -2160,6 +2163,16 @@
+ ** 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 -Nur mutt-1.3.25-2/menu.c mutt-1.3.25/menu.c
+--- mutt-1.3.25-2/menu.c Tue Jan 22 00:06:44 2002
++++ mutt-1.3.25/menu.c Tue Jan 22 00:07:02 2002
+@@ -1045,3 +1045,23 @@
+ }
+ /* 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 -Nur mutt-1.3.25-2/mutt_menu.h mutt-1.3.25/mutt_menu.h
+--- mutt-1.3.25-2/mutt_menu.h Tue Jan 22 00:06:44 2002
++++ mutt-1.3.25/mutt_menu.h Tue Jan 22 00:07:02 2002
+@@ -107,3 +107,5 @@
+ /* used in both the index and pager index to make an entry. */
+ void index_make_entry (char *, size_t, struct menu_t *, int);
+ int index_color (int);
++
++int update_status_time (void);
+diff -Nur mutt-1.3.25-2/pager.c mutt-1.3.25/pager.c
+--- mutt-1.3.25-2/pager.c Tue Jan 22 00:06:44 2002
++++ mutt-1.3.25/pager.c Tue Jan 22 00:07:02 2002
+@@ -1712,7 +1712,7 @@
+ SETCOLOR (MT_COLOR_NORMAL);
+ }
+
+- if ((redraw & REDRAW_INDEX) && index)
++ if (index && ((redraw & REDRAW_INDEX) || update_status_time ()))
+ {
+ /* redraw the pager_index indicator, because the
+ * flags for this message might have changed. */
+diff -Nur mutt-1.3.25-2/status.c mutt-1.3.25/status.c
+--- mutt-1.3.25-2/status.c Tue Jan 22 00:06:44 2002
++++ mutt-1.3.25/status.c Tue Jan 22 00:07:02 2002
+@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
+ #include <string.h>
+ #include <ctype.h>
+ #include <unistd.h>
++#include <locale.h>
+
+ static char *get_sort_str (char *buf, size_t buflen, int method)
+ {
+@@ -284,6 +285,61 @@
+ *buf = 0;
+ return (src);
+
++ case '[':
++ {
++ int do_locales;
++ int len = sizeof (fmt) - 1;
++
++ cp = fmt;
++ if (*src == '!')
++ {
++ do_locales = 0;
++ src++;
++ }
++ else
++ do_locales = 1;
++
++ 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++;
++
++ if (do_locales && Locale)
++ setlocale (LC_TIME, Locale);
++
++ {
++ time_t now = time (NULL);
++
++ strftime (tmp, sizeof (tmp), fmt, localtime (&now));
++ }
++
++ if (do_locales && Locale)
++ setlocale (LC_TIME, "C");
++
++ snprintf (fmt, sizeof (fmt), "%%%ss", prefix);
++ snprintf (buf, buflen, fmt, tmp);
++ }
++ break;
++
+ default:
+ snprintf (buf, buflen, "%%%s%c", prefix, op);
+ break;
+