diff --git a/mitterlib/ui/ui_pygtk.py b/mitterlib/ui/ui_pygtk.py
index e27dff0..bc39399 100644
--- a/mitterlib/ui/ui_pygtk.py
+++ b/mitterlib/ui/ui_pygtk.py
@@ -700,9 +700,23 @@ class Interface(object):
     def _refresh(self, widget=None):
         """Request a refresh. *widget* is the widget that called this
         function (we basically ignore it.)"""
+        if self._refresh_id:
+            # "De-queue" the next refresh
+            _log.debug('Dequeuing next refresh')
+            gobject.source_remove(self._refresh_id)
+            self._refresh_id = None
+            
+        # do the refresh
         self._threads.add_work(self._post_get_messages,
                 self._exception_get_messages,
                 self._connection.messages)
+                
+        # queue the next auto-refresh
+        interval = self._options[self.NAMESPACE]['refresh_interval']
+        _log.debug('Queueing next refresh in %d minutes', interval)
+        self._refresh_id = gobject.timeout_add(
+                interval * 60 * 1000,
+                self._refresh, None)
         return
 
     ### Results from the "messages" request
@@ -812,6 +826,7 @@ class Interface(object):
         self._threads = _ThreadManager()
 
         # queue the first fetch
+        self._refresh_id = None     # The auto-refresh manager.
         self._refresh()
         gtk.main()