diff --git a/packages/isomorphic-core/src/imap-connection.js b/packages/isomorphic-core/src/imap-connection.js
index a93af5e80..c812434e9 100644
--- a/packages/isomorphic-core/src/imap-connection.js
+++ b/packages/isomorphic-core/src/imap-connection.js
@@ -192,14 +192,14 @@ class IMAPConnection extends EventEmitter {
   /**
    * @return {Promise} that resolves to instance of IMAPBox
    */
-  openBox(folderName, {readOnly = false} = {}) {
+  openBox(folderName, {readOnly = false, forceOpen = false} = {}) {
     if (!folderName) {
       throw new Error('IMAPConnection::openBox - You must provide a folder name')
     }
     if (!this._imap) {
       throw new IMAPConnectionNotReadyError(`IMAPConnection::openBox`)
     }
-    if (folderName === this.getOpenBoxName()) {
+    if (!forceOpen && folderName === this.getOpenBoxName()) {
       return Promise.resolve(new IMAPBox(this, this._imap._box));
     }
     this._isOpeningBox = true
@@ -213,13 +213,14 @@ class IMAPConnection extends EventEmitter {
     })
   }
 
-  getBoxStatus(folderName) {
+  getLatestBoxStatus(folderName) {
     if (!folderName) {
-      throw new Error('IMAPConnection::getBoxStatus - You must provide a folder name')
+      throw new Error('IMAPConnection::getLatestBoxStatus - You must provide a folder name')
     }
-    const openBoxName = this.getOpenBoxName()
-    if (openBoxName === folderName) {
-      return this._imap._box
+    if (folderName === this.getOpenBoxName()) {
+      // If the box is already open, we need to re-issue a SELECT in order to
+      // get the latest stats from the box (e.g. latest uidnext, etc)
+      return this.openBox(folderName, {forceOpen: true})
     }
     return this.createConnectionPromise((resolve, reject) => {
       return this._imap.statusAsync(folderName)
diff --git a/packages/local-sync/src/local-sync-worker/sync-tasks/fetch-messages-in-folder.imap.es6 b/packages/local-sync/src/local-sync-worker/sync-tasks/fetch-messages-in-folder.imap.es6
index 42250c085..e31fbd4ec 100644
--- a/packages/local-sync/src/local-sync-worker/sync-tasks/fetch-messages-in-folder.imap.es6
+++ b/packages/local-sync/src/local-sync-worker/sync-tasks/fetch-messages-in-folder.imap.es6
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ class FetchMessagesInFolderIMAP extends SyncTask {
    * `Interruptible`
    */
   async * _openMailboxAndEnsureValidity() {
-    const box = yield this._imap.openBox(this._folder.name);
+    const box = yield this._imap.openBox(this._folder.name, {forceOpen: true});
 
     if (box.persistentUIDs === false) {
       throw new Error("Mailbox does not support persistentUIDs.");
@@ -488,7 +488,7 @@ class FetchMessagesInFolderIMAP extends SyncTask {
       return true
     }
 
-    const boxStatus = yield this._imap.getBoxStatus(this._folder.name)
+    const boxStatus = yield this._imap.getLatestBoxStatus(this._folder.name)
     const {syncState} = this._folder
     const hasNewMessages = boxStatus.uidnext > syncState.fetchedmax