diff --git a/src/chunk.cc b/src/chunk.cc
index 044aa376d..762a8475b 100644
--- a/src/chunk.cc
+++ b/src/chunk.cc
@@ -238,6 +238,10 @@ namespace Astroid {
 
   }
 
+  bool Chunk::is_content_type (const char * major, const char * minor) {
+    return (mime_object != NULL) && g_mime_content_type_is_type (content_type, major, minor);
+  }
+
   ustring Chunk::viewable_text (bool html = true, bool verbose) {
     if (isencrypted && !crypt->decrypted) {
       if (verbose) {
@@ -258,7 +262,7 @@ namespace Astroid {
       LOG (debug) << "chunk: body: part";
 
 
-      if (g_mime_content_type_is_type (content_type, "text", "plain")) {
+      if (is_content_type ("text", "plain")) {
         LOG (debug) << "chunk: plain text (out html: " << html << ")";
 
         GMimeDataWrapper * content = g_mime_part_get_content (
@@ -328,7 +332,7 @@ namespace Astroid {
 
         content_stream = filter_stream;
 
-      } else if (g_mime_content_type_is_type (content_type, "text", "html")) {
+      } else if (is_content_type ("text", "html")) {
         LOG (debug) << "chunk: html text";
 
         GMimeDataWrapper * content = g_mime_part_get_content (
diff --git a/src/chunk.hh b/src/chunk.hh
index eaea150d9..30d224b0e 100644
--- a/src/chunk.hh
+++ b/src/chunk.hh
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ namespace Astroid {
       ustring content_id;
 
       ustring get_content_type ();
+      bool    is_content_type (const char* major, const char* minor);
 
       ustring viewable_text (bool, bool verbose = false);
 
diff --git a/src/message_thread.cc b/src/message_thread.cc
index 589b83044..2366ac348 100644
--- a/src/message_thread.cc
+++ b/src/message_thread.cc
@@ -324,13 +324,13 @@ namespace Astroid {
       bool use = false;
 
       if (c->siblings.size() >= 1) {
-        if (c->preferred) {
+        if (c->is_content_type ("text", html ? "html" : "plain")) {
           use = true;
         } else {
           /* check if there are any other preferred */
           if (all_of (c->siblings.begin (),
                       c->siblings.end (),
-                      [](refptr<Chunk> c) { return (!c->preferred); })) {
+                      [html](refptr<Chunk> c) { return !c->is_content_type ("text", html ? "html" : "plain"); })) {
             use = true;
           } else {
             use = false;
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ namespace Astroid {
       }
 
       if (use) {
-        if (c->viewable && (c->preferred || html || fallback_html)) {
+        if (c->viewable && (c->is_content_type ("text", html ? "html" : "plain") ||  fallback_html)) {
           body += c->viewable_text (html);
         }