fflush (stdout);
 }
 
+/* Remove one message filename from the database. */
+static notmuch_status_t
+remove_filename (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
+                const char *path,
+                add_files_state_t *add_files_state)
+{
+    notmuch_status_t status;
+    status = notmuch_database_remove_message (notmuch, path);
+    if (status == NOTMUCH_STATUS_DUPLICATE_MESSAGE_ID)
+       add_files_state->renamed_messages++;
+    else
+       add_files_state->removed_messages++;
+    return status;
+}
+
 /* Recursively remove all filenames from the database referring to
  * 'path' (or to any of its children). */
 static void
 {
     notmuch_directory_t *directory;
     notmuch_filenames_t *files, *subdirs;
-    notmuch_status_t status;
     char *absolute;
 
     directory = notmuch_database_get_directory (notmuch, path);
     {
        absolute = talloc_asprintf (ctx, "%s/%s", path,
                                    notmuch_filenames_get (files));
-       status = notmuch_database_remove_message (notmuch, absolute);
-       if (status == NOTMUCH_STATUS_DUPLICATE_MESSAGE_ID)
-           add_files_state->renamed_messages++;
-       else
-           add_files_state->removed_messages++;
+       remove_filename (notmuch, absolute, add_files_state);
        talloc_free (absolute);
     }
 
     char *dot_notmuch_path;
     struct sigaction action;
     _filename_node_t *f;
-    notmuch_status_t status;
     int i;
     notmuch_bool_t timer_is_active = FALSE;
 
 
     gettimeofday (&tv_start, NULL);
     for (f = add_files_state.removed_files->head; f && !interrupted; f = f->next) {
-       status = notmuch_database_remove_message (notmuch, f->filename);
-       if (status == NOTMUCH_STATUS_DUPLICATE_MESSAGE_ID)
-           add_files_state.renamed_messages++;
-       else
-           add_files_state.removed_messages++;
+       remove_filename (notmuch, f->filename, &add_files_state);
        if (do_print_progress) {
            do_print_progress = 0;
            generic_print_progress ("Cleaned up", "messages",