I haven't actually tested this with nnmail (which I don't know how to use) but I suspect this is a temporary bandaid for the gnus problem reported here earlier. A better fix may follow. ChangeLog: 2000-01-28 Martin Buchholz <martin(a)xemacs.org&gt; * coding.el (dontusethis-set-value-file-name-coding-system-handler): (dontusethis-set-value-terminal-coding-system-handler): (dontusethis-set-value-keyboard-coding-system-handler): Never undefine coding system aliases. Emergency fix for gnus. Index: coding.el =================================================================== RCS file: /usr/CVSroot/XEmacs/xemacs/lisp/coding.el,v retrieving revision 1.2.2.3 diff -u -w -r1.2.2.3 coding.el --- coding.el 2000/01/27 04:39:48 1.2.2.3 +++ coding.el 2000/01/28 12:21:29 ＠＠ -199,7 +199,7 ＠＠ ;;; Make certain variables equivalent to coding-system aliases (defun dontusethis-set-value-file-name-coding-system-handler (sym args fun harg handler) - (define-coding-system-alias 'file-name (car args))) + (define-coding-system-alias 'file-name (or (car args) 'binary))) (dontusethis-set-symbol-value-handler 'file-name-coding-system ＠＠ -207,7 +207,7 ＠＠ 'dontusethis-set-value-file-name-coding-system-handler) (defun dontusethis-set-value-terminal-coding-system-handler (sym args fun harg handler) - (define-coding-system-alias 'terminal (car args))) + (define-coding-system-alias 'terminal (or (car args) 'binary))) (dontusethis-set-symbol-value-handler 'terminal-coding-system ＠＠ -215,7 +215,7 ＠＠ 'dontusethis-set-value-terminal-coding-system-handler) (defun dontusethis-set-value-keyboard-coding-system-handler (sym args fun harg handler) - (define-coding-system-alias 'keyboard (car args))) + (define-coding-system-alias 'keyboard (or (car args) 'binary))) (dontusethis-set-symbol-value-handler 'keyboard-coding-system