diff --git a/AndroidManifest.xml b/AndroidManifest.xml
index bf7f2e911..39754a249 100644
--- a/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -486,6 +486,9 @@
                 <action
                     android:name="android.appwidget.action.APPWIDGET_UPDATE" />
             </intent-filter>
+            <intent-filter>
+                <action android:name="com.android.email.MESSAGE_LIST_DATASET_CHANGED" />
+            </intent-filter>
             <meta-data
                 android:name="android.appwidget.provider"
                 android:resource="@xml/widget_info" />
diff --git a/src/com/android/email/provider/EmailProvider.java b/src/com/android/email/provider/EmailProvider.java
index 5643361be..1eab50bb5 100644
--- a/src/com/android/email/provider/EmailProvider.java
+++ b/src/com/android/email/provider/EmailProvider.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import android.content.ContentProviderResult;
 import android.content.ContentResolver;
 import android.content.ContentUris;
 import android.content.ContentValues;
+import android.content.Intent;
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.content.OperationApplicationException;
 import android.content.UriMatcher;
@@ -86,6 +87,14 @@ public class EmailProvider extends ContentProvider {
     public static final String ATTACHMENT_UPDATED_EXTRA_FLAGS =
         "com.android.email.ATTACHMENT_UPDATED_FLAGS";
 
+    /**
+     * Notifies that changes happened. Certain UI components, e.g., widgets, can register for this
+     * {@link android.content.Intent} and update accordingly. However, this can be very broad and
+     * is NOT the preferred way of getting notification.
+     */
+    public static final String ACTION_NOTIFY_MESSAGE_LIST_DATASET_CHANGED =
+            "com.android.email.MESSAGE_LIST_DATASET_CHANGED";
+
     public static final String EMAIL_MESSAGE_MIME_TYPE =
         "vnd.android.cursor.item/email-message";
     public static final String EMAIL_ATTACHMENT_MIME_TYPE =
@@ -2360,6 +2369,20 @@ outer:
         } else {
             resolver.notifyChange(baseUri, null);
         }
+
+        // We want to send the message list changed notification if baseUri is Message.NOTIFIER_URI.
+        if (baseUri.equals(Message.NOTIFIER_URI)) {
+            sendMessageListDataChangedNotification();
+        }
+    }
+
+    private void sendMessageListDataChangedNotification() {
+        final Context context = getContext();
+        final Intent intent = new Intent(ACTION_NOTIFY_MESSAGE_LIST_DATASET_CHANGED);
+        // Ideally this intent would contain information about which account changed, to limit the
+        // updates to that particular account.  Unfortunately, that information is not available in
+        // sendNotifierChange().
+        context.sendBroadcast(intent);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/src/com/android/email/provider/WidgetProvider.java b/src/com/android/email/provider/WidgetProvider.java
index 9f7fc8512..0f6731b8b 100644
--- a/src/com/android/email/provider/WidgetProvider.java
+++ b/src/com/android/email/provider/WidgetProvider.java
@@ -19,12 +19,14 @@ package com.android.email.provider;
 import android.app.Service;
 import android.appwidget.AppWidgetManager;
 import android.appwidget.AppWidgetProvider;
+import android.content.ComponentName;
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.content.Intent;
 import android.util.Log;
 import android.widget.RemoteViewsService;
 
 import com.android.email.Email;
+import com.android.email.R;
 import com.android.email.widget.EmailWidget;
 import com.android.email.widget.WidgetManager;
 import com.android.emailcommon.Logging;
@@ -74,6 +76,20 @@ public class WidgetProvider extends AppWidgetProvider {
             Log.d(EmailWidget.TAG, "onReceive");
         }
         super.onReceive(context, intent);
+
+        if (EmailProvider.ACTION_NOTIFY_MESSAGE_LIST_DATASET_CHANGED.equals(intent.getAction())) {
+            // Retrieve the list of current widgets.
+            final AppWidgetManager appWidgetManager = AppWidgetManager.getInstance(context);
+            final ComponentName component = new ComponentName(context, WidgetProvider.class);
+            final int[] widgetIds = appWidgetManager.getAppWidgetIds(component);
+
+            // Ideally, this would only call notify AppWidgetViewDataChanged for the widgets, where
+            // the account had the change, but the current intent doesn't include this information.
+
+            // Calling notifyAppWidgetViewDataChanged will cause onDataSetChanged() to be called
+            // on the RemoteViewsService.RemoteViewsFactory, starting the service if necessary.
+            appWidgetManager.notifyAppWidgetViewDataChanged(widgetIds, R.id.message_list);
+        }
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/com/android/email/widget/EmailWidget.java b/src/com/android/email/widget/EmailWidget.java
index 3f6a5c0c6..67a82f570 100644
--- a/src/com/android/email/widget/EmailWidget.java
+++ b/src/com/android/email/widget/EmailWidget.java
@@ -505,6 +505,10 @@ public class EmailWidget implements RemoteViewsService.RemoteViewsFactory,
 
     @Override
     public void onDataSetChanged() {
+        // Note: we are not doing anything special in onDataSetChanged().  Since this service has
+        // a reference to a loader that will keep itself updated, if the service is running, it
+        // shouldn't be necessary to for the query to be run again.  If the service hadn't been
+        // running, the act of starting the service will also start the loader.
     }
 
     public void onDeleted() {