diff --git a/src/engine/imap-db/imap-db-account.vala b/src/engine/imap-db/imap-db-account.vala
index 7748b28d..5b708d46 100644
--- a/src/engine/imap-db/imap-db-account.vala
+++ b/src/engine/imap-db/imap-db-account.vala
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
  */
 
 private class Geary.ImapDB.Account : BaseObject {
-    private const int POPULATE_SEARCH_TABLE_DELAY_SEC = 5;
 
     // These characters are chosen for being commonly used to continue a single word (such as
     // extended last names, i.e. "Lars-Eric") or in terms commonly searched for in an email client,
@@ -327,16 +326,6 @@ private class Geary.ImapDB.Account : BaseObject {
         }
 
         background_cancellable = new Cancellable();
-
-        // Kick off a background update of the search table, but since the database is getting
-        // hammered at startup, wait a bit before starting the update ... use the ordinal to
-        // stagger these being fired off (important for users with many accounts registered)
-        int account_sec = account_information.ordinal.clamp(0, 10);
-        Timeout.add_seconds(POPULATE_SEARCH_TABLE_DELAY_SEC + account_sec, () => {
-            populate_search_table_async.begin(background_cancellable);
-
-            return false;
-        });
     }
 
     public async void close_async(Cancellable? cancellable) throws Error {
@@ -1370,7 +1359,7 @@ private class Geary.ImapDB.Account : BaseObject {
         }, cancellable);
     }
 
-    private async void populate_search_table_async(Cancellable? cancellable) {
+    public async void populate_search_table(Cancellable? cancellable) {
         debug("%s: Populating search table", account_information.id);
         try {
             while (!yield populate_search_table_batch_async(50, cancellable)) {
diff --git a/src/engine/imap-engine/imap-engine-generic-account.vala b/src/engine/imap-engine/imap-engine-generic-account.vala
index ea303384..719142f4 100644
--- a/src/engine/imap-engine/imap-engine-generic-account.vala
+++ b/src/engine/imap-engine/imap-engine-generic-account.vala
@@ -167,6 +167,21 @@ private abstract class Geary.ImapEngine.GenericAccount : Geary.Account {
         yield this.imap.start(cancellable);
         this.queue_operation(new StartPostie(this));
 
+        // Kick off a background update of the search table, but since
+        // the database is getting hammered at startup, wait a bit
+        // before starting the update ... use the ordinal to stagger
+        // these being fired off (important for users with many
+        // accounts registered).
+        //
+        // This is an example of an operation for which we need an
+        // engine-wide operation queue, not just an account-wide
+        // queue.
+        const int POPULATE_DELAY_SEC = 5;
+        int account_sec = this.information.ordinal.clamp(0, 10);
+        Timeout.add_seconds(POPULATE_DELAY_SEC + account_sec, () => {
+                this.local.populate_search_table.begin(cancellable);
+            return false;
+        });
     }
 
     public override async void close_async(Cancellable? cancellable = null) throws Error {