diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index d778b7d2..28569db3 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
  * src/keybindings.c, src/editor.c, src/editor.h:
    Fix bug with 'Delete lines' when cursor is at the start of a
    multi-line selection.
+ * src/keybindings.c, src/msgwindow.c, src/msgwindow.h:
+   Add msgwin_switch_tab(), msgwin_clear_tab() functions.
 
 
 2007-09-22  Nick Treleaven  <nick(dot)treleaven(at)btinternet(dot)com>
diff --git a/src/keybindings.c b/src/keybindings.c
index e944010e..8cc7247f 100644
--- a/src/keybindings.c
+++ b/src/keybindings.c
@@ -42,10 +42,6 @@
 #include "build.h"
 #include "tools.h"
 #include "navqueue.h"
-// include vte.h on non-Win32 systems, else define fake vte_init
-#ifdef HAVE_VTE
-# include "vte.h"
-#endif
 
 
 const gboolean swap_alt_tab_order = FALSE;
@@ -970,9 +966,7 @@ static void cb_func_switch_editor(G_GNUC_UNUSED guint key_id)
 
 static void cb_func_switch_scribble(G_GNUC_UNUSED guint key_id)
 {
-	gtk_notebook_set_current_page(GTK_NOTEBOOK(msgwindow.notebook), MSG_SCRATCH);
-	msgwin_show_hide(TRUE);
-	gtk_widget_grab_focus(lookup_widget(app->window, "textview_scribble"));
+	msgwin_switch_tab(MSG_SCRATCH, TRUE);
 }
 
 static void cb_func_switch_search_bar(G_GNUC_UNUSED guint key_id)
@@ -983,15 +977,7 @@ static void cb_func_switch_search_bar(G_GNUC_UNUSED guint key_id)
 
 static void cb_func_switch_vte(G_GNUC_UNUSED guint key_id)
 {
-#ifdef HAVE_VTE
-	if (!vte_info.have_vte)
-		return;
-	msgwin_show_hide(TRUE);
-	/* the msgwin must be visible before we switch to the VTE page so that
-	 * the font settings are applied on realization */
-	gtk_notebook_set_current_page(GTK_NOTEBOOK(msgwindow.notebook), MSG_VTE);
-	gtk_widget_grab_focus(vc->vte);
-#endif
+	msgwin_switch_tab(MSG_VTE, TRUE);
 }
 
 static void cb_func_switch_tableft(G_GNUC_UNUSED guint key_id)
diff --git a/src/msgwindow.c b/src/msgwindow.c
index 6eff9d25..07d97907 100644
--- a/src/msgwindow.c
+++ b/src/msgwindow.c
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 #include "filetypes.h"
 #include "build.h"
 #include "main.h"
+#include "vte.h"
 
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
@@ -335,24 +336,9 @@ static void
 on_message_treeview_clear_activate     (GtkMenuItem     *menuitem,
                                         gpointer         user_data)
 {
-	GtkListStore *store;
+	gint tabnum = GPOINTER_TO_INT(user_data);
 
-	switch (GPOINTER_TO_INT(user_data))
-	{
-		case MSG_MESSAGE:
-		gtk_widget_set_sensitive(lookup_widget(app->window, "next_message1"), FALSE);
-		store = msgwindow.store_msg;
-		break;
-
-		case MSG_COMPILER:
-		gtk_widget_set_sensitive(build_get_menu_items(-1)->item_next_error, FALSE);
-		store = msgwindow.store_compiler;
-		break;
-
-		default: // MSG_STATUS
-		store = msgwindow.store_status;
-	}
-	gtk_list_store_clear(store);
+	msgwin_clear_tab(tabnum);
 }
 
 
@@ -885,3 +871,51 @@ static gboolean on_msgwin_button_press_event(GtkWidget *widget, GdkEventButton *
 }
 
 
+void msgwin_switch_tab(MessageWindowTabNum tabnum, gboolean show)
+{
+	GtkWidget *widget = NULL;	// widget to focus
+
+	switch (tabnum)
+	{
+		case MSG_SCRATCH: widget = lookup_widget(app->window, "textview_scribble"); break;
+#ifdef HAVE_VTE
+		case MSG_VTE: widget = (vte_info.have_vte) ? vc->vte : NULL; break;
+#endif
+		default: break;
+	}
+
+	/* the msgwin must be visible before we switch to the VTE page so that
+	 * the font settings are applied on realization */
+	if (show)
+		msgwin_show_hide(TRUE);
+	gtk_notebook_set_current_page(GTK_NOTEBOOK(msgwindow.notebook), tabnum);
+	if (show && widget)
+		gtk_widget_grab_focus(widget);
+}
+
+
+void msgwin_clear_tab(MessageWindowTabNum tabnum)
+{
+	GtkListStore *store = NULL;
+
+	switch (tabnum)
+	{
+		case MSG_MESSAGE:
+			gtk_widget_set_sensitive(lookup_widget(app->window, "next_message1"), FALSE);
+			store = msgwindow.store_msg;
+			break;
+
+		case MSG_COMPILER:
+			gtk_widget_set_sensitive(build_get_menu_items(-1)->item_next_error, FALSE);
+			store = msgwindow.store_compiler;
+			break;
+
+		case MSG_STATUS: store = msgwindow.store_status; break;
+		default: return;
+	}
+	if (store == NULL)
+		return;
+	gtk_list_store_clear(store);
+}
+
+
diff --git a/src/msgwindow.h b/src/msgwindow.h
index 0729c1e9..0689757c 100644
--- a/src/msgwindow.h
+++ b/src/msgwindow.h
@@ -34,14 +34,14 @@ enum
 	COLOR_BLUE
 };
 
-enum
+typedef enum
 {
 	MSG_STATUS = 0, // force it to start at 0 to keep in sync with the notebook page numbers
 	MSG_COMPILER,
 	MSG_MESSAGE,
 	MSG_SCRATCH,
 	MSG_VTE,
-};
+} MessageWindowTabNum;
 
 
 
@@ -69,6 +69,10 @@ void msgwin_finalize();
 
 void msgwin_show_hide(gboolean show);
 
+void msgwin_switch_tab(MessageWindowTabNum tabnum, gboolean show);
+
+void msgwin_clear_tab(MessageWindowTabNum tabnum);
+
 
 void msgwin_msg_add_fmt(gint msg_color, gint line, gint idx, const gchar *format, ...) G_GNUC_PRINTF (4, 5);