diff --git a/checkin_notes b/checkin_notes
index 89dcd1f314..eccff31498 100644
--- a/checkin_notes
+++ b/checkin_notes
@@ -6196,3 +6196,14 @@ Charlie 7 July 2009
 
     mac_installer/
         PostInstall.cpp
+
+David  7 July 2009
+    - GUI RPC: add get_message_seqno() RPC.  fixes #931
+
+    client/
+        work_fetch.cpp
+        boinc_cmd.cpp
+        gui_rpc_server_ops.cpp
+    lib/
+        gui_rpc_client_ops.cpp
+        gui_rpc_client.h
diff --git a/client/boinc_cmd.cpp b/client/boinc_cmd.cpp
index ff69518c90..02858c386a 100644
--- a/client/boinc_cmd.cpp
+++ b/client/boinc_cmd.cpp
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ Commands:\n\
  --get_disk_usage                   show disk usage\n\
  --get_proxy_settings\n\
  --get_messages [ seqno ]           show messages > seqno\n\
+ --get_message_count                show largest message seqno\n\
  --get_host_info\n\
  --version, -V                      show core client version\n\
  --result url result_name op        job operation\n\
@@ -361,6 +362,12 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
         if (pi.http_user_name.size()) pi.use_http_authentication = true;
         if (pi.socks_server_name.size()) pi.use_socks_proxy = true;
         retval = rpc.set_proxy_settings(pi);
+    } else if (!strcmp(cmd, "--get_message_count")) {
+        int seqno;
+        retval = rpc.get_message_count(seqno);
+        if (!retval) {
+            printf("Greatest message sequence number: %d\n", seqno);
+        }
     } else if (!strcmp(cmd, "--get_messages")) {
         int seqno;
         if (i == argc) {
diff --git a/client/gui_rpc_server_ops.cpp b/client/gui_rpc_server_ops.cpp
index dc384aaa56..78ba4e5622 100644
--- a/client/gui_rpc_server_ops.cpp
+++ b/client/gui_rpc_server_ops.cpp
@@ -405,6 +405,14 @@ static void handle_get_messages(char* buf, MIOFILE& fout) {
     fout.printf("</msgs>\n");
 }
 
+static void handle_get_message_count(char*, MIOFILE& fout) {
+    if (message_descs.size() == 0) {
+        fout.printf("<seqno>0</seqno>\n");
+    } else {
+        fout.printf("<seqno>%d</seqno>\n", message_descs[0]->seqno);
+    }
+}
+
 // <retry_file_transfer>
 //    <project_url>XXX</project_url>
 //    <filename>XXX</filename>
@@ -1124,6 +1132,8 @@ int GUI_RPC_CONN::handle_rpc() {
         handle_get_disk_usage(mf);
     } else if (match_tag(request_msg, "<get_messages")) {
         handle_get_messages(request_msg, mf);
+    } else if (match_tag(request_msg, "<get_message_count")) {
+        handle_get_message_count(request_msg, mf);
     } else if (match_tag(request_msg, "<get_host_info")) {
         handle_get_host_info(request_msg, mf);
     } else if (match_tag(request_msg, "<get_statistics")) {
diff --git a/client/work_fetch.cpp b/client/work_fetch.cpp
index 9b18a2efe6..aa5eec716b 100644
--- a/client/work_fetch.cpp
+++ b/client/work_fetch.cpp
@@ -885,16 +885,26 @@ double RESULT::estimated_time_remaining(bool for_work_fetch) {
     return estimated_duration(for_work_fetch);
 }
 
-// Returns the estimated CPU time to completion (in seconds) of this task.
+// Returns the estimated elapsed time to completion (in seconds) of this task.
 // Compute this as a weighted average of estimates based on
-// 1) the workunit's flops count
-// 2) the current reported CPU time and fraction done
+// 1) the workunit's flops count (static estimate)
+// 2) the current elapsed time and fraction done (dynamic estimate)
 //
 double ACTIVE_TASK::est_time_to_completion(bool for_work_fetch) {
     if (fraction_done >= 1) return 0;
     double wu_est = result->estimated_duration(for_work_fetch);
     if (fraction_done <= 0) return wu_est;
     double frac_est = (elapsed_time / fraction_done) - elapsed_time;
+#if 0
+    // commenting this out for now - could cause big discontinuity
+    //
+    if (elapsed_time >= wu_est) {
+        // if the job has already run longer than static estimate,
+        // just use the dynamic estimate.
+        //
+        return frac_est;
+    }
+#endif
     double fraction_left = 1-fraction_done;
     double wu_weight = fraction_left * fraction_left;
     double fd_weight = 1 - wu_weight;
diff --git a/lib/gui_rpc_client.h b/lib/gui_rpc_client.h
index de146aad66..bd5f8075f5 100644
--- a/lib/gui_rpc_client.h
+++ b/lib/gui_rpc_client.h
@@ -615,6 +615,7 @@ public:
     int set_proxy_settings(GR_PROXY_INFO&);
     int get_proxy_settings(GR_PROXY_INFO&);
     int get_messages(int seqno, MESSAGES&);
+    int get_message_count(int& seqno);
     int file_transfer_op(FILE_TRANSFER&, const char*);
     int result_op(RESULT&, const char*);
     int get_host_info(HOST_INFO&);
diff --git a/lib/gui_rpc_client_ops.cpp b/lib/gui_rpc_client_ops.cpp
index 0cf4ad6d10..a05b2f2bd6 100644
--- a/lib/gui_rpc_client_ops.cpp
+++ b/lib/gui_rpc_client_ops.cpp
@@ -1717,6 +1717,25 @@ int RPC_CLIENT::get_proxy_settings(GR_PROXY_INFO& p) {
     return retval;
 }
 
+int RPC_CLIENT::get_message_count(int& seqno) {
+    int retval;
+    SET_LOCALE sl;
+    char buf[256];
+    RPC rpc(this);
+
+    sprintf(buf,
+        "<get_message_count/>\n"
+    );
+    retval = rpc.do_rpc(buf);
+    if (retval) return retval;
+    while (rpc.fin.fgets(buf, 256)) {
+        if (parse_int(buf, "<seqno>", seqno)) {
+            return 0;
+        }
+    }
+    return ERR_XML_PARSE;
+}
+
 int RPC_CLIENT::get_messages(int seqno, MESSAGES& msgs) {
     int retval;
     SET_LOCALE sl;