diff --git a/Changelog.draft.rst b/Changelog.draft.rst
index 778b52c..ff9fc5b 100644
--- a/Changelog.draft.rst
+++ b/Changelog.draft.rst
@@ -43,3 +43,7 @@ Bug Fixes
 
 * Make NOOPs to keep a server connection open more resistant against dropped 
   connections.
+
+* a readonly parameter to select() was not always treated correctly,
+  which could result in some folders being opened read-only when we
+  really needed read-write.
diff --git a/offlineimap/folder/IMAP.py b/offlineimap/folder/IMAP.py
index 58ff633..a7b8762 100644
--- a/offlineimap/folder/IMAP.py
+++ b/offlineimap/folder/IMAP.py
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ class IMAPFolder(BaseFolder):
         try:
             imapobj.select(self.getfullname())
         except imapobj.readonly:
-            imapobj.select(self.getfullname(), readonly = 1)
+            imapobj.select(self.getfullname(), readonly = True)
 
     def suggeststhreads(self):
         return 1
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ class IMAPFolder(BaseFolder):
             fails_left = 2 # retry on dropped connection
             while fails_left:
                 try:
-                    imapobj.select(self.getfullname(), readonly = 1)
+                    imapobj.select(self.getfullname(), readonly = True)
                     res_type, data = imapobj.uid('fetch', str(uid),
                                                  '(BODY.PEEK[])')
                     fails_left = 0
diff --git a/offlineimap/imaplibutil.py b/offlineimap/imaplibutil.py
index 5c94592..c9a7715 100644
--- a/offlineimap/imaplibutil.py
+++ b/offlineimap/imaplibutil.py
@@ -34,37 +34,37 @@ except ImportError:
     #fails on python <2.6
     pass
 
-class UsefulIMAPMixIn:
+class UsefulIMAPMixIn(object):
     def getselectedfolder(self):
         if self.state == 'SELECTED':
             return self.mailbox
         return None
 
-    def select(self, mailbox='INBOX', readonly=None, force = 0):
+    def select(self, mailbox='INBOX', readonly=False, force = 0):
         """Selects a mailbox on the IMAP server
 
         :returns: 'OK' on success, nothing if the folder was already
         selected or raises an :exc:`OfflineImapError`"""
-        if (not force) and self.getselectedfolder() == mailbox \
-           and self.is_readonly == readonly:
+        if self.getselectedfolder() == mailbox and self.is_readonly == readonly \
+                and not force:
             # No change; return.
             return
         # Wipe out all old responses, to maintain semantics with old imaplib2
         del self.untagged_responses[:]
         try:
-            result = self.__class__.__bases__[1].select(self, mailbox, readonly)
+            result = super(UsefulIMAPMixIn, self).select(mailbox, readonly)
         except self.abort, e:
             # self.abort is raised when we are supposed to retry
             errstr = "Server '%s' closed connection, error on SELECT '%s'. Ser"\
                 "ver said: %s" % (self.host, mailbox, e.args[0])
             severity = OfflineImapError.ERROR.FOLDER_RETRY
-            raise OfflineImapError(errstr, severity) 
+            raise OfflineImapError(errstr, severity)
         if result[0] != 'OK':
             #in case of error, bail out with OfflineImapError
             errstr = "Error SELECTing mailbox '%s', server reply:\n%s" %\
                 (mailbox, result)
             severity = OfflineImapError.ERROR.FOLDER
-            raise OfflineImapError(errstr, severity) 
+            raise OfflineImapError(errstr, severity)
         return result
 
     def _mesg(self, s, tn=None, secs=None):
diff --git a/offlineimap/repository/IMAP.py b/offlineimap/repository/IMAP.py
index 4c2cadd..8c29ee2 100644
--- a/offlineimap/repository/IMAP.py
+++ b/offlineimap/repository/IMAP.py
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ class IMAPRepository(BaseRepository):
             try:
                 for foldername in self.folderincludes:
                     try:
-                        imapobj.select(foldername, readonly = 1)
+                        imapobj.select(foldername, readonly = True)
                     except OfflineImapError, e:
                         # couldn't select this folderinclude, so ignore folder.
                         if e.severity > OfflineImapError.ERROR.FOLDER: