Index: Doc/lib/libmhlib.tex
===================================================================
--- Doc/lib/libmhlib.tex	(revision 53409)
+++ Doc/lib/libmhlib.tex	(working copy)
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@
 Return the mailbox pathname.
 \end{methoddesc}
 
+\begin{methoddesc}[MH]{getcontextfile}{}
+Return the context file pathname.
+\end{methoddesc}
+
 \begin{methoddesc}[MH]{getcontext}{}
 Return the current folder name.
 \end{methoddesc}
Index: Lib/mhlib.py
===================================================================
--- Lib/mhlib.py	(revision 53409)
+++ Lib/mhlib.py	(working copy)
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 mh.error(format, ...)   # print error message -- can be overridden
 s = mh.getprofile(key)  # profile entry (None if not set)
 path = mh.getpath()     # mailbox pathname
+path = mh.getcontextfile() # path of context file
 name = mh.getcontext()  # name of current folder
 mh.setcontext(name)     # set name of current folder
 
@@ -123,19 +124,22 @@
         """Return the path (the name of the collection's directory)."""
         return self.path
 
+    def getcontextfile(self):
+        """Return the name of the context file."""
+        fn = os.environ.get('MHCONTEXT', 'context')
+        if not os.path.isabs(fn):
+            fn = os.path.join(self.getpath(), fn)
+        return fn
+
     def getcontext(self):
         """Return the name of the current folder."""
-        context = pickline(os.path.join(self.getpath(), 'context'),
-                  'Current-Folder')
+        context = pickline(self.getcontextfile(), 'Current-Folder')
         if not context: context = 'inbox'
         return context
 
     def setcontext(self, context):
         """Set the name of the current folder."""
-        fn = os.path.join(self.getpath(), 'context')
-        f = open(fn, "w")
-        f.write("Current-Folder: %s\n" % context)
-        f.close()
+        updateline(self.getcontextfile(), 'Current-Folder', context)
 
     def listfolders(self):
         """Return the names of the top-level folders."""