diff --git a/lib/imap.js b/lib/imap.js
index 4bf4928..a41acca 100644
--- a/lib/imap.js
+++ b/lib/imap.js
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ var CRLF = '\r\n',
 // extension constants
 var IDLE_NONE = 1,
     IDLE_WAIT = 2,
-    IDLE_READY = 3;
+    IDLE_READY = 3,
+    IDLE_DONE = 4;
 
 function ImapConnection (options) {
   if (!(this instanceof ImapConnection))
@@ -1209,16 +1210,18 @@ ImapConnection.prototype._send = function(cmdstr, cb, bypass) {
       cbargs: []
     });
   }
-  if (this._state.ext.idle.state === IDLE_WAIT)
+  if (this._state.ext.idle.state === IDLE_WAIT ||
+      (this._state.ext.idle.state == IDLE_DONE && cmdstr !== 'DONE'))
     return;
   if ((cmdstr === undefined && this._state.requests.length)
       || this._state.requests.length === 1 || bypass) {
     var prefix = '',
         cmd = (bypass ? cmdstr : this._state.requests[0].cmdstr);
     clearTimeout(this._state.tmrKeepalive);
-    if (this._state.ext.idle.state === IDLE_READY && cmd !== 'DONE')
+    if (this._state.ext.idle.state === IDLE_READY && cmd !== 'DONE') {
+      this._state.ext.idle.state = IDLE_DONE;
       return this._send('DONE', undefined, true);
-    else if (cmd === 'IDLE') {
+    } else if (cmd === 'IDLE') {
        // we use a different prefix to differentiate and disregard the tagged
        // response the server will send us when we issue DONE
       prefix = 'IDLE ';