Since December 2014, clients using the Python poplib library (getmail in my case) started to limit the line length of RETR and other command responses sent from the server to 2048 bytes: See https://bugs.python.org/issue16041 (Included at least in Python-2.7.9) Dovecot doesn't have line split in the POP3 module, so Python fails to retrieve messages with long lines. RFC 1939 says: " Responses in the POP3 consist of a status indicator and a keyword possibly followed by additional information. All responses are terminated by a CRLF pair. Responses may be up to 512 characters long, including the terminating CRLF. " I think dovecot-pop3 should split it's output in lines of at least 512 characters. Or at least it should have a "pop3_max_line_length" setting (like "imap_max_line_length"). Server side: # dovecot --version 2.2.13 Client side: # python --version Python 2.7.9 # getmail --version getmail 4.47.0 Temporary workaround (on client-side): --- poplib.py.orig 2015-04-08 18:46:48.280879211 -0300 +++ poplib.py 2015-04-08 18:26:01.288556028 -0300 @@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ # reading arbitrary length lines. RFC 1939 limits POP3 line length to # 512 characters, including CRLF. We have selected 2048 just to be on # the safe side. -_MAXLINE = 2048 +_MAXLINE = 2048*100 class POP3: Thanks in advance. -- Guillermo M. Narvaja Lambda Sistemas S.R.L. www.fierro-soft.com.ar - radiocut.fm Tel: (5411) 3220-1520 (rotativas) y 4857-6662 Cel: (5411) 15-6783-4435 Email: guillermo.narvaja@fierro-soft.com.ar MSN: guillermo_narvaja@hotmail.com Skype: guillermonarvaja Lavalleja 519 1er Piso - Ciudad de Buenos Aires - Argentina