diff --git a/internal/bridge/bridge.go b/internal/bridge/bridge.go
index 1977ba4e..d137f1b7 100644
--- a/internal/bridge/bridge.go
+++ b/internal/bridge/bridge.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ProtonMail/proton-bridge/internal/store"
 	"github.com/ProtonMail/proton-bridge/pkg/listener"
 	"github.com/ProtonMail/proton-bridge/pkg/pmapi"
+	imapBackend "github.com/emersion/go-imap/backend"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/go-multierror"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	logrus "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ type Bridge struct {
 	// idleUpdates is a channel which the imap backend listens to and which it uses
 	// to send idle updates to the mail client (eg thunderbird).
 	// The user stores should send idle updates on this channel.
-	idleUpdates chan interface{}
+	idleUpdates chan imapBackend.Update
 
 	lock sync.RWMutex
 
@@ -89,7 +90,7 @@ func New(
 		clientManager: clientManager,
 		credStorer:    credStorer,
 		storeCache:    store.NewCache(config.GetIMAPCachePath()),
-		idleUpdates:   make(chan interface{}),
+		idleUpdates:   make(chan imapBackend.Update),
 		lock:          sync.RWMutex{},
 		stopAll:       make(chan struct{}),
 	}
@@ -541,7 +542,7 @@ func (b *Bridge) updateUserAgent() {
 }
 
 // GetIMAPUpdatesChannel sets the channel on which idle events should be sent.
-func (b *Bridge) GetIMAPUpdatesChannel() chan interface{} {
+func (b *Bridge) GetIMAPUpdatesChannel() chan imapBackend.Update {
 	if b.idleUpdates == nil {
 		log.Warn("Bridge updates channel is nil")
 	}
diff --git a/internal/bridge/user.go b/internal/bridge/user.go
index f3871d39..8f2e17d3 100644
--- a/internal/bridge/user.go
+++ b/internal/bridge/user.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ProtonMail/proton-bridge/internal/store"
 	"github.com/ProtonMail/proton-bridge/pkg/listener"
 	"github.com/ProtonMail/proton-bridge/pkg/pmapi"
+	imapBackend "github.com/emersion/go-imap/backend"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ type User struct {
 	clientManager ClientManager
 	credStorer    CredentialsStorer
 
-	imapUpdatesChannel chan interface{}
+	imapUpdatesChannel chan imapBackend.Update
 
 	store      *store.Store
 	storeCache *store.Cache
@@ -102,7 +103,7 @@ func (u *User) client() pmapi.Client {
 // have the apitoken and password), authorising the user against the api, loading the user store (creating a new one
 // if necessary), and setting the imap idle updates channel (used to send imap idle updates to the imap backend if
 // something in the store changed).
-func (u *User) init(idleUpdates chan interface{}) (err error) {
+func (u *User) init(idleUpdates chan imapBackend.Update) (err error) {
 	u.unlockingKeyringLock.Lock()
 	u.wasKeyringUnlocked = false
 	u.unlockingKeyringLock.Unlock()
diff --git a/internal/imap/backend.go b/internal/imap/backend.go
index 5a8488bb..3652199a 100644
--- a/internal/imap/backend.go
+++ b/internal/imap/backend.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ type panicHandler interface {
 type imapBackend struct {
 	panicHandler  panicHandler
 	bridge        bridger
-	updates       chan interface{}
+	updates       chan goIMAPBackend.Update
 	eventListener listener.Listener
 
 	users       map[string]*imapUser
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func newIMAPBackend(
 	return &imapBackend{
 		panicHandler:  panicHandler,
 		bridge:        bridge,
-		updates:       make(chan interface{}),
+		updates:       make(chan goIMAPBackend.Update),
 		eventListener: eventListener,
 
 		users:       map[string]*imapUser{},
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ func (ib *imapBackend) Login(_ *imap.ConnInfo, username, password string) (goIMA
 }
 
 // Updates returns a channel of updates for IMAP IDLE extension.
-func (ib *imapBackend) Updates() <-chan interface{} {
+func (ib *imapBackend) Updates() <-chan goIMAPBackend.Update {
 	// Called from go-imap in goroutines - we need to handle panics for each function.
 	defer ib.panicHandler.HandlePanic()
 
diff --git a/internal/store/change.go b/internal/store/change.go
index 2d3f6d2d..d875c3f7 100644
--- a/internal/store/change.go
+++ b/internal/store/change.go
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ import (
 
 // SetIMAPUpdateChannel sets the channel on which imap update messages will be sent. This should be the channel
 // on which the imap backend listens for imap updates.
-func (store *Store) SetIMAPUpdateChannel(updates chan interface{}) {
+func (store *Store) SetIMAPUpdateChannel(updates chan imapBackend.Update) {
 	store.log.Debug("Listening for IMAP updates")
 
 	if store.imapUpdates = updates; store.imapUpdates == nil {
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ func (store *Store) imapMailboxStatus(address, mailboxName string, total, unread
 	store.imapSendUpdate(update)
 }
 
-func (store *Store) imapSendUpdate(update interface{}) {
+func (store *Store) imapSendUpdate(update imapBackend.Update) {
 	if store.imapUpdates == nil {
 		store.log.Trace("IMAP IDLE unavailable")
 		return
diff --git a/internal/store/change_test.go b/internal/store/change_test.go
index ce39d0a6..05ecdec9 100644
--- a/internal/store/change_test.go
+++ b/internal/store/change_test.go
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ func TestCreateOrUpdateMessageIMAPUpdates(t *testing.T) {
 	m, clear := initMocks(t)
 	defer clear()
 
-	updates := make(chan interface{})
+	updates := make(chan imapBackend.Update)
 
 	m.newStoreNoEvents(true)
 	m.store.SetIMAPUpdateChannel(updates)
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ func TestCreateOrUpdateMessageIMAPUpdatesBulkUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 	m, clear := initMocks(t)
 	defer clear()
 
-	updates := make(chan interface{})
+	updates := make(chan imapBackend.Update)
 
 	m.newStoreNoEvents(true)
 	m.store.SetIMAPUpdateChannel(updates)
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ func TestDeleteMessageIMAPUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 	insertMessage(t, m, "msg1", "Test message 1", addrID1, 0, []string{pmapi.AllMailLabel})
 	insertMessage(t, m, "msg2", "Test message 2", addrID1, 0, []string{pmapi.AllMailLabel})
 
-	updates := make(chan interface{})
+	updates := make(chan imapBackend.Update)
 	m.store.SetIMAPUpdateChannel(updates)
 	go checkIMAPUpdates(t, updates, []func(interface{}) bool{
 		checkMessageDelete(addr1, "All Mail", 2),
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ func TestDeleteMessageIMAPUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 	close(updates)
 }
 
-func checkIMAPUpdates(t *testing.T, updates chan interface{}, checkFunctions []func(interface{}) bool) {
+func checkIMAPUpdates(t *testing.T, updates chan imapBackend.Update, checkFunctions []func(interface{}) bool) {
 	idx := 0
 	for update := range updates {
 		if idx >= len(checkFunctions) {
diff --git a/internal/store/store.go b/internal/store/store.go
index 354b0d96..68421a5a 100644
--- a/internal/store/store.go
+++ b/internal/store/store.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/ProtonMail/proton-bridge/pkg/listener"
 	"github.com/ProtonMail/proton-bridge/pkg/pmapi"
+	imapBackend "github.com/emersion/go-imap/backend"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/go-multierror"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ type Store struct {
 	db          *bolt.DB
 	lock        *sync.RWMutex
 	addresses   map[string]*Address
-	imapUpdates chan interface{}
+	imapUpdates chan imapBackend.Update
 
 	isSyncRunning bool
 	addressMode   addressMode