diff -u -d -r -P abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp.cpp abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp.cpp
--- abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp.cpp	Wed Jan 26 16:22:45 2000
+++ abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp.cpp	Mon Feb  7 11:13:03 2000
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@
 
 struct _imp
 {
+	UT_Bool			(*fpRecognizeContents)(const char * szBuf,
+							int iNumbytes);
 	UT_Bool			(*fpRecognizeSuffix)(const char * szSuffix);
 	UT_Error		(*fpStaticConstructor)(PD_Document * pDocument,
 										   IE_Imp ** ppie);
@@ -47,16 +49,16 @@
 	UT_Bool			(*fpSupportsFileType)(IEFileType ft);
 };
 
-#define DeclareImporter(n)	{ n::RecognizeSuffix, n::StaticConstructor, n::GetDlgLabels, n::SupportsFileType }
+#define DeclareImporter(n)	{ n::RecognizeContents, n::RecognizeSuffix, n::StaticConstructor, n::GetDlgLabels, n::SupportsFileType }
 
 static struct _imp s_impTable[] =
 {
 	DeclareImporter(IE_Imp_AbiWord_1),
       DeclareImporter(IE_Imp_GZipAbiWord),
-	DeclareImporter(IE_Imp_Text),
 	DeclareImporter(IE_Imp_RTF),
 	DeclareImporter(IE_Imp_MsWord_97),
 	DeclareImporter(IE_Imp_UTF8),
+	DeclareImporter(IE_Imp_Text),
 };
 
 		
@@ -75,10 +77,38 @@
 /*****************************************************************/
 /*****************************************************************/
 
+IEFileType IE_Imp::fileTypeForContents(const char * szBuf, int iNumbytes)
+{
+	// we have to construct the loop this way because a
+	// given filter could support more than one file type,
+	// so we must query a match for all file types
+	for (UT_uint32 k=0; (k < NrElements(s_impTable)); k++)
+	{
+		struct _imp * s = &s_impTable[k];
+		if (s->fpRecognizeContents(szBuf, iNumbytes))
+		{
+			for (UT_uint32 a = 0; a < (int) IEFT_LAST_BOGUS; a++)
+			{
+				if (s->fpSupportsFileType((IEFileType) a))
+					return (IEFileType) a;
+			}
+
+			UT_ASSERT(UT_SHOULD_NOT_HAPPEN);
+			// Hm... an importer recognizes the given data
+			// but refuses to support any file type we request.
+			return IEFT_Unknown;
+		}
+	}
+
+	// No filter recognizes this data
+	return IEFT_Unknown;
+	
+}
+
 IEFileType IE_Imp::fileTypeForSuffix(const char * szSuffix)
 {
 	if (!szSuffix)
-		return IEFT_Text;
+		return IEFT_Unknown;
 	
 	// we have to construct the loop this way because a
 	// given filter could support more than one file type,
@@ -96,14 +126,13 @@
 
 			UT_ASSERT(UT_SHOULD_NOT_HAPPEN);
 			// Hm... an importer has registered for the given suffix,
-			// bug refuses to support any file type we request.
-			// Default to Text.
-			return IEFT_Text;
+			// but refuses to support any file type we request.
+			return IEFT_Unknown;
 		}
 	}
 
-	// No filter is registered for that extension, try Text for import
-	return IEFT_Text;
+	// No filter is registered for that extension
+	return IEFT_Unknown;
 	
 }
 
@@ -120,12 +149,30 @@
 	UT_ASSERT(szFilename && *szFilename);
 	UT_ASSERT(ppie);
 
-	// no filter will support IEFT_Unknown, so we detect from the
-	// suffix of the filename, the real importer to use and assign
-	// that back to ieft.
+	// no filter will support IEFT_Unknown, so we try to detect
+	// from the contents of the file or the filename suffix
+	// the importer to use and assign that back to ieft.
+	// Give precedence to the file suffix.
 	if (ieft == IEFT_Unknown)
 	{
 		ieft = IE_Imp::fileTypeForSuffix(UT_pathSuffix(szFilename));
+	}
+	if (ieft == IEFT_Unknown)
+	{
+		char szBuf[4096];  // 4096 ought to be enough
+		int iNumbytes;
+		FILE *f;
+		if ( ( f = fopen( szFilename, "r" ) ) != (FILE *)0 )
+		{
+			iNumbytes = fread(szBuf, 1, sizeof(szBuf), f);
+			fclose(f);
+			ieft = IE_Imp::fileTypeForContents(szBuf, iNumbytes);
+		}
+	}
+	// as a last resort, just try importing it as text  :(
+	if (ieft == IEFT_Unknown)
+	{
+		ieft = IEFT_Text ;
 	}
 
 	UT_ASSERT(ieft != IEFT_Unknown);
diff -u -d -r -P abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp.h abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp.h
--- abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp.h	Wed Jan 26 16:22:45 2000
+++ abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp.h	Mon Feb  7 10:33:52 2000
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@
 	// responsible for destroying the importer when finished
 	// with it.
 
+	static IEFileType	fileTypeForContents(const char * szBuf,
+					int iNumbytes);
+
 	static IEFileType	fileTypeForSuffix(const char * szSuffix);
 	
 	static UT_Error		constructImporter(PD_Document * pDocument,
diff -u -d -r -P abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp_AbiWord_1.cpp abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp_AbiWord_1.cpp
--- abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp_AbiWord_1.cpp	Wed Jan 26 16:22:45 2000
+++ abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp_AbiWord_1.cpp	Mon Feb  7 11:15:21 2000
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
 #include "ut_types.h"
 #include "ut_assert.h"
 #include "ut_debugmsg.h"
@@ -144,6 +145,40 @@
 
 /*****************************************************************/
 /*****************************************************************/
+
+UT_Bool IE_Imp_AbiWord_1::RecognizeContents(const char * szBuf, int iNumbytes)
+{
+	int iLinesToRead = 6 ;  // Only examine the first few lines of the file
+	int iBytesScanned = 0 ;
+	const char *p ;
+	char *magic ;
+	p = szBuf ;
+	while( iLinesToRead-- )
+	{
+		magic = "<abiword " ;
+		if ( (iNumbytes - iBytesScanned) < strlen(magic) ) return(UT_FALSE);
+		if ( strncmp(p, magic, strlen(magic)) == 0 ) return(UT_TRUE);
+		magic = "<!-- This file is an AbiWord document." ;
+		if ( (iNumbytes - iBytesScanned) < strlen(magic) ) return(UT_FALSE);
+		if ( strncmp(p, magic, strlen(magic)) == 0 ) return(UT_TRUE);
+		/*  Seek to the next newline:  */
+		while ( *p != '\n' && *p != '\r' )
+		{
+			iBytesScanned++ ; p++ ;
+			if( iBytesScanned+2 >= iNumbytes ) return(UT_FALSE);
+		}
+		/*  Seek past the next newline:  */
+		if ( *p == '\n' || *p == '\r' )
+		{
+			iBytesScanned++ ; p++ ;
+			if ( *p == '\n' || *p == '\r' )
+			{
+				iBytesScanned++ ; p++ ;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return(UT_FALSE);
+}
 
 UT_Bool IE_Imp_AbiWord_1::RecognizeSuffix(const char * szSuffix)
 {
diff -u -d -r -P abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp_AbiWord_1.h abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp_AbiWord_1.h
--- abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp_AbiWord_1.h	Wed Jan 26 16:22:45 2000
+++ abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp_AbiWord_1.h	Mon Feb  7 10:33:52 2000
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
     void				_endElement(const XML_Char *name);
     void				_charData(const XML_Char*, int);
 
+    static UT_Bool		RecognizeContents(const char * szBuf, int iNumbytes);
     static UT_Bool		RecognizeSuffix(const char * szSuffix);
     static UT_Error		StaticConstructor(PD_Document * pDocument,
 	    IE_Imp ** ppie);
diff -u -d -r -P abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp_GZipAbiWord.cpp abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp_GZipAbiWord.cpp
--- abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp_GZipAbiWord.cpp	Wed Jan 26 16:22:45 2000
+++ abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp_GZipAbiWord.cpp	Mon Feb  7 10:43:03 2000
@@ -54,6 +54,23 @@
 /*****************************************************************/
 /*****************************************************************/
 
+UT_Bool IE_Imp_GZipAbiWord::RecognizeContents(const char * szBuf, int iNumbytes)
+{
+	// TODO: This is a hack.  Since we're just passed in some
+	// TODO: some data, and not the actual filename, there isn't
+	// TODO: much we can do other than verify that it is gzip'ed
+	// TODO: data.  For the time being, assume that if it is
+	// TODO: gzip'ed, it's gzip'ed abiword.  This assumption will
+	// TODO: be false if and when we support any other compressed
+	// TODO: formats.
+	if ( iNumbytes < 2 ) return(UT_FALSE);
+	if ( ( szBuf[0] == (char)0x1f ) && ( szBuf[1] == (char)0x8b ) )
+	{
+		return(UT_TRUE);
+	}
+	return(UT_FALSE);
+}
+
 UT_Bool IE_Imp_GZipAbiWord::RecognizeSuffix(const char * szSuffix)
 {
     return (UT_stricmp(szSuffix,".zabw") == 0);
diff -u -d -r -P abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp_GZipAbiWord.h abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp_GZipAbiWord.h
--- abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp_GZipAbiWord.h	Wed Jan 26 16:22:45 2000
+++ abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp_GZipAbiWord.h	Mon Feb  7 10:33:52 2000
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 	virtual void		pasteFromBuffer(PD_DocumentRange * pDocRange,
 										unsigned char * pData, UT_uint32 lenData);
 
+	static UT_Bool		RecognizeContents(const char * szBuf, int iNumbytes);
 	static UT_Bool		RecognizeSuffix(const char * szSuffix);
 	static UT_Error		StaticConstructor(PD_Document * pDocument,
 										  IE_Imp ** ppie);
diff -u -d -r -P abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp_MsWord_97.cpp abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp_MsWord_97.cpp
--- abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp_MsWord_97.cpp	Sat Feb  5 19:49:37 2000
+++ abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp_MsWord_97.cpp	Mon Feb  7 11:02:03 2000
@@ -681,6 +681,82 @@
 /*****************************************************************/
 /*****************************************************************/
 
+UT_Bool IE_Imp_MsWord_97::RecognizeContents(const char * szBuf, int iNumbytes)
+{
+	// TODO: This is rather crude, because we don't parse OLE files.
+	// TODO: For the time being, we assume that any OLE file is an
+	// TODO: msword document.
+	// TODO: Caolan is gonna kill me for this.  :)
+	// Most of the magic numbers here were taken from the public domain
+	// /etc/magic file distributed with the file(1) command written
+	// by Ian F. Darwin, with contributions and magic entries from
+	// Rob McMahon, Guy Harris, Christos Zoulas <christos@astron.com>,
+	// Mark Moraes <moraes@deshaw.com>, and Pawel Wiecek.
+	char *magic ;
+	int magicoffset ;
+	magic = "Microsoft Word 6.0 Document" ;
+	magicoffset = 2080 ;
+	if ( iNumbytes > magicoffset+strlen(magic) )
+	{
+		if ( strncmp(szBuf+magicoffset, magic, strlen(magic)) == 0 )
+		{
+			return(UT_TRUE);
+		}
+	}
+	magic = "Documento Microsoft Word 6" ;
+	magicoffset = 2080 ;
+	if ( iNumbytes > magicoffset+strlen(magic) )
+	{
+		if ( strncmp(szBuf+magicoffset, magic, strlen(magic)) == 0 )
+		{
+			return(UT_TRUE);
+		}
+	}
+	magic = "MSWordDoc" ;
+	magicoffset = 2112 ;
+	if ( iNumbytes > magicoffset+strlen(magic) )
+	{
+		if ( strncmp(szBuf+magicoffset, magic, strlen(magic)) == 0 )
+		{
+			return(UT_TRUE);
+		}
+	}
+	if ( iNumbytes > 8 )
+	{
+		if ( szBuf[0] == (char)0x31 && szBuf[1] == (char)0xbe &&
+			 szBuf[2] == (char)0 && szBuf[3] == (char)0 )
+		{
+			return(UT_TRUE);
+		}
+		if ( szBuf[0] == 'P' && szBuf[1] == 'O' &&
+			 szBuf[2] == '^' && szBuf[3] == 'Q' && szBuf[4] == '`' )
+		{
+			return(UT_TRUE);
+		}
+		if ( szBuf[0] == (char)0xfe && szBuf[1] == (char)0x37 &&
+			 szBuf[2] == (char)0 && szBuf[3] == (char)0x23 )
+		{
+			return(UT_TRUE);
+		}
+		// OLE magic:
+		// TODO: Dig through the OLE file
+		if ( szBuf[0] == (char)0xd0 && szBuf[1] == (char)0xcf &&
+			 szBuf[2] == (char)0x11 && szBuf[3] == (char)0xe0 &&
+			 szBuf[4] == (char)0xa1 && szBuf[5] == (char)0xb1 &&
+			 szBuf[6] == (char)0x1a && szBuf[7] == (char)0xe1 )
+		{
+			return(UT_TRUE);
+		}
+		if ( szBuf[0] == (char)0xdb && szBuf[1] == (char)0xa5 &&
+			 szBuf[2] == (char)0x2d && szBuf[3] == (char)0 &&
+			 szBuf[4] == (char)0 && szBuf[5] == (char)0 )
+		{
+			return(UT_TRUE);
+		}
+	}
+	return(UT_FALSE);
+}
+
 UT_Bool IE_Imp_MsWord_97::RecognizeSuffix(const char * szSuffix)
 {
 	return (UT_stricmp(szSuffix,".doc") == 0);
diff -u -d -r -P abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp_MsWord_97.h abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp_MsWord_97.h
--- abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp_MsWord_97.h	Sat Feb  5 19:49:37 2000
+++ abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp_MsWord_97.h	Mon Feb  7 10:33:52 2000
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 	virtual void	       	pasteFromBuffer(PD_DocumentRange * pDocRange,
 										unsigned char * pData, UT_uint32 lenData);
 
+	static UT_Bool		RecognizeContents(const char * szBuf, int iNumbytes);
 	static UT_Bool		RecognizeSuffix(const char * szSuffix);
 	static UT_Error		StaticConstructor(PD_Document * pDocument,
 										  IE_Imp ** ppie);
diff -u -d -r -P abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp_RTF.cpp abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp_RTF.cpp
--- abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp_RTF.cpp	Fri Feb  4 14:47:07 2000
+++ abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp_RTF.cpp	Mon Feb  7 10:33:52 2000
@@ -319,6 +319,19 @@
 /*****************************************************************/
 /*****************************************************************/
 
+UT_Bool IE_Imp_RTF::RecognizeContents(const char * szBuf, int iNumbytes)
+{
+	if ( iNumbytes < 5 )
+	{
+		return(UT_FALSE);
+	}
+	if ( strncmp( szBuf, "{\\rtf", 5 ) == 0 )
+	{
+		return(UT_TRUE) ;
+	}
+	return(UT_FALSE);
+}
+
 UT_Bool IE_Imp_RTF::RecognizeSuffix(const char * szSuffix)
 {
 	return (UT_stricmp(szSuffix,".rtf") == 0);
diff -u -d -r -P abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp_RTF.h abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp_RTF.h
--- abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp_RTF.h	Tue Feb  1 11:41:09 2000
+++ abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp_RTF.h	Mon Feb  7 10:33:52 2000
@@ -175,6 +175,7 @@
 	virtual void		pasteFromBuffer(PD_DocumentRange * pDocRange,
 										unsigned char * pData, UT_uint32 lenData);
 
+	static UT_Bool		RecognizeContents(const char * szBuf, int iNumbytes);
 	static UT_Bool		RecognizeSuffix(const char * szSuffix);
 	static UT_Error		StaticConstructor(PD_Document * pDocument,
 										  IE_Imp ** ppie);
diff -u -d -r -P abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp_Text.cpp abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp_Text.cpp
--- abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp_Text.cpp	Wed Jan 26 16:22:45 2000
+++ abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp_Text.cpp	Mon Feb  7 11:03:49 2000
@@ -237,6 +237,14 @@
 /*****************************************************************/
 /*****************************************************************/
 
+UT_Bool IE_Imp_Text::RecognizeContents(const char * szBuf, int iNumbytes)
+{
+	// TODO: We give the other guys a chance, since this
+	// TODO: importer is so generic.  Does this seem
+	// TODO: like a sensible strategy?
+	return(UT_FALSE);
+}
+
 UT_Bool IE_Imp_Text::RecognizeSuffix(const char * szSuffix)
 {
 	return (UT_stricmp(szSuffix,".txt") == 0);
diff -u -d -r -P abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp_Text.h abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp_Text.h
--- abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp_Text.h	Wed Jan 26 16:22:45 2000
+++ abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp_Text.h	Mon Feb  7 10:33:52 2000
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 	virtual void		pasteFromBuffer(PD_DocumentRange * pDocRange,
 										unsigned char * pData, UT_uint32 lenData);
 
+	static UT_Bool		RecognizeContents(const char * szBuf, int iNumbytes);
 	static UT_Bool		RecognizeSuffix(const char * szSuffix);
 	static UT_Error		StaticConstructor(PD_Document * pDocument,
 										  IE_Imp ** ppie);
diff -u -d -r -P abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp_UTF8.cpp abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp_UTF8.cpp
--- abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp_UTF8.cpp	Wed Jan 26 16:22:45 2000
+++ abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp_UTF8.cpp	Mon Feb  7 11:04:05 2000
@@ -302,6 +302,12 @@
 /*****************************************************************/
 /*****************************************************************/
 
+UT_Bool IE_Imp_UTF8::RecognizeContents(const char * szBuf, int iNumbytes)
+{
+	// TODO: Not yet written
+	return(UT_FALSE);
+}
+
 UT_Bool IE_Imp_UTF8::RecognizeSuffix(const char * szSuffix)
 {
 	return (UT_stricmp(szSuffix,".utf8") == 0);
diff -u -d -r -P abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp_UTF8.h abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp_UTF8.h
--- abi/src/wp/impexp/xp.orig/ie_imp_UTF8.h	Wed Jan 26 16:22:45 2000
+++ abi/src/wp/impexp/xp/ie_imp_UTF8.h	Mon Feb  7 10:33:52 2000
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 	virtual void		pasteFromBuffer(PD_DocumentRange * pDocRange,
 										unsigned char * pData, UT_uint32 lenData);
 
+	static UT_Bool		RecognizeContents(const char * szBuf, int iNumbytes);
 	static UT_Bool		RecognizeSuffix(const char * szSuffix);
 	static UT_Error		StaticConstructor(PD_Document * pDocument,
 										  IE_Imp ** ppie);