diff --git a/chatmastermind/chat.py b/chatmastermind/chat.py
index 06895ac..17e5c38 100644
--- a/chatmastermind/chat.py
+++ b/chatmastermind/chat.py
@@ -107,7 +107,9 @@ def clear_dir(dir_path: Path,
     """
     file_iter = dir_path.glob(glob) if glob else dir_path.iterdir()
     for file_path in file_iter:
-        if file_path.is_file() and file_path.suffix in Message.file_suffixes:
+        if (file_path.is_file()
+           and file_path.name not in ignored_files  # noqa: W503
+           and file_path.suffix in Message.file_suffixes):  # noqa: W503
             file_path.unlink(missing_ok=True)
 
 
@@ -494,13 +496,13 @@ class ChatDB(Chat):
         else:
             return len(self.msg_find([message], loc='db')) > 0
 
-    def cache_read(self) -> None:
+    def cache_read(self, glob: Optional[str] = None, mfilter: Optional[MessageFilter] = None) -> None:
         """
         Read messages from the cache directory. New ones are added to the internal list,
         existing ones are replaced. A message is determined as 'existing' if a message
         with the same base filename (i. e. 'file_path.name') is already in the list.
         """
-        new_messages = read_dir(self.cache_path, self.glob, self.mfilter)
+        new_messages = read_dir(self.cache_path, glob, mfilter)
         # remove all messages from self.messages that are in the new list
         self.messages = [m for m in self.messages if not message_in(m, new_messages)]
         # copy the messages from the temporary list to self.messages and sort them
@@ -537,11 +539,11 @@ class ChatDB(Chat):
         self.messages += messages
         self.msg_sort()
 
-    def cache_clear(self) -> None:
+    def cache_clear(self, glob: Optional[str] = None) -> None:
         """
         Delete all message files from the cache dir and remove them from the internal list.
         """
-        clear_dir(self.cache_path, self.glob)
+        clear_dir(self.cache_path, glob)
         # only keep messages from DB dir (or those that have not yet been written)
         self.messages = [m for m in self.messages if not m.file_path or m.file_path.parent.samefile(self.db_path)]
 
@@ -561,7 +563,7 @@ class ChatDB(Chat):
         # (re)add it to the internal list
         self.msg_add([message])
 
-    def db_read(self) -> None:
+    def db_read(self, glob: Optional[str] = None, mfilter: Optional[MessageFilter] = None) -> None:
         """
         Read messages from the DB directory. New ones are added to the internal list,
         existing ones are replaced. A message is determined as 'existing' if a message