diff --git a/Lib/mailbox.py b/Lib/mailbox.py
index 325b9c9..7a29555 100644
--- a/Lib/mailbox.py
+++ b/Lib/mailbox.py
@@ -1462,9 +1462,10 @@
 
     def _become_message(self, message):
         """Assume the non-format-specific state of message."""
-        for name in ('_headers', '_unixfrom', '_payload', '_charset',
-                     'preamble', 'epilogue', 'defects', '_default_type'):
-            self.__dict__[name] = message.__dict__[name]
+        type_specific = getattr(message, '_type_specific_attributes', [])
+        for name in message.__dict__:
+            if name not in type_specific:
+                self.__dict__[name] = message.__dict__[name]
 
     def _explain_to(self, message):
         """Copy format-specific state to message insofar as possible."""
@@ -1477,6 +1478,8 @@
 class MaildirMessage(Message):
     """Message with Maildir-specific properties."""
 
+    _type_specific_attributes = ['_subdir', '_info', '_date']
+
     def __init__(self, message=None):
         """Initialize a MaildirMessage instance."""
         self._subdir = 'new'
@@ -1584,6 +1587,8 @@
 class _mboxMMDFMessage(Message):
     """Message with mbox- or MMDF-specific properties."""
 
+    _type_specific_attributes = ['_from']
+
     def __init__(self, message=None):
         """Initialize an mboxMMDFMessage instance."""
         self.set_from('MAILER-DAEMON', True)
@@ -1699,6 +1704,8 @@
 class MHMessage(Message):
     """Message with MH-specific properties."""
 
+    _type_specific_attributes = ['_sequences']
+
     def __init__(self, message=None):
         """Initialize an MHMessage instance."""
         self._sequences = []
@@ -1769,6 +1776,8 @@
 class BabylMessage(Message):
     """Message with Babyl-specific properties."""
 
+    _type_specific_attributes = ['_labels', '_visible']
+
     def __init__(self, message=None):
         """Initialize an BabylMessage instance."""
         self._labels = []