diff --git a/src/components/email/ListAttachmentChips.tsx b/src/components/email/ListAttachmentChips.tsx
index 51f68c9a..493a5940 100644
--- a/src/components/email/ListAttachmentChips.tsx
+++ b/src/components/email/ListAttachmentChips.tsx
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ const MAX_CHIPS = 2;
  * The row's attachment parts: the ones the email already carries (a message
  * opened before), else loaded lazily when it has a paperclip.
  */
-function useListAttachments(email: Email, load?: LoadListAttachments): Attachment[] | undefined {
+export function useListAttachments(email: Email, load?: LoadListAttachments): Attachment[] | undefined {
   const [loaded, setLoaded] = React.useState<{ key: string; attachments: Attachment[] } | null>(null);
   const needsLoad = !!load && !!email.hasAttachment && !email.attachments;
   // Rows of a list spanning accounts can share an id (#1082).
@@ -47,7 +47,10 @@ function useListAttachments(email: Email, load?: LoadListAttachments): Attachmen
 
 interface ChipsProps {
   email: Email;
-  load?: LoadListAttachments;
+  /** The row's parts (useListAttachments); undefined while they load. */
+  attachments: Attachment[] | undefined;
+  /** The parts are being loaded: hold the chips' line so the row doesn't grow. */
+  pending?: boolean;
   onOpen: (email: Email, attachment: Attachment) => void;
   /** Selection mode: taps belong to the row. */
   disabled?: boolean;
@@ -59,13 +62,23 @@ interface ChipsProps {
  * that file directly.
  */
 export const ListAttachmentChips = React.memo(function ListAttachmentChips({
-  email, load, onOpen, disabled,
+  email, attachments, pending, onOpen, disabled,
 }: ChipsProps) {
   const c = useColors();
   const styles = React.useMemo(() => makeStyles(c), [c]);
   const dyn = useTypography();
-  const attachments = useListAttachments(email, load);
   const real = React.useMemo(() => realAttachments(attachments), [attachments]);
+  // The line the chips will take, held while they load (webmail 7b25d3a95):
+  // the row grew under the finger when they arrived.
+  if (pending && attachments === undefined) {
+    return (
+      <View style={styles.row} accessibilityElementsHidden importantForAccessibility="no-hide-descendants" testID="list-chips-placeholder">
+        <View style={[styles.chip, styles.placeholderChip]}>
+          <Text style={[styles.name, dyn.caption]}> </Text>
+        </View>
+      </View>
+    );
+  }
   if (real.length === 0) return null;
 
   const shown = real.slice(0, MAX_CHIPS);
@@ -214,6 +227,8 @@ function makeStyles(c: ThemePalette) {
       backgroundColor: c.surface,
     },
     chipPressed: { backgroundColor: c.surfaceHover },
+    // Empty space of a chip's height; a failed load leaves no grey stub behind.
+    placeholderChip: { width: 96, opacity: 0 },
     name: { ...typography.caption, color: c.textSecondary, flexShrink: 1 },
     more: {
       paddingHorizontal: 6,
diff --git a/src/lib/__tests__/list-paperclip.test.ts b/src/lib/__tests__/list-paperclip.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..59324825
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/__tests__/list-paperclip.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
+import fs from 'node:fs';
+import path from 'node:path';
+import { showsPaperclip } from '../list-attachments';
+import type { Attachment } from '../../api/types';
+
+// A message with nothing but inline images (a signature logo) kept its
+// paperclip in the list, and the row grew when its chips arrived (webmail
+// attachment-chips.tsx, 7b25d3a95).
+
+const inline = { blobId: 'b1', type: 'image/png', name: 'logo.png', disposition: 'inline', cid: 'logo' } as Attachment;
+const file = { blobId: 'b2', type: 'application/pdf', name: 'invoice.pdf' } as Attachment;
+
+describe('list row paperclip and chips', () => {
+  it("follows the server's flag until the parts are in, then only real attachments", () => {
+    expect(showsPaperclip(true, undefined)).toBe(true);
+    expect(showsPaperclip(true, [inline])).toBe(false);
+    expect(showsPaperclip(true, [inline, file])).toBe(true);
+    expect(showsPaperclip(false, undefined)).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('is wired into the row, which holds the chips line while they load', () => {
+    const list = fs.readFileSync(path.resolve(__dirname, '../../screens/EmailListScreen.tsx'), 'utf8');
+    expect(list).toMatch(/showsPaperclip\(item\.hasAttachment, attachments\)/);
+    expect(list).toMatch(/pending=\{!!loadAttachments && item\.hasAttachment && !item\.attachments\}/);
+    const chips = fs.readFileSync(path.resolve(__dirname, '../../components/email/ListAttachmentChips.tsx'), 'utf8');
+    expect(chips).toMatch(/if \(pending && attachments === undefined\) \{/);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/lib/list-attachments.ts b/src/lib/list-attachments.ts
index aa24b102..f33f3c4f 100644
--- a/src/lib/list-attachments.ts
+++ b/src/lib/list-attachments.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,17 @@ export function realAttachments(attachments?: readonly Attachment[] | null): Att
   return attachments.filter((a) => a.disposition !== 'inline' && !a.cid && !!a.name && !isReportPart(a.type));
 }
 
+/**
+ * Whether a list row shows the paperclip: the server's `hasAttachment` until
+ * the row's parts are loaded, then only when a real attachment is among them,
+ * so a message with nothing but inline images loses it (webmail
+ * components/email/attachment-chips.tsx).
+ */
+export function showsPaperclip(hasAttachment: boolean, attachments: readonly Attachment[] | undefined): boolean {
+  if (attachments === undefined) return hasAttachment;
+  return realAttachments(attachments).length > 0;
+}
+
 /**
  * Long names are unreadable cut at the tail; the extension is the most
  * identifying part, so keep it and elide the middle.
diff --git a/src/screens/EmailListScreen.tsx b/src/screens/EmailListScreen.tsx
index 0411ea1d..b5c66884 100644
--- a/src/screens/EmailListScreen.tsx
+++ b/src/screens/EmailListScreen.tsx
@@ -24,8 +24,9 @@ import { MoveSheet } from '../components/MoveSheet';
 import { TagSheet } from '../components/TagSheet';
 import { OfflineBanner } from '../components/OfflineBanner';
 import {
-  ListAttachmentChips, ListAttachmentOpener, useListRowAttachments,
+  ListAttachmentChips, ListAttachmentOpener, useListAttachments, useListRowAttachments,
 } from '../components/email/ListAttachmentChips';
+import { showsPaperclip } from '../lib/list-attachments';
 import { VerificationCodeChip, useListVerificationCode } from '../components/email/VerificationCodeChip';
 import { useSenderWarning } from '../components/email/use-sender-warning';
 import type { LoadListAttachments } from '../lib/list-attachments';
@@ -193,6 +194,9 @@ const EmailRow = React.memo(function EmailRow({
   const handlePress = React.useCallback(() => onPress(key), [onPress, key]);
   const handleLongPress = React.useCallback(() => onLongPress(key), [onLongPress, key]);
   const verificationCode = useListVerificationCode(item);
+  // The row's parts, loaded once it is on screen: the chips show them and
+  // the paperclip goes when they are only inline images.
+  const attachments = useListAttachments(item, onOpenAttachment ? loadAttachments : undefined);
   // Sent and Drafts rows show the recipient: the check says nothing about them.
   const senderWarning = useSenderWarning(showRecipient ? undefined : item);
 
@@ -272,7 +276,7 @@ const EmailRow = React.memo(function EmailRow({
             {forwarded && (
               <Forward size={componentSizes.statusIcon} color={c.textMuted} />
             )}
-            {item.hasAttachment && (
+            {showsPaperclip(item.hasAttachment, attachments) && (
               <Paperclip size={componentSizes.statusIcon} color={c.textMuted} />
             )}
           </View>
@@ -312,7 +316,8 @@ const EmailRow = React.memo(function EmailRow({
         {onOpenAttachment && (
           <ListAttachmentChips
             email={item}
-            load={loadAttachments}
+            attachments={attachments}
+            pending={!!loadAttachments && item.hasAttachment && !item.attachments}
             onOpen={onOpenAttachment}
             disabled={selectionMode}
           />