diff --git a/src/components/email/MessageContent.tsx b/src/components/email/MessageContent.tsx
index cfec898a..24a7250f 100644
--- a/src/components/email/MessageContent.tsx
+++ b/src/components/email/MessageContent.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import { View, StyleSheet, ActivityIndicator } from 'react-native';
 import type { Email, EmailAddress, Identity } from '../../api/types';
-import { spacing, type ThemePalette } from '../../theme/tokens';
+import { spacing, radius, type ThemePalette } from '../../theme/tokens';
 import { useColors } from '../../theme/colors';
 import { useSettingsStore } from '../../stores/settings-store';
 import EmailBodyView from '../EmailBodyView';
@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@ export interface MessageContentProps {
   onEmailPatched: (email: Email) => void;
   /** Compact header (thread cards). */
   compact?: boolean;
+  /**
+   * Show a placeholder where the body goes: `email` is the list row, painted
+   * while the message itself loads.
+   */
+  deferBody?: boolean;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -40,7 +45,7 @@ export interface MessageContentProps {
  */
 export function MessageContent({
   email, jmapAccountId, identities, currentMailboxRole, active, themeOverride, onSwipe, onZoomChange,
-  onToggleStar, onAddressPress, onEmailPatched, compact,
+  onToggleStar, onAddressPress, onEmailPatched, compact, deferBody,
 }: MessageContentProps) {
   const c = useColors();
   const styles = React.useMemo(() => makeStyles(c), [c]);
@@ -98,7 +103,9 @@ export function MessageContent({
       <CalendarInvitationBanner email={email} jmapAccountId={jmapAccountId} />
 
       <View style={styles.body}>
-        {unwrap.loading ? (
+        {deferBody ? (
+          <BodyPlaceholder styles={styles} />
+        ) : unwrap.loading ? (
           <View style={styles.loading}><ActivityIndicator color={c.primary} /></View>
         ) : (
           <EmailBodyView
@@ -116,6 +123,19 @@ export function MessageContent({
   );
 }
 
+const PLACEHOLDER_LINE_WIDTHS = ['92%', '100%', '85%', '96%', '60%', '88%', '74%', '40%'] as const;
+
+// Static bones where the body will be: cheap enough for off-screen pages.
+function BodyPlaceholder({ styles }: { styles: ReturnType<typeof makeStyles> }) {
+  return (
+    <View style={styles.placeholder}>
+      {PLACEHOLDER_LINE_WIDTHS.map((w, i) => (
+        <View key={i} style={[styles.placeholderLine, { width: w }]} />
+      ))}
+    </View>
+  );
+}
+
 function makeStyles(c: ThemePalette) {
   return StyleSheet.create({
     headerBlock: {
@@ -129,5 +149,7 @@ function makeStyles(c: ThemePalette) {
     },
     body: { backgroundColor: c.background },
     loading: { padding: spacing.xl, alignItems: 'center' },
+    placeholder: { paddingHorizontal: spacing.lg, paddingVertical: spacing.lg, gap: spacing.sm },
+    placeholderLine: { height: 12, borderRadius: radius.xs, backgroundColor: c.surfaceHover },
   });
 }
diff --git a/src/screens/EmailThreadScreen.tsx b/src/screens/EmailThreadScreen.tsx
index 9ce581be..d5c5b13d 100644
--- a/src/screens/EmailThreadScreen.tsx
+++ b/src/screens/EmailThreadScreen.tsx
@@ -700,6 +700,7 @@ export default function EmailThreadScreen({ route, navigation }: Props) {
                   active={item.id === activeEmailId}
                   threadIdHint={item.threadId}
                   email={detailOf(item.id) ?? null}
+                  row={item}
                   threadIds={
                     !disableThreading
                       ? threadIdsOf(detailOf(item.id)?.threadId ?? item.threadId)
@@ -845,6 +846,8 @@ interface EmailPaneProps {
   active: boolean;
   threadIdHint?: string;
   email: Email | null;
+  /** The page as the pager lists it: a list row, or just the id for one handed over by id. */
+  row: Email;
   /** Ids of the whole conversation (oldest first) once fetched; null = not (yet) loaded. */
   threadIds: string[] | null;
   /** A conversation member: its full copy when held, else its header. */
@@ -874,7 +877,7 @@ interface EmailPaneProps {
 // swipe slides ready content into view. A conversation is listed from its
 // members' headers; bodies are only downloaded for the cards that are open.
 function EmailPane({
-  id, active, threadIdHint, email, threadIds, memberOf, threading, jmapAccountId, currentMailboxRole,
+  id, active, threadIdHint, email, row, threadIds, memberOf, threading, jmapAccountId, currentMailboxRole,
   identities, themeOverrides, ensureDetail, ensureDetails, ensureThread, scheduleMarkRead, styles,
   bottomBarHeight, onToggleStar, onAddressPress, onEmailPatched, onReply, onSwipe, onZoomChange,
 }: EmailPaneProps) {
@@ -939,17 +942,21 @@ function EmailPane({
     });
   };
 
-  if (!email) {
+  // Until the message itself is here, its list row paints the subject and
+  // header (sender, date, avatar); only a page handed over by id alone
+  // (notification, deep link) starts as a skeleton.
+  const shown = email ?? (row.receivedAt ? row : null);
+  if (!shown) {
     return <EmailPaneSkeleton styles={styles} />;
   }
 
-  const subject = singleLine(email.subject) || t('email_viewer.no_subject', '(No Subject)');
+  const subject = singleLine(shown.subject) || t('email_viewer.no_subject', '(No Subject)');
   const conversation = threading && threadId && threadIds && threadIds.length > 1
     ? threadIds.map((mid) => memberOf(threadId, mid)).filter((m): m is Email => !!m)
     : null;
   const newest = conversation ? conversation[conversation.length - 1] : email;
   // The quick reply quotes the message, so it waits for the newest one's body.
-  const newestLoaded = !conversation || !!peekDetail(newest.id, jmapAccountId);
+  const newestLoaded = !!newest && !!peekDetail(newest.id, jmapAccountId);
 
   return (
     <ScrollView
@@ -966,11 +973,15 @@ function EmailPane({
               <Text style={styles.threadCountText}>{conversation.length}</Text>
             </View>
           ) : (
-            <Pressable onPress={() => onToggleStar(email)} hitSlop={8} style={styles.subjectStar}>
+            <Pressable
+              onPress={email ? () => onToggleStar(email) : undefined}
+              hitSlop={8}
+              style={styles.subjectStar}
+            >
               <Star
                 size={18}
-                color={email.keywords?.$flagged ? c.starred : c.textMuted}
-                fill={email.keywords?.$flagged ? c.starred : 'transparent'}
+                color={shown.keywords?.$flagged ? c.starred : c.textMuted}
+                fill={shown.keywords?.$flagged ? c.starred : 'transparent'}
               />
             </Pressable>
           )}
@@ -1012,12 +1023,13 @@ function EmailPane({
         })
       ) : (
         <MessageContent
-          email={email}
+          email={shown}
+          deferBody={!email}
           jmapAccountId={jmapAccountId}
           identities={identities}
           currentMailboxRole={currentMailboxRole}
           active={active}
-          themeOverride={themeOverrides[email.id] ?? null}
+          themeOverride={themeOverrides[shown.id] ?? null}
           onSwipe={onSwipe}
           onZoomChange={(z) => { setPinching(z.pinching); onZoomChange(z); }}
           onAddressPress={onAddressPress}
@@ -1025,7 +1037,7 @@ function EmailPane({
         />
       )}
 
-      {newestLoaded && (
+      {newest && newestLoaded && (
         <QuickReplyBox
           email={newest}
           jmapAccountId={jmapAccountId}