diff --git a/src/lib/__tests__/push-background-task.test.ts b/src/lib/__tests__/push-background-task.test.ts
index 65c7f27a..a61ffdc4 100644
--- a/src/lib/__tests__/push-background-task.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/__tests__/push-background-task.test.ts
@@ -218,6 +218,48 @@ describe('pushBackgroundTask notifications', () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it('shows a generic notification when the lookup fails, not none (#1041)', async () => {
+    (secureFetch as ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>).mockImplementation(async (url: string) => {
+      if (url.endsWith('/.well-known/jmap')) return { ok: false, status: 503 };
+      throw new Error('unexpected');
+    });
+    await pushBackgroundTask({ kind: 'jmap-email-push', accountLabel: 'alice', accountId: 'jmap-primary', emailIds: '["m1"]' });
+
+    expect(showNotification).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect((showNotification.mock.calls[0] as unknown[])[0]).toMatchObject({
+      title: 'New email',
+      body: 'alice',
+      emailId: '',
+      threadId: '',
+      groupKey: `bulwark-mail:${LOCAL}`,
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('takes a method error for a failed lookup, not for "nothing new" (#1041)', async () => {
+    (secureFetch as ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>).mockImplementation(async (url: string) => {
+      if (url.endsWith('/.well-known/jmap')) {
+        return { ok: true, json: async () => ({ apiUrl: 'https://mail.example.com/jmap/', primaryAccounts: { 'urn:ietf:params:jmap:mail': 'jmap-primary' } }) };
+      }
+      return { ok: true, json: async () => ({ methodResponses: [['error', { type: 'serverFail' }, '0']] }) };
+    });
+    await pushBackgroundTask({ kind: 'jmap-state-change', accountLabel: 'alice', changed: '{"jmap-primary":{"EmailDelivery":"s"}}' });
+
+    expect(showNotification).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect((showNotification.mock.calls[0] as unknown[])[0]).toMatchObject({ title: 'New email', emailId: '' });
+  });
+
+  it('stays quiet when the lookup worked and found nothing new', async () => {
+    (secureFetch as ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>).mockImplementation(async (url: string) => {
+      if (url.endsWith('/.well-known/jmap')) {
+        return { ok: true, json: async () => ({ apiUrl: 'https://mail.example.com/jmap/', primaryAccounts: { 'urn:ietf:params:jmap:mail': 'jmap-primary' } }) };
+      }
+      return { ok: true, json: async () => ({ methodResponses: [['Email/get', { list: [{ id: 'm1', keywords: { $seen: true } }] }, '0']] }) };
+    });
+    await pushBackgroundTask({ kind: 'jmap-email-push', accountLabel: 'alice', accountId: 'jmap-primary', emailIds: '["m1"]' });
+
+    expect(showNotification).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   it("says a message has no subject in the app's language", async () => {
     await AsyncStorage.setItem('webmail:locale:v1', JSON.stringify({ override: 'de' }));
     (secureFetch as ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>).mockImplementation(async (url: string) => ({
diff --git a/src/lib/push-background-task.ts b/src/lib/push-background-task.ts
index 673ec0e3..cecf9d2f 100644
--- a/src/lib/push-background-task.ts
+++ b/src/lib/push-background-task.ts
@@ -331,6 +331,31 @@ async function openDetachedSession(accountId: string): Promise<DetachedSession |
   return { apiUrl: rewriteApiUrl(session, baseUrl), authHeader, jmapAccountId };
 }
 
+/**
+ * The lookup for a push failed: the server, the session or a method answered
+ * with an error. That is not "nothing new" (webmail #1041): the push said
+ * something arrived, so a generic notification is shown instead of none.
+ */
+export class PushLookupError extends Error {
+  constructor(message: string) {
+    super(message);
+    this.name = 'PushLookupError';
+  }
+}
+
+/** The first response, or a PushLookupError when the method failed. */
+function methodResult(
+  responses: Array<[string, Record<string, any>, string]>,
+  method: string,
+): Record<string, any> {
+  const [name, body] = responses[0] ?? [];
+  if (name !== method) {
+    const type = name === 'error' && typeof body?.type === 'string' ? body.type : name ?? 'no response';
+    throw new PushLookupError(`${method} failed: ${type}`);
+  }
+  return body ?? {};
+}
+
 async function jmapPost(
   session: DetachedSession,
   methodCalls: JMAPMethodCall[],
@@ -353,8 +378,7 @@ async function detachedGetEmails(
   const responses = await jmapPost(session, [
     ['Email/get', { accountId, ids, properties: EMAIL_PROPERTIES }, '0'],
   ]);
-  const [name, body] = responses[0] ?? [];
-  if (name !== 'Email/get') return [];
+  const body = methodResult(responses, 'Email/get');
   return (body.list as Email[]) ?? [];
 }
 
@@ -366,8 +390,7 @@ async function detachedNewestUnreadInboxIds(
   const mailboxResponses = await jmapPost(session, [
     ['Mailbox/get', { accountId, properties: ['id', 'role'] }, '0'],
   ]);
-  const [mbName, mbBody] = mailboxResponses[0] ?? [];
-  if (mbName !== 'Mailbox/get') return [];
+  const mbBody = methodResult(mailboxResponses, 'Mailbox/get');
   const inbox = ((mbBody.list as Mailbox[]) ?? []).find((m) => m.role === 'inbox');
   if (!inbox) return [];
   const queryResponses = await jmapPost(session, [
@@ -382,8 +405,7 @@ async function detachedNewestUnreadInboxIds(
       '0',
     ],
   ]);
-  const [qName, qBody] = queryResponses[0] ?? [];
-  if (qName !== 'Email/query') return [];
+  const qBody = methodResult(queryResponses, 'Email/query');
   return (qBody.ids as string[]) ?? [];
 }
 
@@ -441,6 +463,8 @@ export async function pushBackgroundTask(data: unknown): Promise<void> {
           accountId,
           err instanceof Error ? err.message : err,
         );
+        // Something arrived; say so even though the lookup couldn't say what.
+        if (!match.ambiguous) await showLookupFailedNotification(accountId, payload).catch(() => undefined);
       }
     }
   } catch (error) {
@@ -612,6 +636,29 @@ async function showPlainNotification(payload: RelayPushData): Promise<void> {
   });
 }
 
+/**
+ * New mail in `accountId` that couldn't be looked up (webmail #1041): the
+ * account's name and no message, so a tap opens the app as it is. One per
+ * account; the next failure replaces it rather than stacking up.
+ */
+async function showLookupFailedNotification(accountId: string, payload: RelayPushData): Promise<void> {
+  const native = NativeModules.BulwarkFcm as BulwarkFcmNative | undefined;
+  if (!native?.showNotification) return;
+  const locale = await notificationLocale();
+  const label = payload.accountLabel ?? accountId.split('@')[0] ?? accountId;
+  await native.showNotification({
+    notificationId: `mail-unknown:${accountId}`,
+    title: translate(locale, 'notifications.new_email', 'New email'),
+    body: label,
+    initials: getEmailInitials(label, ''),
+    bgColorHex: hslToHex(generateEmailAvatarColor(label, '')),
+    emailId: '',
+    threadId: '',
+    groupKey: `bulwark-mail:${accountId}`,
+    groupTitle: label,
+  });
+}
+
 function hslToHex(hsl: string): string {
   const match = hsl.match(/hsl\(\s*(\d+)\s*,\s*(\d+)%\s*,\s*(\d+)%\s*\)/);
   if (!match) return '#2563eb';