diff --git a/internal/app/consumer/deleted_mailbox_test.go b/internal/app/consumer/deleted_mailbox_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..412f173c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/app/consumer/deleted_mailbox_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+package jobs
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/google/uuid"
+	"github.com/jackc/pgx/v5/pgconn"
+	"github.com/warmbly/warmbly/internal/errx"
+	"github.com/warmbly/warmbly/internal/models"
+	"github.com/warmbly/warmbly/internal/repository"
+)
+
+// mailboxFKError is what Postgres returns when a write names a mailbox whose
+// email_accounts row has been deleted.
+func mailboxFKError(table string) error {
+	return fmt.Errorf("insert: %w", &pgconn.PgError{Code: "23503", ConstraintName: table + "_email_id_fkey"})
+}
+
+// newDeletedMailboxFixture is a consumer with two live workers and a mailbox
+// lookup that answers as the given row state.
+func newDeletedMailboxFixture(workerID *uuid.UUID, lookupErr *errx.Error) (*JobsService, *stubEmailRepo, *stubPublisher, []models.Worker) {
+	workers := []models.Worker{{ID: uuid.New()}, {ID: uuid.New()}}
+	repo := &stubEmailRepo{workerID: workerID, workerErr: lookupErr}
+	pub := &stubPublisher{}
+	return &JobsService{EmailRepository: repo, Publisher: pub, WorkerRepo: &stubWorkerRepo{workers: workers}}, repo, pub, workers
+}
+
+func TestDropForDeletedMailboxEvictsFromEveryWorkerWhenTheRowIsGone(t *testing.T) {
+	s, _, pub, workers := newDeletedMailboxFixture(nil, errx.ErrNotFound)
+	emailID := uuid.New()
+
+	if !s.dropForDeletedMailbox(context.Background(), uuid.New(), emailID, mailboxFKError("unibox_emails")) {
+		t.Fatal("a write refused for a deleted mailbox was kept as an error; it is reported and the worker keeps syncing")
+	}
+	if len(pub.removed) != len(workers) {
+		t.Fatalf("published %d removals, want one per live worker (%d)", len(pub.removed), len(workers))
+	}
+	for i, r := range pub.removed {
+		if r.workerID != workers[i].ID || r.emailID != emailID.String() {
+			t.Errorf("removal %d = worker %s email %s, want worker %s email %s", i, r.workerID, r.emailID, workers[i].ID, emailID)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// A foreign-key refusal alone does not prove the mailbox is gone: the write
+// may have tripped the owner's user_id. Evicting a live mailbox would stop it
+// syncing, so the row decides.
+func TestDropForDeletedMailboxKeepsTheErrorWhileTheMailboxExists(t *testing.T) {
+	assigned := uuid.New()
+	for name, worker := range map[string]*uuid.UUID{"assigned": &assigned, "unassigned": nil} {
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			s, _, pub, _ := newDeletedMailboxFixture(worker, nil)
+			if s.dropForDeletedMailbox(context.Background(), uuid.New(), uuid.New(), mailboxFKError("unibox_emails")) {
+				t.Fatal("dropped a refused write for a mailbox that still exists")
+			}
+			if len(pub.removed) != 0 {
+				t.Errorf("published %d removals for a mailbox that still exists", len(pub.removed))
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDropForDeletedMailboxKeepsTheErrorWhenTheLookupFails(t *testing.T) {
+	s, _, pub, _ := newDeletedMailboxFixture(nil, errx.InternalError())
+	if s.dropForDeletedMailbox(context.Background(), uuid.New(), uuid.New(), mailboxFKError("unibox_emails")) {
+		t.Fatal("dropped the event on a failed lookup; an outage is not a deleted mailbox")
+	}
+	if len(pub.removed) != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("published %d removals on a failed lookup", len(pub.removed))
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDropForDeletedMailboxLeavesOtherErrorsAlone(t *testing.T) {
+	s, repo, _, _ := newDeletedMailboxFixture(nil, errx.ErrNotFound)
+	for _, err := range []error{errors.New("connection reset"), &pgconn.PgError{Code: "23505"}, nil} {
+		if s.dropForDeletedMailbox(context.Background(), uuid.New(), uuid.New(), err) {
+			t.Errorf("dropped %v, which is not a deleted mailbox", err)
+		}
+	}
+	if repo.workerCalls != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("looked the mailbox up %d times for errors that are not foreign-key refusals", repo.workerCalls)
+	}
+}
+
+type refusingMailboxRepo struct {
+	repository.MailboxRepository
+	err error
+}
+
+func (r *refusingMailboxRepo) CreateEntry(context.Context, uuid.UUID, uuid.UUID, *models.Mailbox) error {
+	return r.err
+}
+
+type refusingSyncStateRepo struct {
+	repository.EmailSyncStateRepository
+	err error
+}
+
+func (r *refusingSyncStateRepo) Get(context.Context, uuid.UUID) (*models.SyncState, error) {
+	return nil, nil
+}
+
+func (r *refusingSyncStateRepo) Put(context.Context, uuid.UUID, uuid.UUID, *models.SyncState) error {
+	return r.err
+}
+
+// The handlers are where the refusal used to be discarded or reported; each
+// must now end the event and evict.
+func TestWorkerEventsForADeletedMailboxEvictInsteadOfFailing(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := map[string]func(s *JobsService, userID, emailID uuid.UUID) error{
+		"MAILBOX_UPDATE": func(s *JobsService, userID, emailID uuid.UUID) error {
+			s.MailboxRepository = &refusingMailboxRepo{err: mailboxFKError("unibox_mailboxes")}
+			return s.HandleMailboxUpdate(context.Background(), &models.JobEventMailboxUpdate{UserID: userID, EmailID: emailID, Data: &models.Mailbox{}})
+		},
+		"SYNC_STATE": func(s *JobsService, userID, emailID uuid.UUID) error {
+			s.EmailSyncStateRepository = &refusingSyncStateRepo{err: mailboxFKError("email_sync_state")}
+			return s.HandleSyncState(context.Background(), &models.JobEventSyncState{UserID: userID, EmailID: emailID})
+		},
+	}
+	for name, run := range cases {
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			s, _, pub, workers := newDeletedMailboxFixture(nil, errx.ErrNotFound)
+			if err := run(s, uuid.New(), uuid.New()); err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("returned %v; the event is redelivered and reported for a mailbox that cannot come back", err)
+			}
+			if len(pub.removed) != len(workers) {
+				t.Errorf("published %d removals, want %d", len(pub.removed), len(workers))
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/app/consumer/event_email_error.go b/internal/app/consumer/event_email_error.go
index bb5d3e285..1e9ab5831 100644
--- a/internal/app/consumer/event_email_error.go
+++ b/internal/app/consumer/event_email_error.go
@@ -423,3 +423,19 @@ func (s *JobsService) evictDeletedMailbox(ctx context.Context, userID, emailAcco
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+// dropForDeletedMailbox reports whether a worker event's write was refused
+// because its mailbox row is gone, and if so evicts the mailbox from every
+// worker. The event is then done: no retry can bring the row back.
+func (s *JobsService) dropForDeletedMailbox(ctx context.Context, userID, emailAccountID uuid.UUID, err error) bool {
+	if !repository.IsForeignKeyViolation(err) || s.EmailRepository == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	// Confirmed against the row, not inferred from the refusal: the write may
+	// have tripped a different foreign key, such as the owner's user_id.
+	if _, xerr := s.EmailRepository.GetWorkerID(ctx, emailAccountID); xerr == nil || !errors.Is(xerr, errx.ErrNotFound) {
+		return false
+	}
+	s.evictDeletedMailbox(ctx, userID, emailAccountID)
+	return true
+}
diff --git a/internal/app/consumer/event_graph_delta_update.go b/internal/app/consumer/event_graph_delta_update.go
index 066995a2f..317966199 100644
--- a/internal/app/consumer/event_graph_delta_update.go
+++ b/internal/app/consumer/event_graph_delta_update.go
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ func (s *JobsService) HandleGraphDeltaUpdate(ctx context.Context, e *models.JobE
 		return nil
 	}
 	if err := s.EmailGraphDeltaRepository.Put(ctx, e.UserID, e.EmailID, e.Folder, e.DeltaLink); err != nil {
+		if s.dropForDeletedMailbox(ctx, e.UserID, e.EmailID, err) {
+			return nil
+		}
 		CaptureError(e.UserID, e.EmailID, err)
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/internal/app/consumer/event_history_id_update.go b/internal/app/consumer/event_history_id_update.go
index 68bf00632..5fa657a78 100644
--- a/internal/app/consumer/event_history_id_update.go
+++ b/internal/app/consumer/event_history_id_update.go
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ import (
 
 func (s *JobsService) HandleHistoryIDUpdate(ctx context.Context, e *models.JobEventHistoryIDUpdate) error {
 	if err := s.EmailHistoryIDRepository.Put(ctx, e.UserID, e.EmailID, e.HistoryID); err != nil {
+		if s.dropForDeletedMailbox(ctx, e.UserID, e.EmailID, err) {
+			return nil
+		}
 		CaptureError(e.UserID, e.EmailID, err)
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/internal/app/consumer/event_mailbox_update.go b/internal/app/consumer/event_mailbox_update.go
index 33ced8688..422574b5c 100644
--- a/internal/app/consumer/event_mailbox_update.go
+++ b/internal/app/consumer/event_mailbox_update.go
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ func (s *JobsService) HandleMailboxUpdate(ctx context.Context, e *models.JobEven
 		e.EmailID,
 		e.Data,
 	); err != nil { // replaces the data if it already exists
+		if s.dropForDeletedMailbox(ctx, e.UserID, e.EmailID, err) {
+			return nil
+		}
 		CaptureError(e.UserID, e.EmailID, err)
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/internal/app/consumer/event_new_email.go b/internal/app/consumer/event_new_email.go
index 11e2f3a16..f7de0585b 100644
--- a/internal/app/consumer/event_new_email.go
+++ b/internal/app/consumer/event_new_email.go
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ func (s *JobsService) HandleNewEmail(ctx context.Context, e *models.JobEventNewE
 	err := s.ingestNewEmail(ctx, e)
 	if errors.Is(err, errWarmupVerification) && s.UniboxRepository != nil {
 		if storeErr := s.UniboxRepository.DeferWarmupVerification(ctx, e); storeErr != nil {
+			if s.dropForDeletedMailbox(ctx, e.UserID, e.Message.EmailID, storeErr) {
+				return nil
+			}
 			return fmt.Errorf("defer inbox arrival: %w", storeErr)
 		}
 		log.Warn().Err(err).Str("email_id", e.Message.EmailID.String()).Msg("inbox arrival queued for warmup verification")
@@ -90,6 +93,9 @@ func (s *JobsService) ingestNewEmail(ctx context.Context, e *models.JobEventNewE
 
 	// Normal email processing
 	if err := s.UniboxRepository.CreateEntry(ctx, e.UserID, e.Message); err != nil {
+		if s.dropForDeletedMailbox(ctx, e.UserID, e.Message.EmailID, err) {
+			return nil
+		}
 		CaptureError(e.UserID, e.Message.EmailID, err)
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/internal/app/consumer/event_sync_state.go b/internal/app/consumer/event_sync_state.go
index fe29960dc..dd6565523 100644
--- a/internal/app/consumer/event_sync_state.go
+++ b/internal/app/consumer/event_sync_state.go
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ func (s *JobsService) HandleSyncState(ctx context.Context, e *models.JobEventSyn
 	}
 
 	if err := s.EmailSyncStateRepository.Put(ctx, e.UserID, e.EmailID, &e.State); err != nil {
+		if s.dropForDeletedMailbox(ctx, e.UserID, e.EmailID, err) {
+			return nil
+		}
 		CaptureError(e.UserID, e.EmailID, err)
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/internal/repository/pg_danger_zone.go b/internal/repository/pg_danger_zone.go
index 136e2d0bb..e8b00da89 100644
--- a/internal/repository/pg_danger_zone.go
+++ b/internal/repository/pg_danger_zone.go
@@ -463,11 +463,11 @@ func (r *dangerZoneRepository) hardDelete(ctx context.Context, mailboxScope, del
 	return placements, nil
 }
 
-// isForeignKeyViolation detects Postgres SQLSTATE 23503 (foreign_key_violation),
+// IsForeignKeyViolation detects Postgres SQLSTATE 23503 (foreign_key_violation),
 // which for a write keyed on a mailbox or a user means the parent row was
 // deleted before the write landed. Matched through errors.As so a wrapped error
 // still reports.
-func isForeignKeyViolation(err error) bool {
+func IsForeignKeyViolation(err error) bool {
 	var pgErr *pgconn.PgError
 	if errors.As(err, &pgErr) {
 		return pgErr.Code == "23503"
diff --git a/internal/repository/pg_email_error.go b/internal/repository/pg_email_error.go
index 07969b4a3..886068dd6 100644
--- a/internal/repository/pg_email_error.go
+++ b/internal/repository/pg_email_error.go
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ func (r *emailAccountErrorRepository) CreateOnce(ctx context.Context, data *Crea
 	// incident: every one of these events names an id a worker held minutes
 	// ago, so a deleted mailbox with a busy sync loop reported one of these a
 	// minute.
-	if isForeignKeyViolation(err) {
+	if IsForeignKeyViolation(err) {
 		return nil, nil
 	}
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/repository/pg_email_sync_state.go b/internal/repository/pg_email_sync_state.go
index f919de7f4..76e4ce2f4 100644
--- a/internal/repository/pg_email_sync_state.go
+++ b/internal/repository/pg_email_sync_state.go
@@ -78,13 +78,7 @@ func (r *pgEmailSyncStateRepository) Put(ctx context.Context, userID, emailID uu
 		state.BackfillSince, state.BackfillStartedAt, state.BackfillCompletedAt,
 		state.ThrottledUntil, state.ThrottleReason, state.Deferred, state.LastSyncedAt,
 	); err != nil {
-		// The mailbox was deleted while its sync pass was in flight. Nothing
-		// can own this state and no retry changes that, so the relay is done
-		// rather than failed; returned as an error it was reported and
-		// redelivered for as long as the worker kept relaying.
-		if isForeignKeyViolation(err) {
-			return nil
-		}
+		// A deleted mailbox refuses this as a foreign-key violation; the consumer evicts it.
 		return fmt.Errorf("email_sync_state: put: %w", err)
 	}
 	if state.LastSyncedAt != nil {
diff --git a/internal/repository/pg_mailbox.go b/internal/repository/pg_mailbox.go
index c7a58f6fd..46d5ae276 100644
--- a/internal/repository/pg_mailbox.go
+++ b/internal/repository/pg_mailbox.go
@@ -56,14 +56,7 @@ func (r *mailboxRepository) CreateEntry(ctx context.Context, userId, emailId uui
 	_, err := r.db.Exec(ctx, query,
 		emailId, mb.UIDValidity, mb.Name, textArray(mb.Attrs), mb.HighestModSeq, mb.UIDNext, mb.UpdatedAt, mb.Delim,
 	)
-	// The mailbox was deleted between the worker listing its folders and this
-	// write landing. There is no parent to hang a folder off and never will be
-	// again, so the event is done rather than failed: returned as an error it
-	// was reported and redelivered forever, because no retry can bring the
-	// mailbox back. Same call as pg_email_error.go makes on the same race.
-	if isForeignKeyViolation(err) {
-		return nil
-	}
+	// A deleted mailbox refuses this as a foreign-key violation; the consumer evicts it.
 	return err
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/repository/pgerror_test.go b/internal/repository/pgerror_test.go
index 4aeb7284d..2b61a2c47 100644
--- a/internal/repository/pgerror_test.go
+++ b/internal/repository/pgerror_test.go
@@ -14,16 +14,16 @@ import (
 func TestIsForeignKeyViolation(t *testing.T) {
 	fk := &pgconn.PgError{Code: "23503", ConstraintName: "email_account_errors_email_account_id_fkey"}
 
-	if !isForeignKeyViolation(fk) {
+	if !IsForeignKeyViolation(fk) {
 		t.Fatal("bare 23503 not detected")
 	}
-	if !isForeignKeyViolation(fmt.Errorf("queryrow failed: %w", fk)) {
+	if !IsForeignKeyViolation(fmt.Errorf("queryrow failed: %w", fk)) {
 		t.Fatal("wrapped 23503 not detected")
 	}
-	if isForeignKeyViolation(&pgconn.PgError{Code: "23505"}) {
+	if IsForeignKeyViolation(&pgconn.PgError{Code: "23505"}) {
 		t.Fatal("unique violation reported as a foreign key violation")
 	}
-	if isForeignKeyViolation(errors.New("boom")) || isForeignKeyViolation(nil) {
+	if IsForeignKeyViolation(errors.New("boom")) || IsForeignKeyViolation(nil) {
 		t.Fatal("non-pg error reported as a foreign key violation")
 	}
 }