diff --git a/components/email/__tests__/email-hover-actions-placement.test.tsx b/components/email/__tests__/email-hover-actions-placement.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6a7b0ba13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/email/__tests__/email-hover-actions-placement.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import { render, screen } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+import type { Email } from '@/lib/jmap/types';
+import { useSettingsStore } from '@/stores/settings-store';
+import { EmailHoverActions } from '../email-hover-actions';
+
+vi.mock('@/components/plugins/plugin-actions', () => ({
+  PluginActions: () => null,
+  usePluginActions: () => [],
+  useMessageActionTarget: () => ({ accountKind: 'personal', keywords: [] }),
+}));
+
+// Gmail keeps a row's actions on its first line when attachment chips make the
+// row taller; ours sat centred between the subject and the chips.
+
+const email = { id: 'e1', keywords: { $seen: true }, mailboxIds: { inbox: true } } as unknown as Email;
+
+function toolbar(pinToFirstLine?: boolean) {
+  render(<EmailHoverActions email={email} onDelete={vi.fn()} pinToFirstLine={pinToFirstLine} />);
+  return screen.getByTestId('hover-action-delete').closest('.absolute') as HTMLElement;
+}
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  useSettingsStore.setState({ hoverActions: ['delete'], interfaceLayout: 'mountain-view', hoverActionsMode: 'inline' } as never);
+});
+
+describe('row quick action placement', () => {
+  it('stays on the first line of a Mountain View row', () => {
+    const el = toolbar(true);
+    expect(el.className).toContain('h-10');
+    expect(el.className).not.toContain('bottom-0');
+  });
+
+  it('spans the whole row otherwise', () => {
+    const el = toolbar();
+    expect(el.className).toContain('bottom-0');
+    expect(el.className).not.toContain('h-10');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/components/email/email-hover-actions.tsx b/components/email/email-hover-actions.tsx
index 683b9143e..7aef1a4a4 100644
--- a/components/email/email-hover-actions.tsx
+++ b/components/email/email-hover-actions.tsx
@@ -32,6 +32,11 @@ interface EmailHoverActionsProps {
   spamApplicable?: boolean;
   /** Role of the folder the row is listed in; plugin buttons can be limited to some. */
   mailboxRole?: string | null;
+  /**
+   * Keep the actions on the row's first 40px line rather than centred on the
+   * whole row, as Gmail does when attachment chips make the row taller.
+   */
+  pinToFirstLine?: boolean;
 }
 
 const ACTION_CONFIG: Record<HoverAction, {
@@ -111,6 +116,7 @@ export function EmailHoverActions({
   onUndoSpam,
   spamApplicable = true,
   mailboxRole = null,
+  pinToFirstLine = false,
 }: EmailHoverActionsProps) {
   const tagScope = useEmailTagScope(email);
   const configuredHoverActions = useSettingsStore((state) => state.hoverActions);
@@ -337,7 +343,7 @@ export function EmailHoverActions({
 
   return (
     <div
-      className={cn("absolute end-0 top-0 bottom-0 z-10 items-center", visibilityClass)}
+      className={cn("absolute end-0 top-0 z-10 items-center", pinToFirstLine ? "h-10" : "bottom-0", visibilityClass)}
     >
       <div
         className={cn(
diff --git a/components/email/thread-list-item.tsx b/components/email/thread-list-item.tsx
index 419cb3730..850182d17 100644
--- a/components/email/thread-list-item.tsx
+++ b/components/email/thread-list-item.tsx
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ function RowChips({ email, loadAttachments, onOpenAttachment, mountainView, mvRo
   const code = useListVerificationCode(email);
   const leading = code ? <VerificationCodeChip code={code} variant={variant} /> : undefined;
   // The sender column is w-32 (lg:w-40) and the row line has gap-3 after it.
-  const className = cn(variant === "mountain-view" ? "mt-2" : "mt-1.5", mvRow && "mt-1 pb-2.5 ps-[8.75rem] lg:ps-[10.75rem]");
+  const className = cn(variant === "mountain-view" ? "mt-2" : "mt-1.5", mvRow && "-mt-0.5 pb-2.5 ps-[8.75rem] lg:ps-[10.75rem]");
   // Most rows have no attachment: no loader for them, nor an empty chip row.
   const mayHaveAttachments = email.hasAttachment || (email.attachments?.length ?? 0) > 0;
   if (onOpenAttachment && mayHaveAttachments) {
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ function MvRowLead({
   starLabel: string;
 }) {
   return (
-    <div className="flex items-center gap-0.5 flex-shrink-0 self-center">
+    <div className="flex h-10 items-center gap-0.5 flex-shrink-0 self-start">
       <button
         type="button"
         role="checkbox"
@@ -664,7 +664,7 @@ const SingleEmailItem = React.forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, SingleEmailItemProps>(
           <div className="flex-1 min-w-0">
             {oneLineRow ? (
               <>
-              <div className="flex items-center justify-between gap-3">
+              <div className={cn("flex items-center justify-between gap-3", mvRow && "min-h-10")}>
                 <div className="flex min-w-0 flex-1 items-center gap-3">
                   {/* In columns the dot sits inside the From cell, so a row
                       with it starts its columns where the header does. */}
@@ -904,6 +904,7 @@ const SingleEmailItem = React.forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, SingleEmailItemProps>(
             isInJunk={currentMailboxRole === 'junk'}
             spamApplicable={!['sent', 'drafts', 'scheduled'].includes(currentMailboxRole || '')}
             mailboxRole={currentMailboxRole ?? null}
+            pinToFirstLine={mvRow}
           />
         )}
       </div>
@@ -1339,7 +1340,7 @@ export const ThreadListItem = React.forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, ThreadListItemPro
             <div className="flex-1 min-w-0">
               {oneLineRow ? (
                 <>
-                <div className="flex items-center justify-between gap-3">
+                <div className={cn("flex items-center justify-between gap-3", mvRow && "min-h-10")}>
                   <div className="flex min-w-0 flex-1 items-center gap-3">
                     {!columns && isUnifiedView && latestEmail.accountId && threadAccountColor && showAccountDot && (
                       <span
@@ -1632,6 +1633,7 @@ export const ThreadListItem = React.forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, ThreadListItemPro
               isInJunk={currentMailboxRole === 'junk'}
               spamApplicable={!['sent', 'drafts', 'scheduled'].includes(currentMailboxRole || '')}
               mailboxRole={currentMailboxRole ?? null}
+              pinToFirstLine={mvRow}
             />
           )}
         </div>