diff --git a/components/boot-skeleton/mail-skeleton.tsx b/components/boot-skeleton/mail-skeleton.tsx
index ae430177e..e94dd4f89 100644
--- a/components/boot-skeleton/mail-skeleton.tsx
+++ b/components/boot-skeleton/mail-skeleton.tsx
@@ -400,43 +400,55 @@ function MobileHeaderSkeleton() {
  * same component): the toolbar, the subject block and the sender block of the
  * default reader, then the message body's tinted sheet.
  */
-export function MailMessageSkeleton({ className }: { className?: string }) {
+/**
+ * The reader's top toolbar while a message loads. The loaded reader lifts its
+ * toolbar above the message row on a tablet or desktop (EmailViewer's
+ * `liftToolbar`); its loading state draws this there too, so the row below
+ * doesn't move when the message arrives.
+ */
+export function MailMessageToolbarSkeleton() {
   const button = "h-8 w-20 rounded-md";
   return (
-    <div aria-hidden="true" className={cn("flex-1 min-w-0 flex flex-col h-full bg-background overflow-hidden", className)}>
-      <div className="bg-background flex-shrink-0 border-b border-border">
-        <div className="px-2 sm:px-4 lg:px-6 flex items-center h-14">
-          {/* Phones: back, then icon-over-label actions. */}
-          <div className="sm:hidden flex items-center justify-between gap-0.5 w-full">
-            <span className="flex items-center justify-center h-9 w-9 -ms-1 flex-shrink-0">
+    <div className="bg-background flex-shrink-0 border-b border-border">
+      <div className="px-2 sm:px-4 lg:px-6 flex items-center h-14">
+        {/* Phones: back, then icon-over-label actions. */}
+        <div className="sm:hidden flex items-center justify-between gap-0.5 w-full">
+          <span className="flex items-center justify-center h-9 w-9 -ms-1 flex-shrink-0">
+            <ArrowLeft className="w-5 h-5" />
+          </span>
+          {repeat(6, (i) => (
+            <span className="flex flex-col items-center gap-1 px-1 flex-1">
+              <Block className="w-5 h-5 rounded" />
+              <Bar className="h-2" w={i === 5 ? "3.5rem" : "2.25rem"} />
+            </span>
+          ))}
+        </div>
+        <div className="max-sm:hidden flex items-center justify-between gap-2 w-full">
+          <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
+            {/* Back to the list, where the reader has the list's place (tablet, focus). */}
+            <span className="hidden md:max-lg:flex md:boot-focus:flex items-center justify-center h-9 w-9 -ms-1 flex-shrink-0">
               <ArrowLeft className="w-5 h-5" />
             </span>
-            {repeat(6, (i) => (
-              <span className="flex flex-col items-center gap-1 px-1 flex-1">
-                <Block className="w-5 h-5 rounded" />
-                <Bar className="h-2" w={i === 5 ? "3.5rem" : "2.25rem"} />
-              </span>
-            ))}
+            <Block className={button} />
+            <Block className={button} />
+            <Block className={button} />
           </div>
-          <div className="max-sm:hidden flex items-center justify-between gap-2 w-full">
-            <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
-              {/* Back to the list, where the reader has the list's place (tablet, focus). */}
-              <span className="hidden md:max-lg:flex md:boot-focus:flex items-center justify-center h-9 w-9 -ms-1 flex-shrink-0">
-                <ArrowLeft className="w-5 h-5" />
-              </span>
-              <Block className={button} />
-              <Block className={button} />
-              <Block className={button} />
-            </div>
-            <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
-              <Block className={button} />
-              <Block className={button} />
-              <Block className={cn(button, "max-md:hidden")} />
-              <Block className="h-8 w-8 rounded-md" />
-            </div>
+          <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
+            <Block className={button} />
+            <Block className={button} />
+            <Block className={cn(button, "max-md:hidden")} />
+            <Block className="h-8 w-8 rounded-md" />
           </div>
         </div>
       </div>
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
+export function MailMessageSkeleton({ className, toolbar = true }: { className?: string; toolbar?: boolean }) {
+  return (
+    <div aria-hidden="true" className={cn("flex-1 min-w-0 flex flex-col h-full bg-background overflow-hidden", className)}>
+      {toolbar ? <MailMessageToolbarSkeleton /> : null}
       <div className="bg-background border-b border-border">
         <div className="px-4 lg:px-6" style={{ paddingBlock: "var(--density-header-py)" }}>
           <div className="flex items-start justify-between gap-2 lg:gap-4">
diff --git a/components/email/__tests__/viewer-toolbar-over-side-panel.test.tsx b/components/email/__tests__/viewer-toolbar-over-side-panel.test.tsx
index 37b707f9e..47c196759 100644
--- a/components/email/__tests__/viewer-toolbar-over-side-panel.test.tsx
+++ b/components/email/__tests__/viewer-toolbar-over-side-panel.test.tsx
@@ -131,6 +131,33 @@ describe('the reader toolbar and the plugin side panel', () => {
     expect(document.querySelector('[data-plugin-detail-panel]')).toBeTruthy();
   });
 
+  it('loads a message with its toolbar where the loaded reader puts it', () => {
+    // The loading state lifts the toolbar above the message row too, so the
+    // row stays put when the message arrives: the same element at the same
+    // place (a moved row counts as a layout shift).
+    const view = (props: { email: Email | null; isLoading: boolean }) => (
+      <EmailViewer mailboxes={mailboxes} selectedMailbox="inbox" currentMailboxRole="inbox" onDelete={() => {}} {...props} />
+    );
+    const { container, rerender } = render(view({ email: null, isLoading: true }));
+    const root = container.firstElementChild as HTMLElement;
+    expect(root.children).toHaveLength(2);
+    const row = root.children[1];
+    expect(row.className).toContain('flex-row');
+    expect(root.children[0].querySelector('.sk-shape')).toBeTruthy();
+    rerender(view({ email, isLoading: false }));
+    expect(root.querySelector('[data-viewer-top-toolbar="full-width"]')).toBe(root.children[0]);
+    expect(root.children[1]).toBe(row);
+  });
+
+  it('loads a message on a phone with the toolbar in the message column', () => {
+    device.isMobile = true;
+    const { container } = render(
+      <EmailViewer email={null} isLoading mailboxes={mailboxes} selectedMailbox="inbox" currentMailboxRole="inbox" onDelete={() => {}} />,
+    );
+    const root = container.firstElementChild as HTMLElement;
+    expect(root.children).toHaveLength(1);
+  });
+
   it('keeps the toolbar in the message column on a phone', () => {
     device.isMobile = true;
     show();
diff --git a/components/email/email-viewer.tsx b/components/email/email-viewer.tsx
index fbcc84542..8c3167aa9 100644
--- a/components/email/email-viewer.tsx
+++ b/components/email/email-viewer.tsx
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ import {
   Pencil,
   Paperclip,
 } from "@/components/icons";
-import { MailMessageSkeleton } from "@/components/boot-skeleton/mail-skeleton";
+import { MailMessageSkeleton, MailMessageToolbarSkeleton } from "@/components/boot-skeleton/mail-skeleton";
 import { useTranslations } from "next-intl";
 import { useRouter } from "@/i18n/navigation";
 import type { Attachment as PostalMimeAttachment } from 'postal-mime';
@@ -3930,12 +3930,12 @@ ${printWatermark ? printWatermark.html : ''}
     )}
   </>
   );
-  const shell = (content: React.ReactNode) => (
+  const shell = (content: React.ReactNode, top: React.ReactNode = null) => (
     <div
       ref={setViewerRootEl}
       className={cn("flex-1 flex flex-col h-full bg-background overflow-hidden relative", className)}
     >
-      {null}
+      {top}
       <div className="flex-1 min-h-0 flex flex-row overflow-hidden relative">
         {content}
         {sidePanel}
@@ -3947,8 +3947,11 @@ ${printWatermark ? printWatermark.html : ''}
   // Show loading skeleton while email is being fetched: the page skeleton's
   // message pane, so a linked message keeps the shape it had before the app
   // started.
+  // Its toolbar sits where the loaded reader puts its own: above the message
+  // row when lifted, so the row doesn't move when the message arrives.
   if (isLoading && !email) {
-    return shell(<MailMessageSkeleton />);
+    const lifted = toolbarPosition === 'top' && liftToolbar;
+    return shell(<MailMessageSkeleton toolbar={!lifted} />, lifted ? <MailMessageToolbarSkeleton /> : null);
   }
 
   if (!email) {