diff --git a/components/calendar/calendar-app.tsx b/components/calendar/calendar-app.tsx
index 29acf97fc..3907d377c 100644
--- a/components/calendar/calendar-app.tsx
+++ b/components/calendar/calendar-app.tsx
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ import { useIsEmbedded } from "@/hooks/use-is-embedded";
 import { useProMultiAccountCalendars } from "@/hooks/use-pro-multi-account-calendars";
 import { ResizeHandle } from "@/components/layout/resize-handle";
 import { sanitizeOutgoingCalendarEventData } from "@/lib/calendar-event-normalization";
+import { buildRecurrenceOverridePatch } from "@/lib/recurrence-overrides";
 import { getEventStartDate } from "@/lib/calendar-utils";
 import { useTaskStore } from "@/stores/task-store";
 import { useContactStore } from "@/stores/contact-store";
@@ -826,12 +827,8 @@ export function CalendarApp({ linkSegments }: CalendarAppProps = {}) {
             // Patch the master event's recurrenceOverrides instead.
             const master = await findMasterEvent(event);
             if (master && event.recurrenceId) {
-              const patchUpdates: Record<string, unknown> = {};
-              for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(updates)) {
-                if (['id', 'uid', '@type', 'calendarIds', 'recurrenceRules', 'recurrenceOverrides', 'excludedRecurrenceRules'].includes(key)) continue;
-                patchUpdates[`recurrenceOverrides/${event.recurrenceId}/${key}`] = value;
-              }
-              await updateEvent(client, master.id, patchUpdates as Partial<CalendarEvent>, sendScheduling);
+              const patchUpdates = buildRecurrenceOverridePatch(updates, event.recurrenceId);
+              await updateEvent(client, master.id, patchUpdates, sendScheduling);
             } else {
               await updateEvent(client, event.id, updates, sendScheduling);
             }
diff --git a/lib/__tests__/recurrence-overrides.test.ts b/lib/__tests__/recurrence-overrides.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8fa59799c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/__tests__/recurrence-overrides.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
+import { buildRecurrenceOverridePatch } from '@/lib/recurrence-overrides';
+import type { CalendarEvent } from '@/lib/jmap/types';
+
+const RID = '2026-08-15T10:00:00';
+
+describe('buildRecurrenceOverridePatch (#774 "This event only")', () => {
+  it('sets the whole override at a single pointer, not nested per-field pointers', () => {
+    const patch = buildRecurrenceOverridePatch(
+      { title: 'Moved standup', start: '2026-08-15T11:00:00' } as Partial<CalendarEvent>,
+      RID,
+    );
+    // Exactly one top-level pointer, at the override object itself.
+    expect(Object.keys(patch)).toEqual([`recurrenceOverrides/${RID}`]);
+    // No nested `recurrenceOverrides/<id>/<field>` pointers (the shape Stalwart
+    // rejected because it can't create the missing override object).
+    expect(Object.keys(patch).some((k) => k.startsWith(`recurrenceOverrides/${RID}/`))).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('carries the per-occurrence fields into the override object', () => {
+    const patch = buildRecurrenceOverridePatch(
+      {
+        title: 'Moved standup',
+        start: '2026-08-15T11:00:00',
+        duration: 'PT30M',
+        description: 'one-off',
+      } as Partial<CalendarEvent>,
+      RID,
+    );
+    expect(patch[`recurrenceOverrides/${RID}` as keyof typeof patch]).toEqual({
+      title: 'Moved standup',
+      start: '2026-08-15T11:00:00',
+      duration: 'PT30M',
+      description: 'one-off',
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('drops identity and series-level keys that must not vary per occurrence', () => {
+    const patch = buildRecurrenceOverridePatch(
+      {
+        id: 'evt1',
+        uid: 'uid-1',
+        '@type': 'Event',
+        calendarIds: { cal1: true },
+        recurrenceRules: [{ '@type': 'RecurrenceRule', frequency: 'daily' }],
+        recurrenceOverrides: {},
+        excludedRecurrenceRules: [],
+        title: 'Only this',
+      } as unknown as Partial<CalendarEvent>,
+      RID,
+    );
+    expect(patch[`recurrenceOverrides/${RID}` as keyof typeof patch]).toEqual({ title: 'Only this' });
+  });
+
+  it('produces an empty override object when nothing overridable is supplied', () => {
+    const patch = buildRecurrenceOverridePatch({ id: 'evt1', uid: 'uid-1' } as unknown as Partial<CalendarEvent>, RID);
+    expect(patch[`recurrenceOverrides/${RID}` as keyof typeof patch]).toEqual({});
+  });
+});
diff --git a/lib/recurrence-overrides.ts b/lib/recurrence-overrides.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c386f9c67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/recurrence-overrides.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import type { CalendarEvent } from '@/lib/jmap/types';
+
+/** Identity / whole-series keys that must never go into a single-occurrence override. */
+export const RECURRENCE_OVERRIDE_IMMUTABLE_KEYS = [
+  'id',
+  'uid',
+  '@type',
+  'calendarIds',
+  'recurrenceRules',
+  'recurrenceOverrides',
+  'excludedRecurrenceRules',
+] as const;
+
+/**
+ * Build the "This event only" override patch for a recurring master.
+ *
+ * Why one pointer: a JMAP nested pointer can't create a missing intermediate,
+ * so the override object has to be set whole at `recurrenceOverrides/<id>`, not
+ * field-by-field (#774).
+ */
+export function buildRecurrenceOverridePatch(
+  updates: Partial<CalendarEvent>,
+  recurrenceId: string,
+): Partial<CalendarEvent> {
+  const immutable = new Set<string>(RECURRENCE_OVERRIDE_IMMUTABLE_KEYS);
+  const override: Record<string, unknown> = {};
+  for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(updates)) {
+    if (immutable.has(key)) continue;
+    override[key] = value;
+  }
+  return { [`recurrenceOverrides/${recurrenceId}`]: override } as Partial<CalendarEvent>;
+}