diff --git a/components/email/__tests__/thread-list-item.test.tsx b/components/email/__tests__/thread-list-item.test.tsx
index 340bd02c9..47c79b1a6 100644
--- a/components/email/__tests__/thread-list-item.test.tsx
+++ b/components/email/__tests__/thread-list-item.test.tsx
@@ -296,6 +296,44 @@ describe('ThreadListItem opening a thread on the phone', () => {
   });
 });
 
+// #1231: opening a message threw away the ticked rows. Mountain View on the
+// desktop keeps them, as Gmail does, so selecting can carry on after reading.
+describe('ThreadListItem keeping the selection when a message opens', () => {
+  function open(interfaceLayout: 'mountain-view' | 'default', emails: Email[]) {
+    useSettingsStore.setState({ interfaceLayout, mailLayout: 'split' });
+    useUIStore.setState({ isMobile: false, isTablet: false, isDesktop: true });
+    useEmailStore.setState({ selectedEmailKeys: new Set(['other']), selectedMailbox: 'inbox' });
+    const onEmailSelect = vi.fn();
+    const [thread] = groupEmailsByThread(emails);
+    render(
+      <ThreadListItem thread={thread} isExpanded={false} onToggleExpand={() => {}} onEmailSelect={onEmailSelect} />,
+    );
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByText('Test Subject'));
+    return onEmailSelect;
+  }
+  const conversation = () => [
+    makeEmail({ id: 'older', receivedAt: '2024-01-14T10:00:00Z' }),
+    makeEmail({ id: 'newer', receivedAt: '2024-01-15T10:00:00Z' }),
+  ];
+
+  it('keeps the ticked rows when a Mountain View message opens', () => {
+    const onEmailSelect = open('mountain-view', [makeEmail()]);
+    expect(onEmailSelect).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect([...useEmailStore.getState().selectedEmailKeys]).toEqual(['other']);
+  });
+
+  it('keeps them when a Mountain View conversation opens', () => {
+    const onEmailSelect = open('mountain-view', conversation());
+    expect(onEmailSelect).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.objectContaining({ id: 'newer' }));
+    expect([...useEmailStore.getState().selectedEmailKeys]).toEqual(['other']);
+  });
+
+  it('still clears them in the default layout', () => {
+    open('default', [makeEmail()]);
+    expect(useEmailStore.getState().selectedEmailKeys.size).toBe(0);
+  });
+});
+
 describe('ThreadListItem Mountain View phone row layout', () => {
   it('sets the star at the end of the preview line, not under the time', () => {
     useSettingsStore.setState({ interfaceLayout: 'mountain-view', mailLayout: 'split', showPreview: true, density: 'regular' } as never);
diff --git a/components/email/thread-list-item.tsx b/components/email/thread-list-item.tsx
index 4699cd877..f40a91e07 100644
--- a/components/email/thread-list-item.tsx
+++ b/components/email/thread-list-item.tsx
@@ -438,7 +438,9 @@ const SingleEmailItem = React.forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, SingleEmailItemProps>(
         e.preventDefault();
         selectRangeEmails(email);
       } else {
-        if (selectedEmailKeys.size > 0) clearSelection();
+        // Mountain View keeps the ticked rows while a message is read, as
+        // Gmail does, so selecting can carry on afterwards. (#1231)
+        if (selectedEmailKeys.size > 0 && !mvRow) clearSelection();
         onClick();
       }
     };
@@ -971,7 +973,8 @@ export const ThreadListItem = React.forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, ThreadListItemPro
       }
 
       if (mvRow || mvMobileRow) {
-        if (selectedEmailKeys.size > 0) clearSelection();
+        // Desktop keeps the ticked rows while the conversation is read (#1231).
+        if (selectedEmailKeys.size > 0 && !mvRow) clearSelection();
         onEmailSelect(latestEmail);
         return;
       }
diff --git a/components/mail/mail-app.tsx b/components/mail/mail-app.tsx
index dcbef0d7f..385bbbdaa 100644
--- a/components/mail/mail-app.tsx
+++ b/components/mail/mail-app.tsx
@@ -804,7 +804,7 @@ export function MailApp({ linkSegments: routeSegments }: MailAppProps = {}) {
     },
     onArchive: async () => {
       if (isScheduledView) return;
-      if (selectedEmailKeys.size > 0 && client) {
+      if (shortcutsTargetSelection && client) {
         const count = selectedEmailKeys.size;
         await runBatchEmailAction(() => batchArchive(client), {
           success: t('notifications.emails_archived', { count }),
@@ -819,7 +819,7 @@ export function MailApp({ linkSegments: routeSegments }: MailAppProps = {}) {
     },
     onDelete: async () => {
       if (isScheduledView) return;
-      if (selectedEmailKeys.size > 0 && client) {
+      if (shortcutsTargetSelection && client) {
         const currentMailbox = mailboxes.find(m => m.id === selectedMailbox);
         const permanent = bulkDeleteIsPermanent(currentMailbox);
         if (shouldConfirmBulkDelete(currentMailbox)) {
@@ -849,7 +849,7 @@ export function MailApp({ linkSegments: routeSegments }: MailAppProps = {}) {
     onMarkAsUnread: async () => {
       if (isScheduledView) return;
       if (!client) return;
-      if (selectedEmailKeys.size > 0) {
+      if (shortcutsTargetSelection) {
         await batchMarkAsRead(client, false);
       } else if (selectedEmail) {
         await markAsRead(client, selectedEmail.id, false);
@@ -858,7 +858,7 @@ export function MailApp({ linkSegments: routeSegments }: MailAppProps = {}) {
     onMarkAsRead: async () => {
       if (isScheduledView) return;
       if (!client) return;
-      if (selectedEmailKeys.size > 0) {
+      if (shortcutsTargetSelection) {
         await batchMarkAsRead(client, true);
       } else if (selectedEmail) {
         await markAsRead(client, selectedEmail.id, true);
@@ -872,7 +872,7 @@ export function MailApp({ linkSegments: routeSegments }: MailAppProps = {}) {
       // is a no-op there too.
       if (['sent', 'drafts', 'scheduled'].includes(currentMailbox?.role || '')) return;
       const isInJunk = currentMailbox?.role === 'junk';
-      if (selectedEmailKeys.size > 0 && client) {
+      if (shortcutsTargetSelection && client) {
         // The spam actions take bare ids of the viewed account: resolve the
         // selection keys through the loaded rows and thread members.
         const ids = resolveSelectedEmails(useEmailStore.getState()).map(e => e.id);
@@ -981,6 +981,10 @@ export function MailApp({ linkSegments: routeSegments }: MailAppProps = {}) {
   }), [activeEmails, selectedEmail, client, selectedMailbox, isMobile, isTablet, selectedEmailKeys, mailboxes, isScheduledView, mvShell, showCrossStarred]);
 
   // Initialize keyboard shortcuts
+  // Mountain View keeps the ticked rows while a message is read (#1231). The
+  // shortcuts then act on the message on screen, as its toolbar does, and
+  // reach the selection again back in the list.
+  const shortcutsTargetSelection = selectedEmailKeys.size > 0 && !(mvShell && !cursorOnly && selectedEmail);
   useKeyboardShortcuts({
     enabled: isAuthenticated && !showComposer,
     emails: activeEmails,