diff --git a/components/mail/__tests__/mail-app-mv-search.test.tsx b/components/mail/__tests__/mail-app-mv-search.test.tsx
index 1fdc6b175..f9597d7ed 100644
--- a/components/mail/__tests__/mail-app-mv-search.test.tsx
+++ b/components/mail/__tests__/mail-app-mv-search.test.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import React from 'react';
-import { fireEvent, render, screen, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { act, fireEvent, render, screen, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 import type { Email, Mailbox } from '@/lib/jmap/types';
 import { useAuthStore } from '@/stores/auth-store';
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ vi.mock('@/components/layout/mv-top-bar', () => ({
     <>
       <button onClick={() => search.onSubmit('invoice')}>stub search</button>
       <button onClick={() => search.onSelectContact({ email: 'bob@example.org' }, 'from')}>stub contact</button>
+      <input aria-label="stub search field" data-search-input />
     </>
   ),
 }));
@@ -129,4 +130,14 @@ describe('searching in Mountain View while a message is open', () => {
     await waitFor(() => expect(advancedSearch).toHaveBeenCalled());
     expect(selectedId()).toBeNull();
   });
+
+  it('leaves the message open for the / shortcut, whose field is in the top bar', async () => {
+    render(<MailApp />);
+    await screen.findByText('message viewer');
+    act(() => { fireEvent.keyDown(window, { key: '/' }); });
+    await waitFor(() => expect(document.activeElement).toBe(screen.getByLabelText('stub search field')));
+    // Long enough for a go-back that runs after the field is focused.
+    await act(async () => { await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 50)); });
+    expect(selectedId()).toBe('m1');
+  });
 });
diff --git a/components/mail/__tests__/mail-app-return-to-list.test.tsx b/components/mail/__tests__/mail-app-return-to-list.test.tsx
index b9b3ec364..6f64a44b3 100644
--- a/components/mail/__tests__/mail-app-return-to-list.test.tsx
+++ b/components/mail/__tests__/mail-app-return-to-list.test.tsx
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ vi.mock('@/components/layout/mobile-header', () => ({ MobileHeader: () => null }
 vi.mock('@/components/layout/mv-top-bar', () => ({ MvTopBar: () => null }));
 vi.mock('@/components/layout/mv-side-panel', () => ({ MvSidePanel: () => null }));
 vi.mock('@/components/email/message-list-tabs', () => ({ useMessageListPanelProps: (id: string) => ({ id }), MessageListTabs: () => null }));
-vi.mock('@/components/search/search-box', () => ({ SearchBox: () => null }));
+vi.mock('@/components/search/search-box', () => ({ SearchBox: () => <input aria-label="stub search field" data-search-input /> }));
 vi.mock('@/components/tour/tour-provider', () => ({ useTour: () => ({ activeTour: null, registerStep: vi.fn() }) }));
 vi.mock('@/components/plugins/plugin-slot', () => ({ PluginSlot: () => null }));
 vi.mock('@/hooks/use-plugin-slot-offers', () => ({ usePluginSlotOffers: () => [] }));
@@ -288,6 +288,17 @@ describe('A list collapsed under an open message (focused layout)', () => {
     act(() => { fireEvent.keyDown(window, { key: '/' }); });
     await waitFor(() => expect(selectedId()).toBeNull());
     await waitFor(() => expect(list()).not.toHaveAttribute('inert'));
+    await waitFor(() => expect(document.activeElement).toBe(screen.getByLabelText('stub search field')));
+  });
+
+  it('keeps the selection for the / shortcut while a linked message is still arriving', async () => {
+    // The mailboxes never arrive, so the link stays unapplied and the list collapsed for it.
+    useEmailStore.setState({ fetchMailboxes: vi.fn(() => new Promise(() => {})) } as never);
+    render(<MailApp linkSegments={['message', 'm2']} />);
+    expect(list()).toHaveAttribute('inert');
+    act(() => { fireEvent.keyDown(window, { key: '/' }); });
+    await act(async () => { await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 50)); });
+    expect(selectedId()).toBe('m1');
   });
 });
 
diff --git a/components/mail/mail-app.tsx b/components/mail/mail-app.tsx
index 5299ac7fa..50cd06e14 100644
--- a/components/mail/mail-app.tsx
+++ b/components/mail/mail-app.tsx
@@ -1125,15 +1125,20 @@ export function MailApp({ linkSegments: routeSegments }: MailAppProps = {}) {
     },
     onFocusSearch: () => {
       if (isScheduledView) return;
+      const findSearchInput = () => document.querySelector<HTMLInputElement>('[data-search-input]');
       const focusSearch = () => {
-        const searchInput = document.querySelector('[data-search-input]') as HTMLInputElement;
+        const searchInput = findSearchInput();
         if (searchInput) {
           searchInput.focus();
           searchInput.select();
         }
       };
-      // The field is in the list, which an open message can have collapsed.
-      if (shouldCollapseListPane) {
+      // The field can be in the list, which an open message has collapsed, and
+      // that message has to close first. Mountain View's is in the top bar.
+      if (findSearchInput()?.closest('[inert]')) {
+        // A linked message still arriving holds the list collapsed: nothing to
+        // go back to yet.
+        if (deepLinkPane !== null) return;
         handleMobileBack();
         requestAnimationFrame(() => requestAnimationFrame(focusSearch));
       } else {
@@ -1220,7 +1225,7 @@ export function MailApp({ linkSegments: routeSegments }: MailAppProps = {}) {
       }
     },
   // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
-  }), [activeEmails, selectedEmail, client, selectedMailbox, isMobile, isTablet, selectedEmailKeys, mailboxes, isScheduledView, mvShell, cursorOnly, showCrossStarred, isUnifiedView, unifiedRole, archiveActionEnabled]);
+  }), [activeEmails, selectedEmail, client, selectedMailbox, isMobile, isTablet, selectedEmailKeys, mailboxes, isScheduledView, mvShell, cursorOnly, showCrossStarred, isUnifiedView, unifiedRole, archiveActionEnabled, deepLinkPane]);
 
   // Initialize keyboard shortcuts
   // Mountain View keeps the ticked rows while a message is read (#1231). The