diff --git a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/App.tsx b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/App.tsx
index d66ce23b..66846b73 100644
--- a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/App.tsx
+++ b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/App.tsx
@@ -775,6 +775,8 @@ function App() {
   const [workspaceInitialPath, setWorkspaceInitialPath] = useState<string | null>(null)
   const [isKnowledgeViewOpen, setIsKnowledgeViewOpen] = useState(false)
   const [isChatHistoryOpen, setIsChatHistoryOpen] = useState(false)
+  const [emailInitialThreadId, setEmailInitialThreadId] = useState<string | null>(null)
+  const [emailThreadIdVersion, setEmailThreadIdVersion] = useState(0)
   const [expandedFrom, setExpandedFrom] = useState<{
     path: string | null
     graph: boolean
@@ -5126,8 +5128,11 @@ function App() {
               recordingMeetingSource={recordingMeetingSource}
               onToggleMeetingRecording={() => { void handleToggleMeeting() }}
               onOpenBgTasks={() => { setBgTaskInitialSlug(null); setBgTaskSlugVersion((v) => v + 1); openBgTasksView() }}
-              isEmailOpen={isEmailOpen}
-              onOpenEmail={openEmailView}
+              onOpenEmail={(threadId) => {
+                setEmailInitialThreadId(threadId ?? null)
+                setEmailThreadIdVersion((v) => v + 1)
+                openEmailView()
+              }}
             />
             <SidebarInset
               className={cn(
@@ -5304,7 +5309,7 @@ function App() {
                 </div>
               ) : isEmailOpen ? (
                 <div className="flex-1 min-h-0 flex flex-col overflow-hidden">
-                  <EmailView />
+                  <EmailView initialThreadId={emailInitialThreadId} threadIdVersion={emailThreadIdVersion} />
                 </div>
               ) : isWorkspaceOpen ? (
                 <div className="flex-1 min-h-0 flex flex-col overflow-hidden">
diff --git a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/email-view.tsx b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/email-view.tsx
index 674547e0..49566d11 100644
--- a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/email-view.tsx
+++ b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/email-view.tsx
@@ -817,12 +817,28 @@ function clearLoadingFlag(state: SectionState | null): SectionState {
   return { ...state, loadingPage: false }
 }
 
-export function EmailView() {
+export type EmailViewProps = {
+  /** If provided, the view opens with this thread already expanded. */
+  initialThreadId?: string | null
+  /** Bump to re-focus on the same threadId after navigating away inside the view. */
+  threadIdVersion?: number
+}
+
+export function EmailView({ initialThreadId, threadIdVersion }: EmailViewProps = {}) {
   const [important, setImportant] = useState<SectionState>(() => clearLoadingFlag(persistedImportant))
   const [other, setOther] = useState<SectionState>(() => clearLoadingFlag(persistedOther))
   const hadPersistedDataOnMount = useRef(persistedImportant !== null)
-  const [selectedThreadId, setSelectedThreadId] = useState<string | null>(null)
-  const [openedThreadIds, setOpenedThreadIds] = useState<string[]>([])
+  const [selectedThreadId, setSelectedThreadId] = useState<string | null>(initialThreadId ?? null)
+  const [openedThreadIds, setOpenedThreadIds] = useState<string[]>(initialThreadId ? [initialThreadId] : [])
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setSelectedThreadId(initialThreadId ?? null)
+    if (initialThreadId) {
+      setOpenedThreadIds((prev) => {
+        const without = prev.filter((id) => id !== initialThreadId)
+        return [...without, initialThreadId].slice(-MAX_KEPT_OPEN)
+      })
+    }
+  }, [initialThreadId, threadIdVersion])
   const [refreshing, setRefreshing] = useState(!hadPersistedDataOnMount.current)
   const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null)
   const [query, setQuery] = useState('')
diff --git a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/sidebar-content.tsx b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/sidebar-content.tsx
index c2b45dd1..c7d04266 100644
--- a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/sidebar-content.tsx
+++ b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/sidebar-content.tsx
@@ -200,8 +200,7 @@ type SidebarContentPanelProps = {
   recordingMeetingSource?: string | null
   onToggleMeetingRecording?: () => void
   onOpenBgTasks?: () => void
-  isEmailOpen?: boolean
-  onOpenEmail?: () => void
+  onOpenEmail?: (threadId?: string) => void
 } & React.ComponentProps<typeof Sidebar>
 
 function formatEventTime(ts: string): string {
@@ -450,7 +449,6 @@ export function SidebarContentPanel({
   recordingMeetingSource,
   onToggleMeetingRecording,
   onOpenBgTasks,
-  isEmailOpen = false,
   onOpenEmail,
   ...props
 }: SidebarContentPanelProps) {
@@ -465,7 +463,6 @@ export function SidebarContentPanel({
   const { billing } = useBilling(isRowboatConnected)
   const isBrowserQuickActionSelected = isBrowserOpen && !isSearchOpen
   const isSuggestedTopicsQuickActionSelected = isSuggestedTopicsOpen && !isBrowserOpen
-  const isEmailQuickActionSelected = isEmailOpen && !isBrowserOpen
 
   const handleRowboatLogin = useCallback(async () => {
     try {
@@ -528,26 +525,9 @@ export function SidebarContentPanel({
       <SidebarHeader className="titlebar-drag-region">
         {/* Top spacer to clear the traffic lights + fixed toggle row */}
         <div className="h-8" />
-        {/* Quick action buttons */}
-        <div className="rowboat-quick-actions titlebar-no-drag flex flex-col gap-0.5 px-2 pb-1">
-          {onOpenEmail && (
-            <button
-              type="button"
-              onClick={onOpenEmail}
-              className={cn(
-                "flex w-full items-center gap-2 rounded-md px-2 py-1.5 text-sm transition-colors",
-                isEmailQuickActionSelected
-                  ? "bg-sidebar-accent text-sidebar-accent-foreground"
-                  : "text-sidebar-foreground/80 hover:bg-sidebar-accent hover:text-sidebar-accent-foreground"
-              )}
-            >
-              <Mail className="size-4" />
-              <span>Email</span>
-            </button>
-          )}
-        </div>
       </SidebarHeader>
       <SidebarContent>
+        <EmailSidebarSection onOpenEmailView={onOpenEmail} />
         <MeetingsSidebarSection
           onOpenMeetingsView={onOpenMeetings}
           recordingState={meetingRecordingState ?? 'idle'}
@@ -1192,6 +1172,133 @@ function formatMeetingTime(event: UpcomingMeeting): string {
   return event.start.toLocaleDateString([], { month: 'numeric', day: 'numeric' })
 }
 
+type SidebarEmailThread = {
+  threadId: string
+  subject: string
+  from: string
+  date: string
+}
+
+function formatEmailFrom(from: string): string {
+  const match = /^\s*"?([^"<]+?)"?\s*<.+>\s*$/.exec(from)
+  if (match) return match[1].trim()
+  return from
+}
+
+function formatEmailTime(value: string): string {
+  if (!value) return ''
+  const date = new Date(value)
+  if (Number.isNaN(date.getTime())) return value
+  const now = new Date()
+  const diffMs = now.getTime() - date.getTime()
+  const diffMin = Math.round(diffMs / 60000)
+  if (diffMin < 1) return 'now'
+  if (diffMin < 60) return `${diffMin}m`
+  const sameDay = date.toDateString() === now.toDateString()
+  if (sameDay) return `${Math.round(diffMin / 60)}h`
+  const yesterday = new Date(now)
+  yesterday.setDate(now.getDate() - 1)
+  if (date.toDateString() === yesterday.toDateString()) return 'Yest'
+  if (diffMs < 7 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000) return date.toLocaleDateString([], { weekday: 'short' })
+  if (date.getFullYear() === now.getFullYear()) return date.toLocaleDateString([], { month: 'short', day: 'numeric' })
+  return date.toLocaleDateString([], { month: 'short', day: 'numeric', year: '2-digit' })
+}
+
+function EmailSidebarSection({
+  onOpenEmailView,
+}: {
+  onOpenEmailView?: (threadId?: string) => void
+}) {
+  const [threads, setThreads] = useState<SidebarEmailThread[]>([])
+
+  const load = useCallback(async () => {
+    try {
+      const result = await window.ipc.invoke('gmail:getImportant', { limit: 25 })
+      const unread = result.threads
+        .filter((t) => t.unread === true)
+        .slice(0, 3)
+        .map<SidebarEmailThread>((t) => ({
+          threadId: t.threadId,
+          subject: t.subject ?? '(No subject)',
+          from: t.from ?? '',
+          date: t.date ?? '',
+        }))
+      setThreads(unread)
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.error('Failed to load important emails:', err)
+    }
+  }, [])
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    void load()
+  }, [load])
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    let timeout: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null = null
+    const scheduleReload = () => {
+      if (timeout) clearTimeout(timeout)
+      timeout = setTimeout(() => { timeout = null; void load() }, 500)
+    }
+    const matches = (p: string | undefined) =>
+      typeof p === 'string' && (p === 'gmail_sync' || p.startsWith('gmail_sync/'))
+    const cleanup = window.ipc.on('workspace:didChange', (event) => {
+      switch (event.type) {
+        case 'created':
+        case 'changed':
+        case 'deleted':
+          if (matches(event.path)) scheduleReload()
+          break
+        case 'moved':
+          if (matches(event.from) || matches(event.to)) scheduleReload()
+          break
+        case 'bulkChanged':
+          if (!event.paths || event.paths.some(matches)) scheduleReload()
+          break
+      }
+    })
+    return () => {
+      if (timeout) clearTimeout(timeout)
+      cleanup()
+    }
+  }, [load])
+
+  return (
+    <SidebarGroup className="flex flex-col">
+      <div className="px-3 py-1.5 text-xs font-medium text-muted-foreground">
+        Email
+      </div>
+      <SidebarGroupContent>
+        <SidebarMenu>
+          {threads.map((t) => (
+            <SidebarMenuItem key={t.threadId}>
+              <SidebarMenuButton onClick={() => onOpenEmailView?.(t.threadId)} className="gap-2">
+                <Mail className="size-4 shrink-0" />
+                <span className="min-w-0 flex-1 truncate text-sm">
+                  {formatEmailFrom(t.from)}
+                  <span className="text-muted-foreground"> · {t.subject}</span>
+                </span>
+                {t.date && (
+                  <span className="shrink-0 text-[10px] text-muted-foreground">
+                    {formatEmailTime(t.date)}
+                  </span>
+                )}
+              </SidebarMenuButton>
+            </SidebarMenuItem>
+          ))}
+          {onOpenEmailView && (
+            <SidebarMenuItem>
+              <SidebarMenuButton onClick={() => onOpenEmailView()}>
+                <ArrowUpRight className="size-4 shrink-0 text-muted-foreground" />
+                <span className="text-muted-foreground">View all</span>
+              </SidebarMenuButton>
+            </SidebarMenuItem>
+          )}
+        </SidebarMenu>
+      </SidebarGroupContent>
+    </SidebarGroup>
+  )
+}
+
 function MeetingsSidebarSection({
   onOpenMeetingsView,
   recordingState,