diff --git a/Apps/MagnumOpus/ViewModels/MailViewModel.swift b/Apps/MagnumOpus/ViewModels/MailViewModel.swift
index a491951..2cf1c1b 100644
--- a/Apps/MagnumOpus/ViewModels/MailViewModel.swift
+++ b/Apps/MagnumOpus/ViewModels/MailViewModel.swift
@@ -194,6 +194,27 @@ final class MailViewModel {
 		startObservingThreads(accountId: accountConfig.id, mailboxId: mailbox.id)
 	}
 
+	func selectItemForDetail(_ item: ItemSummary?) {
+		guard let item else {
+			selectedThread = nil
+			messages = []
+			return
+		}
+		switch item {
+		case .email(let msg):
+			// Show the message directly in the detail pane
+			selectedThread = ThreadSummary(
+				id: msg.id, accountId: accountConfig?.id ?? "", subject: msg.subject,
+				lastDate: msg.date, messageCount: 1, unreadCount: 0,
+				senders: msg.from?.displayName ?? "", snippet: msg.snippet
+			)
+			messages = [msg]
+		case .task:
+			selectedThread = nil
+			messages = []
+		}
+	}
+
 	func selectPerspective(_ perspective: Perspective) {
 		selectedMailbox = nil
 		selectedThread = nil
@@ -238,6 +259,7 @@ final class MailViewModel {
 	}
 
 	private var isSyncing = false
+	private var hasLoadedInitialPerspective = false
 
 	func syncNow() async {
 		guard let coordinator, !isSyncing else { return }
@@ -249,9 +271,10 @@ final class MailViewModel {
 			// Reload mailboxes after sync (they may have been created on first sync)
 			if let accountConfig {
 				await loadMailboxes(accountId: accountConfig.id)
-				// On first sync, default to INBOX view
-				if selectedMailbox == nil, let inbox = mailboxes.first(where: { $0.name.lowercased() == "inbox" }) {
-					selectMailbox(inbox)
+				// On first sync, load Inbox perspective
+				if !hasLoadedInitialPerspective {
+					hasLoadedInitialPerspective = true
+					selectPerspective(.inbox)
 				}
 			}
 		} catch {
diff --git a/Apps/MagnumOpus/Views/ThreadListView.swift b/Apps/MagnumOpus/Views/ThreadListView.swift
index 4a9d9b2..b235dab 100644
--- a/Apps/MagnumOpus/Views/ThreadListView.swift
+++ b/Apps/MagnumOpus/Views/ThreadListView.swift
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ struct ThreadListView: View {
 			get: { viewModel.selectedItem?.id },
 			set: { newId in
 				viewModel.selectedItem = viewModel.items.first { $0.id == newId }
+				viewModel.selectItemForDetail(viewModel.selectedItem)
 			}
 		)) { item in
 			ItemRow(item: item)
@@ -176,24 +177,6 @@ struct ThreadListView: View {
 			.keyboardShortcut("d", modifiers: [])
 			.help("Defer (d)")
 
-			Button {
-				if let item = selectedItemSummary {
-					viewModel.deferItem(item, until: nil)
-				}
-			} label: {
-				Label("Someday", systemImage: "moon.zzz")
-			}
-			.keyboardShortcut("d", modifiers: [.shift])
-			.help("Someday (⇧D)")
-
-			Button {
-				showLabelPicker = true
-			} label: {
-				Label("Project", systemImage: "folder.badge.plus")
-			}
-			.keyboardShortcut("p", modifiers: [])
-			.help("File to Project (p)")
-
 			Button {
 				if let item = selectedItemSummary {
 					viewModel.completeItem(item)