diff --git a/static/js/emailInbox.js b/static/js/emailInbox.js
index b64b7f12c..7edb59df4 100644
--- a/static/js/emailInbox.js
+++ b/static/js/emailInbox.js
@@ -1183,15 +1183,42 @@ async function _deleteEmail(em) {
   const { styledConfirm } = await import('./ui.js');
   const ok = await styledConfirm(`Delete "${subject}"?`, { confirmText: 'Delete', cancelText: 'Cancel', danger: true });
   if (!ok) return;
+  const row = document.querySelector(`.email-item[data-uid="${CSS.escape(String(em.uid))}"]`);
+  const busy = _showEmailDeleteOverlay(row);
   try {
     await fetch(`${API_BASE}/api/email/delete/${em.uid}?folder=${encodeURIComponent(_currentFolder)}${_acct()}`, { method: 'DELETE' });
+    busy?.remove?.();
     _emails = _emails.filter(e => e.uid !== em.uid);
     _renderList();
   } catch (e) {
+    busy?.remove?.();
     console.error('Failed to delete:', e);
   }
 }
 
+function _showEmailDeleteOverlay(target) {
+  if (!target) return null;
+  const wp = spinnerModule.createWhirlpool(16);
+  const overlay = document.createElement('div');
+  overlay.className = 'email-delete-overlay';
+  overlay.appendChild(wp.element);
+  const prevPos = target.style.position;
+  const prevPointerEvents = target.style.pointerEvents;
+  if (getComputedStyle(target).position === 'static') target.style.position = 'relative';
+  target.style.pointerEvents = 'none';
+  target.classList.add('email-delete-busy');
+  target.appendChild(overlay);
+  return {
+    remove() {
+      try { wp.destroy?.(); } catch (_) {}
+      overlay.remove();
+      target.classList.remove('email-delete-busy');
+      target.style.pointerEvents = prevPointerEvents;
+      target.style.position = prevPos;
+    }
+  };
+}
+
 async function _toggleDone(em, itemEl) {
   const newState = !em.is_answered;
   em.is_answered = newState;
diff --git a/static/js/emailLibrary.js b/static/js/emailLibrary.js
index 21c4db9dd..be61b4f6c 100644
--- a/static/js/emailLibrary.js
+++ b/static/js/emailLibrary.js
@@ -721,6 +721,7 @@ async function _deleteEmailAndAdvance(em, card, opts = {}) {
     const ok = await styledConfirm(`Delete "${subject}"?`, { confirmText: 'Delete', cancelText: 'Cancel', danger: true });
     if (!ok) return;
   }
+  const busy = _showEmailDeleteOverlay(card);
   const wasExpanded = !!card?.classList?.contains('doclib-card-expanded');
   const sibling = wasExpanded
     ? (_findSiblingEmailCard(card, +1) || _findSiblingEmailCard(card, -1))
@@ -730,9 +731,11 @@ async function _deleteEmailAndAdvance(em, card, opts = {}) {
     await fetch(`${API_BASE}/api/email/delete/${em.uid}?folder=${encodeURIComponent(state._libFolder)}${_acct()}`, { method: 'DELETE' });
   } catch (err) {
     console.error('Failed to delete email:', err);
+    busy?.remove?.();
     showToast('Failed to delete email');
     return;
   }
+  busy?.remove?.();
   await _animateEmailCardRemoval([em.uid]);
   state._libEmails = state._libEmails.filter(e => String(e.uid) !== String(em.uid));
   state._selectedUids.delete(em.uid);
@@ -752,6 +755,29 @@ async function _deleteEmailAndAdvance(em, card, opts = {}) {
   }
 }
 
+function _showEmailDeleteOverlay(target) {
+  if (!target) return null;
+  const wp = spinnerModule.createWhirlpool(18);
+  const overlay = document.createElement('div');
+  overlay.className = 'email-delete-overlay';
+  overlay.appendChild(wp.element);
+  const prevPos = target.style.position;
+  const prevPointerEvents = target.style.pointerEvents;
+  if (getComputedStyle(target).position === 'static') target.style.position = 'relative';
+  target.style.pointerEvents = 'none';
+  target.classList.add('email-delete-busy');
+  target.appendChild(overlay);
+  return {
+    remove() {
+      try { wp.destroy?.(); } catch (_) {}
+      overlay.remove();
+      target.classList.remove('email-delete-busy');
+      target.style.pointerEvents = prevPointerEvents;
+      target.style.position = prevPos;
+    }
+  };
+}
+
 function _animateEmailCardRemoval(uids, opts = {}) {
   const uidSet = new Set((uids || []).map(uid => String(uid)));
   if (!uidSet.size) return Promise.resolve();
@@ -6555,9 +6581,16 @@ function _showReaderMoreMenu(em, card, reader, anchor) {
       label: 'Move to Trash',
       icon: _trashIcon,
       action: async () => {
+        const busy = _showEmailDeleteOverlay(card);
         try {
           await fetch(`${API_BASE}/api/email/delete/${em.uid}?folder=${encodeURIComponent(state._libFolder)}${_acct()}`, { method: 'DELETE' });
-        } catch (e) { console.error(e); }
+        } catch (e) {
+          console.error(e);
+          busy?.remove?.();
+          showToast('Failed to delete email');
+          return;
+        }
+        busy?.remove?.();
         await closeAndRemove();
       },
     },
@@ -6572,9 +6605,16 @@ function _showReaderMoreMenu(em, card, reader, anchor) {
           { confirmText: 'Delete', cancelText: 'Cancel', danger: true }
         );
         if (!ok) return;
+        const busy = _showEmailDeleteOverlay(card);
         try {
           await fetch(`${API_BASE}/api/email/delete-permanent/${em.uid}?folder=${encodeURIComponent(state._libFolder)}${_acct()}`, { method: 'DELETE' });
-        } catch (e) { console.error(e); }
+        } catch (e) {
+          console.error(e);
+          busy?.remove?.();
+          showToast('Failed to delete email');
+          return;
+        }
+        busy?.remove?.();
         await closeAndRemove();
       },
     },
diff --git a/static/style.css b/static/style.css
index 2e1293f8e..b116d8717 100644
--- a/static/style.css
+++ b/static/style.css
@@ -29296,6 +29296,27 @@ button .spinner-whirlpool {
     0 0 12px -3px color-mix(in srgb, var(--accent, var(--red)) 65%, transparent);
 }
 
+.email-delete-busy {
+  opacity: 0.72;
+}
+
+.email-delete-overlay {
+  position: absolute;
+  inset: 0;
+  z-index: 8;
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+  border-radius: inherit;
+  background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--panel, var(--bg)) 82%, transparent);
+  pointer-events: none;
+}
+
+.email-delete-overlay .spinner-whirlpool,
+.email-delete-overlay .ai-spinner-whirlpool {
+  margin: 0 !important;
+}
+
 .doclib-card.email-card-removing {
   pointer-events: none !important;
   max-height: 0 !important;