diff --git a/server/src/nest/mail-ingest/mail-ingest-address.service.ts b/server/src/nest/mail-ingest/mail-ingest-address.service.ts
index 9f751b229..974ab39a2 100644
--- a/server/src/nest/mail-ingest/mail-ingest-address.service.ts
+++ b/server/src/nest/mail-ingest/mail-ingest-address.service.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,18 @@ export class MailIngestAddressService {
     return this.view(await this.addresses.findLive(userId, null));
   }
 
+  /**
+   * The person's own address as the settings card shows it: made on the first
+   * look once an address template is set and their import is on, so nobody has
+   * to ask for one before forwarding; read as it is otherwise.
+   *
+   * @txStandalone an idempotent lazy provision: one row, made once, then only read.
+   */
+  async ownAddressForCard(userId: number, importOn: boolean): Promise<MailIngestAddress | null> {
+    if (importOn && (await this.settings.addressTemplate())) return this.view(await this.ensureOwn(userId));
+    return this.ownAddress(userId);
+  }
+
   /** A new own address for the person, the old one stops working. */
   async renewOwn(userId: number): Promise<MailIngestAddress | null> {
     await this.requireTemplate();
diff --git a/server/src/nest/mail-ingest/mail-ingest-inbox.service.ts b/server/src/nest/mail-ingest/mail-ingest-inbox.service.ts
index 146095d1c..0e0eaa681 100644
--- a/server/src/nest/mail-ingest/mail-ingest-inbox.service.ts
+++ b/server/src/nest/mail-ingest/mail-ingest-inbox.service.ts
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ export class MailIngestInboxService {
     }
     return {
       available: true,
-      address: await this.addresses.ownAddress(userId),
+      address: await this.addresses.ownAddressForCard(userId, prefs.enabled),
       prefs,
       // Whether AI reading can work here at all (the AI Parsing addon and a connection), not the person's own
       // switch: with it folded in, switching AI off greyed the switch out and it could never come back on.
diff --git a/server/tests/e2e/mail-ingest.e2e.test.ts b/server/tests/e2e/mail-ingest.e2e.test.ts
index 9432396d0..7bc6814d1 100644
--- a/server/tests/e2e/mail-ingest.e2e.test.ts
+++ b/server/tests/e2e/mail-ingest.e2e.test.ts
@@ -164,7 +164,12 @@ describe('/api/mail-ingest e2e (real guards + snapshot SQLite)', () => {
   it('MAIL-E2E-002: the settings card, its switches and a renewed own address', async () => {
     const card = await request(server).get('/api/mail-ingest/settings').set(as(USER));
     expect(card.status).toBe(200);
-    expect(card.body).toMatchObject({ available: true, address: null, ai_available: false, pending: 0 });
+    expect(card.body).toMatchObject({ available: true, ai_available: false, pending: 0 });
+    // The first look makes the person's own address, so nobody has to ask for one before forwarding.
+    const first = card.body.address.address as string;
+    expect(first).toMatch(/^trek\+[a-z2-7]{24}@mail\.example\.com$/);
+    const again = await request(server).get('/api/mail-ingest/settings').set(as(USER));
+    expect(again.body.address.address).toBe(first);
 
     expect((await request(server).patch('/api/mail-ingest/settings').set(as(USER)).send({})).status).toBe(400);
     const off = await request(server).patch('/api/mail-ingest/settings').set(as(USER)).send({ auto_add: false });
@@ -174,6 +179,7 @@ describe('/api/mail-ingest e2e (real guards + snapshot SQLite)', () => {
     const renewed = await request(server).post('/api/mail-ingest/address/renew').set(as(USER));
     expect(renewed.status).toBe(200);
     expect(renewed.body.address.address).toMatch(/^trek\+[a-z2-7]{24}@mail\.example\.com$/);
+    expect(renewed.body.address.address).not.toBe(first);
   });
 
   it('MAIL-E2E-003: an uploaded mail waits in the inbox, is added by hand and undone, for its person', async () => {