diff --git a/client/src/api/collections.test.ts b/client/src/api/collections.test.ts
index 8bb4875e4..dd0ff7f34 100644
--- a/client/src/api/collections.test.ts
+++ b/client/src/api/collections.test.ts
@@ -59,23 +59,26 @@ describe('collectionsApi', () => {
     expect(res.collection.name).toBe('Tokyo')
   })
 
-  it('FE-API-COLLECTIONS-003: create() posts the create payload', async () => {
-    server.use(http.post(BASE, record({ collection })))
+  // Both handlers answer with the BARE collection, the way the controller does —
+  // stubbing a { collection } envelope here is what let the client keep reading
+  // `.collection` off a response that never had one.
+  it('FE-API-COLLECTIONS-003: create() posts the create payload and returns the list itself', async () => {
+    server.use(http.post(BASE, record(collection)))
 
     const res = await collectionsApi.create({ name: 'Tokyo', color: '#111827' })
 
     expect(requestBody).toEqual({ name: 'Tokyo', color: '#111827' })
-    expect(res.collection.id).toBe(1)
+    expect(res.id).toBe(1)
   })
 
   it('FE-API-COLLECTIONS-004: update() patches the list by id', async () => {
-    server.use(http.patch(`${BASE}/:id`, record({ collection })))
+    server.use(http.patch(`${BASE}/:id`, record(collection)))
 
     const res = await collectionsApi.update(1, { name: 'Tokyo 2026' })
 
     expect(requestUrl).toContain(`${BASE}/1`)
     expect(requestBody).toEqual({ name: 'Tokyo 2026' })
-    expect(res.collection).toEqual(collection)
+    expect(res).toEqual(collection)
   })
 
   it('FE-API-COLLECTIONS-005: uploadCover() posts multipart to the cover endpoint', async () => {
diff --git a/client/src/api/collections.ts b/client/src/api/collections.ts
index be4b4c085..da110e20c 100644
--- a/client/src/api/collections.ts
+++ b/client/src/api/collections.ts
@@ -53,9 +53,13 @@ export const collectionsApi = {
     ax.get(base).then((r: AxiosResponse) => r.data),
   get: (id: number): Promise<CollectionDetailResponse> =>
     ax.get(`${base}/${id}`).then((r: AxiosResponse) => r.data),
-  create: (body: CollectionCreateRequest): Promise<{ collection: Collection }> =>
+  // Both answer with the bare collection, not a { collection } envelope — the
+  // controller returns the service's `Collection` straight through, and the e2e
+  // suite pins that shape. Declaring the envelope made createCollection() resolve
+  // undefined for every caller.
+  create: (body: CollectionCreateRequest): Promise<Collection> =>
     ax.post(base, body satisfies CollectionCreateRequest).then((r: AxiosResponse) => r.data),
-  update: (id: number, body: CollectionUpdateRequest): Promise<{ collection: Collection }> =>
+  update: (id: number, body: CollectionUpdateRequest): Promise<Collection> =>
     ax.patch(`${base}/${id}`, body satisfies CollectionUpdateRequest).then((r: AxiosResponse) => r.data),
   uploadCover: (id: number, formData: FormData): Promise<Collection> =>
     postMultipart(`${base}/${id}/cover`, formData),
diff --git a/client/src/store/collectionStore.test.ts b/client/src/store/collectionStore.test.ts
index 8db449557..ec7858780 100644
--- a/client/src/store/collectionStore.test.ts
+++ b/client/src/store/collectionStore.test.ts
@@ -69,8 +69,10 @@ beforeEach(() => {
   vi.clearAllMocks()
   vi.mocked(collectionsApi.list).mockResolvedValue(listResponse())
   vi.mocked(collectionsApi.get).mockResolvedValue(detail())
-  vi.mocked(collectionsApi.create).mockResolvedValue({ collection: listA })
-  vi.mocked(collectionsApi.update).mockResolvedValue({ collection: listA })
+  // The bare collection is what POST /addons/collections actually answers with;
+  // mocking a { collection } envelope here is what hid the bug this pins.
+  vi.mocked(collectionsApi.create).mockResolvedValue(listA)
+  vi.mocked(collectionsApi.update).mockResolvedValue(listA)
   vi.mocked(collectionsApi.uploadCover).mockResolvedValue(listA)
   vi.mocked(collectionsApi.remove).mockResolvedValue({ success: true })
   vi.mocked(collectionsApi.reorder).mockResolvedValue({ success: true })
@@ -289,11 +291,20 @@ describe('collectionStore — list CRUD', () => {
   })
 
   it('FE-STORE-COLLECTION-014: createCollection() returns null when the response carries no list', async () => {
-    vi.mocked(collectionsApi.create).mockResolvedValue({} as unknown as { collection: Collection })
+    vi.mocked(collectionsApi.create).mockResolvedValue(undefined as unknown as Collection)
 
     expect(await store().createCollection({ name: 'Tokyo' })).toBeNull()
   })
 
+  // The API declared a { collection } envelope the server never sends, so the id
+  // never reached the caller: a cover picked while creating a list was dropped
+  // and the new list never opened.
+  it('FE-STORE-COLLECTION-014b: createCollection() hands back the id the server sent', async () => {
+    const created = await store().createCollection({ name: 'Tokyo' })
+
+    expect(created?.id).toBe(1)
+  })
+
   it('FE-STORE-COLLECTION-015: updateCollection() reloads the detail when the list is active', async () => {
     useCollectionStore.setState({ activeId: 1 })
 
diff --git a/client/src/store/collectionStore.ts b/client/src/store/collectionStore.ts
index 3b7772912..265c558fa 100644
--- a/client/src/store/collectionStore.ts
+++ b/client/src/store/collectionStore.ts
@@ -210,9 +210,12 @@ export const useCollectionStore = create<CollectionState>((set, get) => ({
   },
 
   createCollection: async (payload) => {
-    const data = await collectionsApi.create(payload)
+    // POST answers with the collection itself. Reading `.collection` off it
+    // returned undefined every time, so the caller never got the new id: a cover
+    // picked while creating a list was dropped and the list never opened.
+    const created = await collectionsApi.create(payload)
     await get().loadAll()
-    return data.collection ?? null
+    return created ?? null
   },
 
   updateCollection: async (id, updates) => {