diff --git a/lib/Db/Mailbox.php b/lib/Db/Mailbox.php
index 30be4ea423..ed562fcbe3 100644
--- a/lib/Db/Mailbox.php
+++ b/lib/Db/Mailbox.php
@@ -122,13 +122,13 @@ public function isCached(): bool {
 	}
 
 	public function hasLocks(int $now): bool {
-		if ($this->getSyncNewLock() !== null || $this->getSyncNewLock() > ($now - self::LOCK_TIMEOUT)) {
+		if ($this->getSyncNewLock() !== null && $this->getSyncNewLock() > ($now - self::LOCK_TIMEOUT)) {
 			return true;
 		}
-		if ($this->getSyncChangedLock() !== null || $this->getSyncChangedLock() > ($now - self::LOCK_TIMEOUT)) {
+		if ($this->getSyncChangedLock() !== null && $this->getSyncChangedLock() > ($now - self::LOCK_TIMEOUT)) {
 			return true;
 		}
-		if ($this->getSyncVanishedLock() !== null || $this->getSyncVanishedLock() > ($now - self::LOCK_TIMEOUT)) {
+		if ($this->getSyncVanishedLock() !== null && $this->getSyncVanishedLock() > ($now - self::LOCK_TIMEOUT)) {
 			return true;
 		}
 		return false;
diff --git a/lib/Service/Search/MailSearch.php b/lib/Service/Search/MailSearch.php
index 6212fa5214..bacd764919 100644
--- a/lib/Service/Search/MailSearch.php
+++ b/lib/Service/Search/MailSearch.php
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 use OCA\Mail\Db\Message;
 use OCA\Mail\Db\MessageMapper;
 use OCA\Mail\Exception\ClientException;
-use OCA\Mail\Exception\MailboxLockedException;
 use OCA\Mail\Exception\MailboxNotCachedException;
 use OCA\Mail\Exception\ServiceException;
 use OCA\Mail\IMAP\PreviewEnhancer;
@@ -77,9 +76,16 @@ public function findMessages(Account $account,
 		?int $limit,
 		?string $userId,
 		?string $view): array {
-		if ($mailbox->hasLocks($this->timeFactory->getTime())) {
-			throw MailboxLockedException::from($mailbox);
-		}
+		// A mailbox sync lock coordinates concurrent *writes* (two sync
+		// attempts racing on the same mailbox). It was never a correctness
+		// requirement for a *read* -- this method only ever reads from the
+		// local DB below (aside from an unrelated body-text-search path),
+		// so a mailbox mid-sync, or one whose lock happens to still be
+		// genuinely fresh (not just a stale bug), can still be listed from
+		// its already-cached messages instead of failing outright. Fixing
+		// hasLocks() itself (see Mailbox.php) only stops a *stale* lock
+		// from blocking forever -- it doesn't stop a legitimately fresh
+		// one from unnecessarily blocking a read that never needed it.
 		if (!$mailbox->isCached()) {
 			throw MailboxNotCachedException::from($mailbox);
 		}
diff --git a/tests/Unit/Db/MailboxTest.php b/tests/Unit/Db/MailboxTest.php
index 08fbb2505f..5d7aa17cbd 100644
--- a/tests/Unit/Db/MailboxTest.php
+++ b/tests/Unit/Db/MailboxTest.php
@@ -60,4 +60,16 @@ public function testJsonSerializeCacheBuster(
 		$this->assertArrayHasKey('cacheBuster', $json);
 		$this->assertEquals($expectedCacheBuster, $json['cacheBuster']);
 	}
+
+	public function testHasLocksIgnoresExpiredLock(): void {
+		$this->mailbox->setSyncNewLock(1000);
+
+		$this->assertFalse($this->mailbox->hasLocks(1000 + Mailbox::LOCK_TIMEOUT + 1));
+	}
+
+	public function testHasLocksRespectsFreshLock(): void {
+		$this->mailbox->setSyncNewLock(1000);
+
+		$this->assertTrue($this->mailbox->hasLocks(1000 + Mailbox::LOCK_TIMEOUT - 1));
+	}
 }
diff --git a/tests/Unit/Service/Search/MailSearchTest.php b/tests/Unit/Service/Search/MailSearchTest.php
index 3f7ce83821..4ea70e751e 100644
--- a/tests/Unit/Service/Search/MailSearchTest.php
+++ b/tests/Unit/Service/Search/MailSearchTest.php
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 use OCA\Mail\Db\Mailbox;
 use OCA\Mail\Db\Message;
 use OCA\Mail\Db\MessageMapper;
-use OCA\Mail\Exception\MailboxLockedException;
 use OCA\Mail\Exception\MailboxNotCachedException;
 use OCA\Mail\IMAP\PreviewEnhancer;
 use OCA\Mail\IMAP\Search\Provider;
@@ -81,13 +80,22 @@ public function testFindMessagesNotCached() {
 		);
 	}
 
-	public function testFindMessagesLocked() {
-		$account = $this->createStub(Account::class);
+	public function testFindMessagesIgnoresLock() {
+		$account = $this->createMock(Account::class);
+		$account->expects($this->once())
+			->method('getUserId')
+			->willReturn('admin');
 		$mailbox = new Mailbox();
+		$mailbox->setSyncNewToken('abc');
+		$mailbox->setSyncChangedToken('def');
+		$mailbox->setSyncVanishedToken('ghi');
+		// A concurrent sync attempt is (or recently was) holding a lock on
+		// this mailbox -- findMessages() only reads already-cached
+		// messages, so it must not be blocked by it, whether the lock is
+		// stale or genuinely still fresh.
 		$mailbox->setSyncNewLock(123);
-		$this->expectException(MailboxLockedException::class);
 
-		$this->search->findMessages(
+		$messages = $this->search->findMessages(
 			$account,
 			$mailbox,
 			'DESC',
@@ -97,6 +105,8 @@ public function testFindMessagesLocked() {
 			null,
 			null,
 		);
+
+		$this->assertEmpty($messages);
 	}
 
 	public function testNoFindMessages() {