diff --git a/lib/IMAP/ImapMessageFetcher.php b/lib/IMAP/ImapMessageFetcher.php
index e9e6bba5e9..6bc2b4620d 100644
--- a/lib/IMAP/ImapMessageFetcher.php
+++ b/lib/IMAP/ImapMessageFetcher.php
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 use Horde_Imap_Client_Base;
 use Horde_Imap_Client_Data_Envelope;
 use Horde_Imap_Client_Data_Fetch;
+use Horde_Imap_Client_DateTime;
 use Horde_Imap_Client_Exception;
 use Horde_Imap_Client_Exception_NoSupportExtension;
 use Horde_Imap_Client_Fetch_Query;
@@ -63,6 +64,7 @@ class ImapMessageFetcher {
 	private bool $isOneClickUnsubscribe = false;
 	private ?string $unsubscribeMailto = null;
 	private bool $isPgpMimeEncrypted = false;
+	private ?Horde_Imap_Client_DateTime $messageDate = null;
 
 	public function __construct(
 		int $uid,
@@ -263,7 +265,7 @@ public function fetchMessage(?Horde_Imap_Client_Data_Fetch $fetch = null): IMAPM
 			$this->inlineAttachments,
 			$this->hasAnyAttachment,
 			$this->scheduling,
-			$fetch->getImapDate(),
+			$this->messageDate ?? $fetch->getImapDate(),
 			$this->rawReferences,
 			$this->dispositionNotificationTo,
 			$this->hasDkimSignature,
@@ -531,6 +533,8 @@ private function parseHeaders(Horde_Imap_Client_Data_Fetch $fetch): void {
 		$dkimSignatureHeader = $parsedHeaders->getHeader('dkim-signature');
 		$this->hasDkimSignature = $dkimSignatureHeader !== null;
 
+		$this->messageDate = $this->resolveMessageDate($fetch, $parsedHeaders);
+
 		if ($this->runPhishingCheck) {
 			$this->phishingDetails = $this->phishingDetectionService->checkHeadersForPhishing($parsedHeaders, $this->hasHtmlMessage, $this->htmlMessage);
 		}
@@ -560,4 +564,28 @@ private function parseHeaders(Horde_Imap_Client_Data_Fetch $fetch): void {
 			}
 		}
 	}
+
+	private function resolveMessageDate(Horde_Imap_Client_Data_Fetch $fetch, Horde_Mime_Headers $parsedHeaders): Horde_Imap_Client_DateTime {
+		$dateHeader = $parsedHeaders->getHeader('Date');
+		if ($dateHeader instanceof \Horde_Mime_Headers_Date) {
+			$dateValue = $dateHeader->value ?? null;
+			if (!empty($dateValue)) {
+				try {
+					$date = new Horde_Imap_Client_DateTime($dateValue);
+					if ($date->getTimestamp() > 0) {
+						return $date;
+					}
+				} catch (\Throwable) {
+					// Ignore invalid header value and fall back to the internal date
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+		$internalDate = $fetch->getImapDate();
+		if ($internalDate instanceof Horde_Imap_Client_DateTime) {
+			return $internalDate;
+		}
+
+		return new Horde_Imap_Client_DateTime();
+	}
 }
diff --git a/tests/Unit/IMAP/ImapMessageFetcherTest.php b/tests/Unit/IMAP/ImapMessageFetcherTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a7bd45a26d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Unit/IMAP/ImapMessageFetcherTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2025 Nextcloud GmbH and Nextcloud contributors
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+ */
+
+namespace OCA\Mail\Tests\Unit\IMAP;
+
+use ChristophWurst\Nextcloud\Testing\TestCase;
+use Horde_Imap_Client_Base;
+use Horde_Imap_Client_Data_Fetch;
+use Horde_Imap_Client_DateTime;
+use Horde_Mime_Headers;
+use OCA\Mail\IMAP\Charset\Converter;
+use OCA\Mail\IMAP\ImapMessageFetcher;
+use OCA\Mail\Service\Html;
+use OCA\Mail\Service\PhishingDetection\PhishingDetectionService;
+use OCA\Mail\Service\SmimeService;
+use PHPUnit\Framework\MockObject\MockObject;
+use ReflectionMethod;
+
+final class ImapMessageFetcherTest extends TestCase {
+	private Html|MockObject $htmlService;
+	private SmimeService|MockObject $smimeService;
+	private Converter|MockObject $converter;
+	private PhishingDetectionService|MockObject $phishingDetectionService;
+	private Horde_Imap_Client_Base|MockObject $client;
+	private ImapMessageFetcher $fetcher;
+
+	protected function setUp(): void {
+		parent::setUp();
+
+		$this->htmlService = $this->createMock(Html::class);
+		$this->smimeService = $this->createMock(SmimeService::class);
+		$this->converter = $this->createMock(Converter::class);
+		$this->phishingDetectionService = $this->createMock(PhishingDetectionService::class);
+		$this->client = $this->createMock(Horde_Imap_Client_Base::class);
+
+		$this->fetcher = new ImapMessageFetcher(
+			42,
+			'INBOX',
+			$this->client,
+			'user',
+			$this->htmlService,
+			$this->smimeService,
+			$this->converter,
+			$this->phishingDetectionService,
+		);
+	}
+
+	private function invokeResolveMessageDate(Horde_Imap_Client_Data_Fetch $fetch, Horde_Mime_Headers $headers): Horde_Imap_Client_DateTime {
+		$method = new ReflectionMethod(ImapMessageFetcher::class, 'resolveMessageDate');
+		$method->setAccessible(true);
+		/** @var Horde_Imap_Client_DateTime $result */
+		$result = $method->invoke($this->fetcher, $fetch, $headers);
+		return $result;
+	}
+
+	public function testResolveMessageDatePrefersHeader(): void {
+		$fetch = $this->createMock(Horde_Imap_Client_Data_Fetch::class);
+		$fetch->method('getImapDate')
+			->willReturn(new Horde_Imap_Client_DateTime('2025-10-20 10:00:00 +0000'));
+		$headers = Horde_Mime_Headers::parseHeaders("Date: Mon, 01 Jan 2001 12:00:00 +0000\r\n");
+
+		$result = $this->invokeResolveMessageDate($fetch, $headers);
+
+		self::assertSame('2001-01-01T12:00:00+00:00', $result->format('c'));
+	}
+
+	public function testResolveMessageDateFallsBackToInternalWithoutHeader(): void {
+		$internal = new Horde_Imap_Client_DateTime('2025-10-20 10:00:00 +0000');
+		$fetch = $this->createMock(Horde_Imap_Client_Data_Fetch::class);
+		$fetch->method('getImapDate')->willReturn($internal);
+		$headers = Horde_Mime_Headers::parseHeaders('');
+
+		$result = $this->invokeResolveMessageDate($fetch, $headers);
+
+		self::assertSame($internal->format('c'), $result->format('c'));
+	}
+
+	public function testResolveMessageDateFallsBackToInternalOnInvalidHeader(): void {
+		$internal = new Horde_Imap_Client_DateTime('2025-10-20 10:00:00 +0000');
+		$fetch = $this->createMock(Horde_Imap_Client_Data_Fetch::class);
+		$fetch->method('getImapDate')->willReturn($internal);
+		$headers = Horde_Mime_Headers::parseHeaders("Date: not-a-valid-date\r\n");
+
+		$result = $this->invokeResolveMessageDate($fetch, $headers);
+
+		self::assertSame($internal->format('c'), $result->format('c'));
+	}
+
+	public function testResolveMessageDateFallsBackToNowWhenNoDateAvailable(): void {
+		$fetch = $this->createMock(Horde_Imap_Client_Data_Fetch::class);
+		$fetch->method('getImapDate')->willReturn(null);
+		$headers = Horde_Mime_Headers::parseHeaders('');
+
+		$before = time();
+		$result = $this->invokeResolveMessageDate($fetch, $headers);
+		$after = time();
+
+		self::assertGreaterThanOrEqual($before, $result->getTimestamp());
+		self::assertLessThanOrEqual($after, $result->getTimestamp());
+	}
+}