diff --git a/components/calendar/event-modal.tsx b/components/calendar/event-modal.tsx
index d1c24921..25e1edcd 100644
--- a/components/calendar/event-modal.tsx
+++ b/components/calendar/event-modal.tsx
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import { format, parseISO, addHours, addDays } from "date-fns";
 import type { CalendarEvent, Calendar, CalendarParticipant } from "@/lib/jmap/types";
 import { parseDuration, getEventColor } from "./event-card";
 import { buildAllDayDuration, getEventDisplayEndDate, getEventEndDate, getEventStartDate, getPrimaryCalendarId } from "@/lib/calendar-utils";
-import { ParticipantInput } from "./participant-input";
+import { ParticipantInput, type ParticipantInputHandle } from "./participant-input";
 import {
   isOrganizer,
   getUserParticipantId,
@@ -233,6 +233,7 @@ export function EventModal({
       .map(p => ({ name: p.name, email: p.email }));
   });
   const [sendInvitations, setSendInvitations] = useState(true);
+  const participantInputRef = useRef<ParticipantInputHandle>(null);
 
   // Report live preview to parent for grid outline
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -264,6 +265,9 @@ export function EventModal({
     if (!trimmedTitle || isSaving) return;
     if (trimmedTitle.length > 500 || description.trim().length > 10000 || location.trim().length > 500) return;
 
+    const pendingAttendee = participantInputRef.current?.flush() ?? null;
+    const effectiveAttendees = pendingAttendee ? [...attendees, pendingAttendee] : attendees;
+
     const startStr = allDay
       ? `${startDate}T00:00:00`
       : `${startDate}T${startTime}:00`;
@@ -377,20 +381,20 @@ export function EventModal({
       data.alerts = null;
     }
 
-    if (attendees.length > 0 && currentUserEmails.length > 0) {
+    if (effectiveAttendees.length > 0 && currentUserEmails.length > 0) {
       const organizerEmail = currentUserEmails[0];
       const organizerName = existingParticipants.find(p => p.isOrganizer)?.name || "";
       data.participants = buildParticipantMap(
         { name: organizerName, email: organizerEmail },
-        attendees
+        effectiveAttendees
       ) as Record<string, CalendarParticipant>;
       data.replyTo = { imip: `mailto:${organizerEmail}` };
-    } else if (attendees.length === 0 && event?.participants) {
+    } else if (effectiveAttendees.length === 0 && event?.participants) {
       data.participants = null;
       data.replyTo = null;
     }
 
-    const shouldSendScheduling = attendees.length > 0 && sendInvitations;
+    const shouldSendScheduling = effectiveAttendees.length > 0 && sendInvitations;
     setIsSaving(true);
     try {
       await onSave(data, shouldSendScheduling);
@@ -843,6 +847,7 @@ export function EventModal({
               </span>
             </label>
             <ParticipantInput
+              ref={participantInputRef}
               participants={attendees}
               onAdd={handleAddAttendee}
               onRemove={handleRemoveAttendee}
diff --git a/components/calendar/participant-input.tsx b/components/calendar/participant-input.tsx
index 90035b83..082b3898 100644
--- a/components/calendar/participant-input.tsx
+++ b/components/calendar/participant-input.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 "use client";
 
-import { useState, useRef, useCallback, useEffect } from "react";
+import { useState, useRef, useCallback, useEffect, forwardRef, useImperativeHandle } from "react";
 import { useTranslations } from "next-intl";
 import { X } from "lucide-react";
 import { Input } from "@/components/ui/input";
@@ -18,9 +18,13 @@ interface ParticipantInputProps {
   disabled?: boolean;
 }
 
+export interface ParticipantInputHandle {
+  flush: () => Participant | null;
+}
+
 const EMAIL_REGEX = /^[^\s@]+@[^\s@]+\.[^\s@]+$/;
 
-export function ParticipantInput({ participants, onAdd, onRemove, disabled }: ParticipantInputProps) {
+export const ParticipantInput = forwardRef<ParticipantInputHandle, ParticipantInputProps>(function ParticipantInput({ participants, onAdd, onRemove, disabled }, ref) {
   const t = useTranslations("calendar.participants");
   const [query, setQuery] = useState("");
   const [suggestions, setSuggestions] = useState<Participant[]>([]);
@@ -86,8 +90,28 @@ export function ParticipantInput({ participants, onAdd, onRemove, disabled }: Pa
   }, [showSuggestions, activeIndex, suggestions, query, addParticipant]);
 
   const handleBlur = useCallback(() => {
-    setTimeout(() => setShowSuggestions(false), 200);
-  }, []);
+    setTimeout(() => {
+      setShowSuggestions(false);
+      const trimmed = query.trim();
+      if (trimmed && EMAIL_REGEX.test(trimmed)) {
+        addParticipant({ name: "", email: trimmed });
+      }
+    }, 200);
+  }, [query, addParticipant]);
+
+  useImperativeHandle(ref, () => ({
+    flush: () => {
+      const trimmed = query.trim();
+      if (!trimmed || !EMAIL_REGEX.test(trimmed)) return null;
+      if (participants.some(e => e.email.toLowerCase() === trimmed.toLowerCase())) return null;
+      const p = { name: "", email: trimmed };
+      onAdd(p);
+      setQuery("");
+      setSuggestions([]);
+      setShowSuggestions(false);
+      return p;
+    },
+  }), [query, participants, onAdd]);
 
   return (
     <div className="space-y-2">
@@ -160,4 +184,4 @@ export function ParticipantInput({ participants, onAdd, onRemove, disabled }: Pa
       )}
     </div>
   );
-}
+});