diff --git a/components/email/email-viewer.tsx b/components/email/email-viewer.tsx
index 6fee7328..2de6340a 100644
--- a/components/email/email-viewer.tsx
+++ b/components/email/email-viewer.tsx
@@ -654,6 +654,7 @@ export function EmailViewer({
   const tDemoWelcome = useTranslations('demo_welcome');
   const tWelcome = useTranslations('welcome');
   const externalContentPolicy = useSettingsStore((state) => state.externalContentPolicy);
+  const messageSpacing = useSettingsStore((state) => state.messageSpacing);
   const mailAttachmentAction = useSettingsStore((state) => state.mailAttachmentAction);
   const attachmentPosition = useSettingsStore((state) => state.attachmentPosition);
   const addTrustedSender = useSettingsStore((state) => state.addTrustedSender);
@@ -2116,9 +2117,21 @@ export function EmailViewer({
     // Word/Outlook HTML emails ship a <style> block but put their gutter in
     // @page margins (print-only), so they need a fallback body padding too.
     const isWordHtml = /class=["']?(?:Mso|WordSection)|<o:p[\s>/]|urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office/i.test(effectiveEmailContent.html);
-    const hasOwnLayout = effectiveEmailContent.hasStyleTag && !isWordHtml;
-    const bodyPadding = hasOwnLayout ? '0' : '1rem 1.25rem';
-    const mobileBodyPaddingX = hasOwnLayout ? '0' : '0.75rem';
+    // "auto" spacing: only drop our gutter when the mail paints a full-bleed
+    // background canvas (a width:100% element carrying a background colour) --
+    // the one case where the gutter shows as a frame around the email's own
+    // background. A <style> tag alone is too weak a signal: plenty of
+    // transactional mails ship one for web fonts yet have no gutter of their
+    // own, and zeroing the padding glues their content to the corner.
+    const emailHtml = effectiveEmailContent.html;
+    const hasFullBleedCanvas =
+      /<(?:table|div|body)\b[^>]*(?:\bwidth\s*=\s*["']?\s*100%|width\s*:\s*100%)[^>]*(?:\bbgcolor\s*=|background(?:-color)?\s*:)/i.test(emailHtml) ||
+      /<(?:table|div|body)\b[^>]*(?:\bbgcolor\s*=|background(?:-color)?\s*:)[^>]*(?:\bwidth\s*=\s*["']?\s*100%|width\s*:\s*100%)/i.test(emailHtml);
+    const autoDropsGutter = effectiveEmailContent.hasStyleTag && !isWordHtml && hasFullBleedCanvas;
+    const dropGutter =
+      messageSpacing === 'edge' || (messageSpacing === 'auto' && autoDropsGutter);
+    const bodyPadding = dropGutter ? '0' : '1rem 1.25rem';
+    const mobileBodyPaddingX = dropGutter ? '0' : '0.75rem';
 
     // Word emails rely on empty <p class=MsoNormal>&nbsp;</p> spacers for vertical
     // rhythm. With our default line-height: 1.6 these stack into oversized gaps;
@@ -2179,7 +2192,7 @@ export function EmailViewer({
   ${wordHtmlCSS}
   ${darkModeCSS}
 </style></head><body>${effectiveEmailContent.html}<style>html,body{height:auto!important;min-height:0!important;max-height:none!important}</style></body></html>`;
-  }, [effectiveEmailContent.html, effectiveEmailContent.isHtml, effectiveEmailContent.hasStyleTag, effectiveEmailContent.externalBlocked, isDark, emailHasNativeDarkMode]);
+  }, [effectiveEmailContent.html, effectiveEmailContent.isHtml, effectiveEmailContent.hasStyleTag, effectiveEmailContent.externalBlocked, isDark, emailHasNativeDarkMode, messageSpacing]);
 
   // Unblocking external content is handled by rebuilding the iframe srcDoc:
   // toggling allowExternalContent (both "Load images" and "Trust sender" set
diff --git a/components/settings/reading-settings.tsx b/components/settings/reading-settings.tsx
index 1a54f8f1..8ce27ab5 100644
--- a/components/settings/reading-settings.tsx
+++ b/components/settings/reading-settings.tsx
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ export function ReadingSettings() {
     hoverActionsCorner,
     hideInlineImageAttachments,
     attachmentImagePreviewsEnabled,
+    messageSpacing,
     updateSetting,
   } = useSettingsStore();
 
@@ -115,6 +116,20 @@ export function ReadingSettings() {
       </SettingItem>
       )}
 
+      {!isSettingHidden('messageSpacing') && (
+      <SettingItem label={t('message_spacing.label')} description={t('message_spacing.description')} locked={isSettingLocked('messageSpacing')}>
+        <Select
+          value={messageSpacing}
+          onChange={(value) => updateSetting('messageSpacing', value as typeof messageSpacing)}
+          options={[
+            { value: 'auto', label: t('message_spacing.auto') },
+            { value: 'always', label: t('message_spacing.always') },
+            { value: 'edge', label: t('message_spacing.edge') },
+          ]}
+        />
+      </SettingItem>
+      )}
+
       {!isSettingHidden('deleteAction') && (
       <SettingItem label={t('delete_action.label')} description={t('delete_action.description')} locked={isSettingLocked('deleteAction')}>
         <div className="flex flex-col gap-2">
diff --git a/locales/en/common.json b/locales/en/common.json
index ca9d8e70..44c37a2b 100644
--- a/locales/en/common.json
+++ b/locales/en/common.json
@@ -1121,6 +1121,13 @@
         "permanent": "Delete Permanently",
         "warning": "Emails will be permanently deleted and cannot be recovered. This action is irreversible."
       },
+      "message_spacing": {
+        "label": "Message Spacing",
+        "description": "Padding around the message body in the reader",
+        "auto": "Auto (recommended)",
+        "always": "Always add spacing",
+        "edge": "Edge to edge"
+      },
       "archive_mode": {
         "label": "Archive in",
         "description": "How to organize emails when archiving",
diff --git a/locales/he/common.json b/locales/he/common.json
index 5529df89..266b25a5 100644
--- a/locales/he/common.json
+++ b/locales/he/common.json
@@ -1070,6 +1070,13 @@
         "warning": "הודעות אימייל יימחקו לצמיתות ולא ניתן לשחזר אותן. פעולה זו היא בלתי הפיכה.",
         "trash_and_read": "העבר לאשפה וסמן כקרא"
       },
+      "message_spacing": {
+        "label": "מרווח סביב ההודעה",
+        "description": "ריווח מסביב לגוף ההודעה בתצוגת הקריאה",
+        "auto": "אוטומטי (מומלץ)",
+        "always": "תמיד להוסיף מרווח",
+        "edge": "מקצה לקצה"
+      },
       "archive_mode": {
         "label": "ארכיון ב",
         "description": "כיצד לארגן מיילים בעת אחסון בארכיון",
diff --git a/stores/settings-store.ts b/stores/settings-store.ts
index fac0807b..cf32971e 100644
--- a/stores/settings-store.ts
+++ b/stores/settings-store.ts
@@ -55,6 +55,14 @@ export type AttachmentPosition = 'beside-sender' | 'below-header';
 export type ToolbarPosition = 'top' | 'below-subject';
 export type ArchiveMode = 'single' | 'year' | 'month';
 export type MailLayout = 'split' | 'focus' | 'horizontal';
+
+/**
+ * Spacing around a message body in the reader.
+ * - 'auto'  : add a gutter unless the email paints its own full-bleed background
+ * - 'always': always add the gutter
+ * - 'edge'  : never add one (render edge-to-edge)
+ */
+export type MessageSpacing = 'auto' | 'always' | 'edge';
 export type CalendarHoverPreview = 'off' | 'instant' | 'delay-500ms' | 'delay-1s' | 'delay-2s';
 export type SendDelaySeconds = 0 | 10 | 30 | 60;
 export type ProtocolOpenMode = 'active-session' | 'new-tab';
@@ -156,6 +164,7 @@ interface SettingsState {
   mailLayout: MailLayout;
   emailsPerPage: number;
   externalContentPolicy: ExternalContentPolicy;
+  messageSpacing: MessageSpacing; // Gutter around the message body in the reader
   mailAttachmentAction: MailAttachmentAction;
   attachmentPosition: AttachmentPosition;
   emailAlwaysLightMode: boolean; // Always render email content in light mode
@@ -378,6 +387,7 @@ const DEFAULT_SETTINGS = {
   mailLayout: 'split' as MailLayout,
   emailsPerPage: 50,
   externalContentPolicy: 'ask' as ExternalContentPolicy,
+  messageSpacing: 'auto' as MessageSpacing,
   mailAttachmentAction: 'preview' as MailAttachmentAction,
   attachmentPosition: 'beside-sender' as AttachmentPosition,
   emailAlwaysLightMode: false,
@@ -591,6 +601,7 @@ export const useSettingsStore = create<SettingsState>()(
           mailLayout: state.mailLayout,
           emailsPerPage: state.emailsPerPage,
           externalContentPolicy: state.externalContentPolicy,
+          messageSpacing: state.messageSpacing,
           mailAttachmentAction: state.mailAttachmentAction,
           attachmentPosition: state.attachmentPosition,
           archiveMode: state.archiveMode,
