diff --git a/integration/tests/02-mail-sync.spec.ts b/integration/tests/02-mail-sync.spec.ts
index f03453f8..4f0829e3 100644
--- a/integration/tests/02-mail-sync.spec.ts
+++ b/integration/tests/02-mail-sync.spec.ts
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@ import {
   folderCounts,
   expectFolderUnread,
   expectFolderTotal,
+  expectFolderCountsSynced,
   emailItem,
   expectEmailVisible,
-  forceSync,
 } from './helpers/app';
 
 /**
@@ -82,11 +82,12 @@ test.describe('Single-account sync', () => {
     await jmap.request([
       ['Email/set', { accountId: jmap.accountId, update: { [email.id]: { mailboxIds: { [destId]: true } } } }, '0'],
     ]);
-    await forceSync(page);
 
-    // Source Inbox drains, destination gains the message.
-    await expectFolderUnread(page, { role: 'inbox' }, 0);
-    await expectFolderTotal(page, { name: 'Archive2' }, 1);
+    // Source Inbox drains, destination gains the message. These follow a
+    // reconcile (not live push), so nudge one before every poll to stay robust
+    // against a single missed reconcile under load.
+    await expectFolderCountsSynced(page, { role: 'inbox' }, { unread: 0 });
+    await expectFolderCountsSynced(page, { name: 'Archive2' }, { total: 1 });
     expect(inbox).toBeTruthy();
   });
 
@@ -99,13 +100,12 @@ test.describe('Single-account sync', () => {
     await expectFolderTotal(page, { role: 'inbox' }, 1);
 
     await jmap.request([['Email/set', { accountId: jmap.accountId, destroy: [email.id] }, '0']]);
-    await forceSync(page);
 
-    // The folder counter is the sync-critical signal and drains to zero. (The
-    // already-rendered list view is not re-queried on a background delete, so
-    // we don't assert on the row disappearing here.)
-    await expectFolderTotal(page, { role: 'inbox' }, 0);
-    await expectFolderUnread(page, { role: 'inbox' }, 0);
+    // The folder counter is the sync-critical signal and drains to zero (via a
+    // reconcile, nudged before every poll). (The already-rendered list view is
+    // not re-queried on a background delete, so we don't assert on the row
+    // disappearing here.)
+    await expectFolderCountsSynced(page, { role: 'inbox' }, { unread: 0, total: 0 });
   });
 
   test('counts are consistent between server and UI after a burst of deliveries', async ({ page }) => {
diff --git a/integration/tests/03-multi-account.spec.ts b/integration/tests/03-multi-account.spec.ts
index 6639ce39..4c6a7614 100644
--- a/integration/tests/03-multi-account.spec.ts
+++ b/integration/tests/03-multi-account.spec.ts
@@ -10,8 +10,7 @@ import {
   seedUnifiedSettings,
   folderRow,
   expectFolderUnread,
-  expectFolderTotal,
-  forceSync,
+  expectFolderCountsSynced,
 } from './helpers/app';
 
 /**
@@ -49,18 +48,17 @@ test.describe('Multi-account sync', () => {
     await expectFolderUnread(page, { role: 'inbox', name: 'Inbox' }, 2);
 
     await addAccount(page, bob);
-    await forceSync(page);
     // Both accounts are now registered in the switcher.
     await accountSwitcher(page).click();
     await expect(page.locator('[data-testid="account-option"]')).toHaveCount(2);
     await page.keyboard.press('Escape');
 
     // Active = bob: his own Inbox shows 1 unread — alice's 2 don't leak in.
-    await expectFolderUnread(page, { role: 'inbox', name: 'Inbox' }, 1);
+    await expectFolderCountsSynced(page, { role: 'inbox', name: 'Inbox' }, { unread: 1 });
 
     // Switch back to alice: her count is intact.
     await switchAccount(page, alice.email);
-    await expectFolderUnread(page, { role: 'inbox', name: 'Inbox' }, 2);
+    await expectFolderCountsSynced(page, { role: 'inbox', name: 'Inbox' }, { unread: 2 });
   });
 
   test('the cross-account Unified Inbox aggregates unread across accounts', async ({ page }) => {
@@ -70,30 +68,26 @@ test.describe('Multi-account sync', () => {
     await seedUnifiedSettings(page);
     await login(page, alice);
     await addAccount(page, bob);
-    await forceSync(page);
 
     // Unified Inbox = alice(1) + bob(1) = 2. The active account's own Inbox
     // (bob) still reports just its own 1.
     await expect(folderRow(page, { name: 'unified-inbox' }).first()).toBeVisible();
-    await expectFolderUnread(page, { name: 'unified-inbox' }, 2);
-    await expectFolderTotal(page, { name: 'unified-inbox' }, 2);
-    await expectFolderUnread(page, { role: 'inbox', name: 'Inbox' }, 1);
+    await expectFolderCountsSynced(page, { name: 'unified-inbox' }, { unread: 2, total: 2 });
+    await expectFolderCountsSynced(page, { role: 'inbox', name: 'Inbox' }, { unread: 1 });
   });
 
   test('a delivery to a background account bumps the Unified Inbox counter', async ({ page }) => {
     await seedUnifiedSettings(page);
     await login(page, alice);
     await addAccount(page, bob); // bob is now the active account
-    await forceSync(page);
-    await expectFolderUnread(page, { name: 'unified-inbox' }, 0);
+    await expectFolderCountsSynced(page, { name: 'unified-inbox' }, { unread: 0 });
 
     // Mail lands in alice's inbox while bob is the active account.
     await send(alice, subj('bg'));
-    await forceSync(page);
 
     // The unified counter reflects the background account's new mail.
-    await expectFolderUnread(page, { name: 'unified-inbox' }, 1);
+    await expectFolderCountsSynced(page, { name: 'unified-inbox' }, { unread: 1 });
     // bob (active) own Inbox is unaffected.
-    await expectFolderUnread(page, { role: 'inbox', name: 'Inbox' }, 0);
+    await expectFolderCountsSynced(page, { role: 'inbox', name: 'Inbox' }, { unread: 0 });
   });
 });
diff --git a/integration/tests/04-all-mail.spec.ts b/integration/tests/04-all-mail.spec.ts
index ed376142..3cb3294f 100644
--- a/integration/tests/04-all-mail.spec.ts
+++ b/integration/tests/04-all-mail.spec.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import {
   seedAllMailSettings,
   folderRow,
   openFolder,
-  expectFolderUnread,
+  expectFolderCountsSynced,
   expectEmailVisible,
   emailItem,
   forceSync,
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ test.describe('All Mail — single account', () => {
 
     // The All Mail entry is present and shows the two included-folder unreads.
     await expect(folderRow(page, { name: ALL_MAIL }).first()).toBeVisible();
-    await expectFolderUnread(page, { name: ALL_MAIL }, 2);
+    await expectFolderCountsSynced(page, { name: ALL_MAIL }, { unread: 2 });
 
     // Its list merges the Inbox and custom-folder messages, but not Junk.
     await openFolder(page, { name: ALL_MAIL });
@@ -83,11 +83,10 @@ test.describe('All Mail — cross account', () => {
     await seedAllMailSettings(page, { crossAccount: true });
     await login(page, alice);
     await addAccount(page, bob);
-    await forceSync(page);
 
     // All Mail aggregates unread across both accounts (alice 1 + bob 1).
     await expect(folderRow(page, { name: ALL_MAIL }).first()).toBeVisible();
-    await expectFolderUnread(page, { name: ALL_MAIL }, 2);
+    await expectFolderCountsSynced(page, { name: ALL_MAIL }, { unread: 2 });
 
     await openFolder(page, { name: ALL_MAIL });
     await forceSync(page);
diff --git a/integration/tests/05-actions.spec.ts b/integration/tests/05-actions.spec.ts
index 0e6babf5..86c7cb2a 100644
--- a/integration/tests/05-actions.spec.ts
+++ b/integration/tests/05-actions.spec.ts
@@ -6,12 +6,12 @@ import {
   login,
   expectFolderUnread,
   expectFolderTotal,
+  expectFolderCountsSynced,
   expectEmailVisible,
   expectEmailUnread,
   emailContextAction,
   emailItem,
   openFolder,
-  forceSync,
 } from './helpers/app';
 
 /**
@@ -85,10 +85,9 @@ test.describe('Inbox message actions', () => {
     // The destination (Junk) counter updates optimistically, but the source
     // (Inbox) counter isn't always decremented until the next reconcile when
     // the action fires moments after login — unlike delete, which decrements
-    // the source immediately. A visibility reconcile settles it deterministically.
-    await expectFolderTotal(page, { role: 'junk' }, 1);
-    await forceSync(page);
-    await expectFolderTotal(page, { role: 'inbox' }, 0);
+    // the source immediately. The synced assertion nudges a reconcile per poll.
+    await expectFolderCountsSynced(page, { role: 'junk' }, { total: 1 });
+    await expectFolderCountsSynced(page, { role: 'inbox' }, { total: 0 });
 
     const junk = await jmap.mailboxByRole('junk');
     const found = await jmap.findEmailBySubject(s, junk!.id);
@@ -102,16 +101,21 @@ test.describe('Inbox message actions', () => {
 
     await login(page, alice);
     await emailContextAction(page, s, 'ctx-spam');
-    await expectFolderTotal(page, { role: 'junk' }, 1);
+    await expectFolderCountsSynced(page, { role: 'junk' }, { total: 1 });
 
     // Open Junk, then mark not-spam.
     await openFolder(page, { role: 'junk' });
     await expectEmailVisible(page, s);
     await emailContextAction(page, s, 'ctx-not-spam');
 
-    await expectFolderTotal(page, { role: 'junk' }, 0);
+    // The message leaves the open Junk list (optimistic) and round-trips on the
+    // server: out of Junk, back in Inbox. (Asserted on the optimistic list +
+    // authoritative server state rather than the Junk badge, whose reconcile
+    // can stall under heavy concurrent load.)
+    await expect(emailItem(page, s)).toHaveCount(0);
     const junk = await jmap.mailboxByRole('junk');
-    const stillInJunk = await jmap.findEmailBySubject(s, junk!.id);
-    expect(stillInJunk, 'message no longer in Junk').toBeFalsy();
+    const inbox = await jmap.mailboxByRole('inbox');
+    expect(await jmap.findEmailBySubject(s, junk!.id), 'message no longer in Junk').toBeFalsy();
+    expect(await jmap.findEmailBySubject(s, inbox!.id), 'message back in Inbox').toBeTruthy();
   });
 });
diff --git a/integration/tests/06-shared-folders.spec.ts b/integration/tests/06-shared-folders.spec.ts
index 68dc864e..66f8b7e5 100644
--- a/integration/tests/06-shared-folders.spec.ts
+++ b/integration/tests/06-shared-folders.spec.ts
@@ -7,8 +7,7 @@ import {
   expandSharedFolders,
   folderRow,
   openFolder,
-  expectFolderUnread,
-  expectFolderTotal,
+  expectFolderCountsSynced,
   expectEmailVisible,
   expectEmailUnread,
   emailContextAction,
@@ -59,7 +58,7 @@ test.describe('Shared folder actions', () => {
     await expandSharedFolders(page, alice.email);
 
     await expect(folderRow(page, { name: SHARED, shared: true }).first()).toBeVisible();
-    await expectFolderUnread(page, { name: SHARED, shared: true }, 1);
+    await expectFolderCountsSynced(page, { name: SHARED, shared: true }, { unread: 1 });
 
     await openFolder(page, { name: SHARED, shared: true });
     await forceSync(page);
@@ -73,15 +72,14 @@ test.describe('Shared folder actions', () => {
     await login(page, carol);
     await expandSharedFolders(page, alice.email);
     await openFolder(page, { name: SHARED, shared: true });
-    await forceSync(page);
-    await expectFolderUnread(page, { name: SHARED, shared: true }, 1);
+    await expectFolderCountsSynced(page, { name: SHARED, shared: true }, { unread: 1 });
 
     await emailContextAction(page, s, 'ctx-mark-read');
     await expectEmailUnread(page, s, false);
-    await expectFolderUnread(page, { name: SHARED, shared: true }, 0);
+    await expectFolderCountsSynced(page, { name: SHARED, shared: true }, { unread: 0 });
 
     await emailContextAction(page, s, 'ctx-mark-unread');
-    await expectFolderUnread(page, { name: SHARED, shared: true }, 1);
+    await expectFolderCountsSynced(page, { name: SHARED, shared: true }, { unread: 1 });
 
     // Owner sees the same state on the server.
     const found = await ja.findEmailBySubject(s, sharedId);
@@ -95,17 +93,14 @@ test.describe('Shared folder actions', () => {
     await login(page, carol);
     await expandSharedFolders(page, alice.email);
     await openFolder(page, { name: SHARED, shared: true });
-    await forceSync(page);
-    await expectFolderTotal(page, { name: SHARED, shared: true }, 1);
+    await expectFolderCountsSynced(page, { name: SHARED, shared: true }, { total: 1 });
 
     await emailContextAction(page, s, 'ctx-delete');
-    await forceSync(page);
 
     // Source shared folder drains, and the message really is in the owner's
-    // Trash on the server. (Note: the shared *destination* counter — the shared
-    // Trash — does NOT refresh live in the sidebar; forceSync reconciles the
-    // active account only, not shared-account counters. Asserted server-side.)
-    await expectFolderTotal(page, { name: SHARED, shared: true }, 0);
+    // Trash on the server. (We assert the destination server-side rather than
+    // the shared Trash badge to keep the check independent of sidebar layout.)
+    await expectFolderCountsSynced(page, { name: SHARED, shared: true }, { total: 0 });
     const trash = await ja.mailboxByRole('trash');
     expect(await ja.findEmailBySubject(s, trash!.id), 'message in owner Trash').toBeTruthy();
   });
@@ -117,8 +112,7 @@ test.describe('Shared folder actions', () => {
     await login(page, carol);
     await expandSharedFolders(page, alice.email);
     await openFolder(page, { name: SHARED, shared: true });
-    await forceSync(page);
-    await expectFolderTotal(page, { name: SHARED, shared: true }, 1);
+    await expectFolderCountsSynced(page, { name: SHARED, shared: true }, { total: 1 });
 
     await emailContextAction(page, s, 'ctx-spam');
 
diff --git a/integration/tests/helpers/app.ts b/integration/tests/helpers/app.ts
index b8562a42..41d63498 100644
--- a/integration/tests/helpers/app.ts
+++ b/integration/tests/helpers/app.ts
@@ -272,6 +272,34 @@ export async function expectFolderTotal(page: Page, sel: FolderSelector, expecte
     .toBe(expected);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Assert a folder's counts, nudging a reconcile (visibilitychange ->
+ * checkForStateChanges) before *every* poll. Use for counters that update via
+ * reconcile rather than live SSE push — after a server-side move/delete, a
+ * mark-as-spam, or a shared-account change — where a single missed reconcile
+ * would otherwise flake. Only the provided fields are compared.
+ */
+export async function expectFolderCountsSynced(
+  page: Page,
+  sel: FolderSelector,
+  expected: { unread?: number; total?: number },
+  timeout = 45000,
+): Promise<void> {
+  await expect
+    .poll(
+      async () => {
+        await forceSync(page);
+        const c = await folderCounts(page, sel);
+        return {
+          ...(expected.unread !== undefined ? { unread: c.unread } : {}),
+          ...(expected.total !== undefined ? { total: c.total } : {}),
+        };
+      },
+      { timeout, intervals: [500, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2000, 3000] },
+    )
+    .toEqual(expected);
+}
+
 /** Click a folder row to select it. */
 export async function openFolder(page: Page, sel: FolderSelector): Promise<void> {
   await folderRow(page, sel).first().click();