diff --git a/components/mail/mail-app.tsx b/components/mail/mail-app.tsx
index 85b7036b..021bdcfa 100644
--- a/components/mail/mail-app.tsx
+++ b/components/mail/mail-app.tsx
@@ -2235,6 +2235,20 @@ export function MailApp({ linkSegments }: MailAppProps = {}) {
   // Pro sidebar: user clicked a folder under a specific account group.
   // accountId === null means the active account; non-null means a viewing
   // override that fetches via that account's JMAP client.
+  // When "Clear search when switching folders" is on, a folder click drops
+  // any active text query + advanced filters and browses the folder instead
+  // of re-running the search there (#553 is the default: search follows you
+  // across folders). Returns true when it cleared, so the caller browses
+  // rather than re-searching. Reads the current query/filters from the
+  // closure to decide whether there was anything to clear.
+  const clearSearchIfFolderChangeResets = (): boolean => {
+    if (!useSettingsStore.getState().clearSearchOnFolderChange) return false;
+    if (isFilterEmpty(searchFilters) && !searchQuery) return false;
+    setSearchQuery("");
+    clearSearchFilters();
+    return true;
+  };
+
   const handleAccountMailboxSelect = async (accountId: string | null, mailboxId: string) => {
     const viewingClient = accountId
       ? useAuthStore.getState().getClientForAccount(accountId) ?? client
@@ -2249,11 +2263,13 @@ export function MailApp({ linkSegments }: MailAppProps = {}) {
       setTabletListVisible(true);
     }
     if (viewingClient) {
-      // Keep an active search applied when switching folders (#553); the
-      // store actions resolve the viewing account's client internally.
-      if (!isFilterEmpty(searchFilters)) {
+      // Keep an active search applied when switching folders (#553), unless
+      // the user opted to reset search on folder change. The store actions
+      // resolve the viewing account's client internally.
+      const searchCleared = clearSearchIfFolderChangeResets();
+      if (!searchCleared && !isFilterEmpty(searchFilters)) {
         await advancedSearch(viewingClient);
-      } else if (searchQuery) {
+      } else if (!searchCleared && searchQuery) {
         await searchEmails(viewingClient, searchQuery);
       } else {
         await fetchEmails(viewingClient, mailboxId);
@@ -2300,9 +2316,10 @@ export function MailApp({ linkSegments }: MailAppProps = {}) {
       }
 
       const populated = await buildPopulatedUnifiedAccounts();
+      const searchCleared = clearSearchIfFolderChangeResets();
       // Keep an active search across the switch and re-run it in this view
       // (mirrors normal mailboxes), preserving advanced filters; otherwise browse.
-      if (client && (!isFilterEmpty(searchFilters) || searchQuery)) {
+      if (client && !searchCleared && (!isFilterEmpty(searchFilters) || searchQuery)) {
         useEmailStore.setState({ isUnifiedView: true, unifiedRole: role, crossView: null });
         if (!isFilterEmpty(searchFilters)) {
           await advancedSearch(client);
@@ -2333,9 +2350,10 @@ export function MailApp({ linkSegments }: MailAppProps = {}) {
       }
 
       const populated = await buildPopulatedUnifiedAccounts();
+      const searchCleared = clearSearchIfFolderChangeResets();
       // Keep an active search across the switch and re-run it in this view
       // (mirrors normal mailboxes), preserving advanced filters; otherwise browse.
-      if (client && (!isFilterEmpty(searchFilters) || searchQuery)) {
+      if (client && !searchCleared && (!isFilterEmpty(searchFilters) || searchQuery)) {
         useEmailStore.setState({ isUnifiedView: true, crossView: view, unifiedRole: null });
         if (!isFilterEmpty(searchFilters)) {
           await advancedSearch(client);
@@ -2369,13 +2387,15 @@ export function MailApp({ linkSegments }: MailAppProps = {}) {
     }
 
     if (client) {
-      // If there's an active search, re-run it in the new mailbox. Advanced
-      // filters must go through advancedSearch (which also includes the text
-      // query) — falling back to fetchEmails would silently drop them while
-      // the UI still shows them as active (#553).
-      if (!isFilterEmpty(searchFilters)) {
+      // If there's an active search, re-run it in the new mailbox unless the
+      // user opted to reset search on folder change. Advanced filters must go
+      // through advancedSearch (which also includes the text query) — falling
+      // back to fetchEmails would silently drop them while the UI still shows
+      // them as active (#553).
+      const searchCleared = clearSearchIfFolderChangeResets();
+      if (!searchCleared && !isFilterEmpty(searchFilters)) {
         await advancedSearch(client);
-      } else if (searchQuery) {
+      } else if (!searchCleared && searchQuery) {
         await searchEmails(client, searchQuery);
       } else {
         await fetchEmails(client, mailboxId);
diff --git a/components/settings/reading-settings.tsx b/components/settings/reading-settings.tsx
index 0c959e0d..a2d1c98c 100644
--- a/components/settings/reading-settings.tsx
+++ b/components/settings/reading-settings.tsx
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ export function ReadingSettings() {
     deleteAction,
     permanentlyDeleteJunk,
     returnToListAfterAction,
+    clearSearchOnFolderChange,
     showPreview,
     mailLayout,
     disableThreading,
@@ -213,6 +214,13 @@ export function ReadingSettings() {
         />
       </SettingItem>
 
+      <SettingItem label={t('clear_search_on_folder_change.label')} description={t('clear_search_on_folder_change.description')}>
+        <ToggleSwitch
+          checked={clearSearchOnFolderChange}
+          onChange={(checked) => updateSetting('clearSearchOnFolderChange', checked)}
+        />
+      </SettingItem>
+
       {!isSettingHidden('showPreview') && (
       <SettingItem
         label={t('show_preview.label')}
diff --git a/locales/en/common.json b/locales/en/common.json
index 9280dc65..dcb1a3f1 100644
--- a/locales/en/common.json
+++ b/locales/en/common.json
@@ -1389,6 +1389,10 @@
         "label": "Return to list after delete or mark unread",
         "description": "After deleting or marking the open message unread, go back to the message list instead of opening the next message."
       },
+      "clear_search_on_folder_change": {
+        "label": "Clear search when switching folders",
+        "description": "Clicking a folder (Inbox, Sent, …) clears the active search and browses that folder. When off, the search stays applied and re-runs in the folder you switch to."
+      },
       "rtl_editing": {
         "label": "Right-to-left editing support",
         "description": "Adds a direction button to the composer toolbar so you can set paragraphs left-to-right or right-to-left"
diff --git a/stores/settings-store.ts b/stores/settings-store.ts
index d770be92..2756ed85 100644
--- a/stores/settings-store.ts
+++ b/stores/settings-store.ts
@@ -311,6 +311,7 @@ interface SettingsState {
   deleteAction: DeleteAction;
   permanentlyDeleteJunk: boolean; // Permanently delete emails from junk/spam instead of moving to trash
   returnToListAfterAction: boolean; // After delete / mark-unread in an open message, return to the list instead of opening the next message
+  clearSearchOnFolderChange: boolean; // Reset the search query + advanced filters when switching folders, instead of re-running the search in the newly selected folder (#553 keeps it applied when this is off)
   showPreview: boolean;
   mailLayout: MailLayout;
   emailsPerPage: number;
@@ -542,6 +543,7 @@ const DEFAULT_SETTINGS = {
   deleteAction: 'trash' as DeleteAction,
   permanentlyDeleteJunk: false,
   returnToListAfterAction: true,
+  clearSearchOnFolderChange: false,
   showPreview: true,
   mailLayout: 'split' as MailLayout,
   emailsPerPage: 50,
@@ -762,6 +764,7 @@ export const useSettingsStore = create<SettingsState>()(
           markAsReadDelay: state.markAsReadDelay,
           deleteAction: state.deleteAction,
           returnToListAfterAction: state.returnToListAfterAction,
+          clearSearchOnFolderChange: state.clearSearchOnFolderChange,
           showPreview: state.showPreview,
           mailLayout: state.mailLayout,
           emailsPerPage: state.emailsPerPage,