diff --git a/internal/cmd/mail_inbox.go b/internal/cmd/mail_inbox.go
index fe86f339..91ca4a51 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/mail_inbox.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/mail_inbox.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package cmd
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
@@ -11,6 +12,23 @@ import (
 	"github.com/steveyegge/gastown/internal/style"
 )
 
+// getMailbox returns the mailbox for the given address.
+func getMailbox(address string) (*mail.Mailbox, error) {
+	// All mail uses town beads (two-level architecture)
+	workDir, err := findMailWorkDir()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("not in a Gas Town workspace: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	// Get mailbox
+	router := mail.NewRouter(workDir)
+	mailbox, err := router.GetMailbox(address)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("getting mailbox: %w", err)
+	}
+	return mailbox, nil
+}
+
 func runMailInbox(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	// Determine which inbox to check (priority: --identity flag, positional arg, auto-detect)
 	address := ""
@@ -22,17 +40,9 @@ func runMailInbox(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		address = detectSender()
 	}
 
-	// All mail uses town beads (two-level architecture)
-	workDir, err := findMailWorkDir()
+	mailbox, err := getMailbox(address)
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("not in a Gas Town workspace: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	// Get mailbox
-	router := mail.NewRouter(workDir)
-	mailbox, err := router.GetMailbox(address)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("getting mailbox: %w", err)
+		return err
 	}
 
 	// Get messages
@@ -93,22 +103,17 @@ func runMailInbox(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 }
 
 func runMailRead(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+	if len(args) == 0 {
+		return errors.New("msgID argument required")
+	}
 	msgID := args[0]
 
 	// Determine which inbox
 	address := detectSender()
 
-	// All mail uses town beads (two-level architecture)
-	workDir, err := findMailWorkDir()
+	mailbox, err := getMailbox(address)
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("not in a Gas Town workspace: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	// Get mailbox and message
-	router := mail.NewRouter(workDir)
-	mailbox, err := router.GetMailbox(address)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("getting mailbox: %w", err)
+		return err
 	}
 
 	msg, err := mailbox.Get(msgID)
@@ -164,15 +169,7 @@ func runMailPeek(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	// Determine which inbox
 	address := detectSender()
 
-	// All mail uses town beads (two-level architecture)
-	workDir, err := findMailWorkDir()
-	if err != nil {
-		return NewSilentExit(1) // Silent exit - no workspace
-	}
-
-	// Get mailbox
-	router := mail.NewRouter(workDir)
-	mailbox, err := router.GetMailbox(address)
+	mailbox, err := getMailbox(address)
 	if err != nil {
 		return NewSilentExit(1) // Silent exit - can't access mailbox
 	}
@@ -220,22 +217,17 @@ func runMailPeek(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 }
 
 func runMailDelete(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+	if len(args) == 0 {
+		return errors.New("msgID argument required")
+	}
 	msgID := args[0]
 
 	// Determine which inbox
 	address := detectSender()
 
-	// All mail uses town beads (two-level architecture)
-	workDir, err := findMailWorkDir()
+	mailbox, err := getMailbox(address)
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("not in a Gas Town workspace: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	// Get mailbox
-	router := mail.NewRouter(workDir)
-	mailbox, err := router.GetMailbox(address)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("getting mailbox: %w", err)
+		return err
 	}
 
 	if err := mailbox.Delete(msgID); err != nil {
@@ -250,17 +242,9 @@ func runMailArchive(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	// Determine which inbox
 	address := detectSender()
 
-	// All mail uses town beads (two-level architecture)
-	workDir, err := findMailWorkDir()
+	mailbox, err := getMailbox(address)
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("not in a Gas Town workspace: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	// Get mailbox
-	router := mail.NewRouter(workDir)
-	mailbox, err := router.GetMailbox(address)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("getting mailbox: %w", err)
+		return err
 	}
 
 	// Archive all specified messages
@@ -296,17 +280,9 @@ func runMailMarkRead(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	// Determine which inbox
 	address := detectSender()
 
-	// All mail uses town beads (two-level architecture)
-	workDir, err := findMailWorkDir()
+	mailbox, err := getMailbox(address)
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("not in a Gas Town workspace: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	// Get mailbox
-	router := mail.NewRouter(workDir)
-	mailbox, err := router.GetMailbox(address)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("getting mailbox: %w", err)
+		return err
 	}
 
 	// Mark all specified messages as read
@@ -342,17 +318,9 @@ func runMailMarkUnread(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	// Determine which inbox
 	address := detectSender()
 
-	// All mail uses town beads (two-level architecture)
-	workDir, err := findMailWorkDir()
+	mailbox, err := getMailbox(address)
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("not in a Gas Town workspace: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	// Get mailbox
-	router := mail.NewRouter(workDir)
-	mailbox, err := router.GetMailbox(address)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("getting mailbox: %w", err)
+		return err
 	}
 
 	// Mark all specified messages as unread
@@ -393,17 +361,9 @@ func runMailClear(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		address = detectSender()
 	}
 
-	// All mail uses town beads (two-level architecture)
-	workDir, err := findMailWorkDir()
+	mailbox, err := getMailbox(address)
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("not in a Gas Town workspace: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	// Get mailbox
-	router := mail.NewRouter(workDir)
-	mailbox, err := router.GetMailbox(address)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("getting mailbox: %w", err)
+		return err
 	}
 
 	// List all messages
@@ -422,6 +382,10 @@ func runMailClear(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	var errors []string
 	for _, msg := range messages {
 		if err := mailbox.Delete(msg.ID); err != nil {
+			// If file is already gone (race condition), ignore it and count as success
+			if os.IsNotExist(err) || strings.Contains(err.Error(), "no such file") {
+				continue
+			}
 			errors = append(errors, fmt.Sprintf("%s: %v", msg.ID, err))
 		} else {
 			deleted++