diff --git a/src/client/components/components-web-view.vala b/src/client/components/components-web-view.vala
index 40101f6f..c2a2b062 100644
--- a/src/client/components/components-web-view.vala
+++ b/src/client/components/components-web-view.vala
@@ -395,6 +395,25 @@ public abstract class Components.WebView : WebKit.WebView, Geary.BaseInterface {
      * Loads a message HTML body into the view.
      */
     public new void load_html(string? body, string? base_uri=null) {
+        this.body = body;
+        // The viewport width will be 0 if the email is loaded before
+        // its WebView is laid out in the widget hierarchy. As a workaround, to
+        // prevent this causing the email being squished down to is minimum
+        // width and hence being stretched right out in height, always load
+        // HTML once view is mapped
+        if (this.get_mapped()) {
+            base.load_html(body, base_uri ?? INTERNAL_URL_BODY);
+        } else {
+            this.map.connect(() => {
+                base.load_html(body, base_uri ?? INTERNAL_URL_BODY);
+            });
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Loads a message HTML body into the view.
+     */
+    public new void load_html_headless(string? body, string? base_uri=null) {
         this.body = body;
         base.load_html(body, base_uri ?? INTERNAL_URL_BODY);
     }
diff --git a/src/client/composer/composer-web-view.vala b/src/client/composer/composer-web-view.vala
index 8ef501b0..abba0d22 100644
--- a/src/client/composer/composer-web-view.vala
+++ b/src/client/composer/composer-web-view.vala
@@ -166,33 +166,21 @@ public class Composer.WebView : Components.WebView {
                               string quote,
                               bool top_posting,
                               bool body_complete) {
-        StringBuilder html = new StringBuilder();
-        string body_class = (this.is_rich_text) ? "" : "plain";
-        html.append(HTML_PRE.printf(body_class));
-        if (!body_complete) {
-            html.append(BODY_PRE.printf(BODY_HTML_ID));
-            bool have_body = !Geary.String.is_empty(body);
-            if (have_body) {
-                html.append(body);
-                html.append(SPACER);
-            }
+        base.load_html(
+            get_internal_html(body, quote, top_posting, body_complete)
+        );
+    }
 
-            if (!top_posting && !Geary.String.is_empty(quote)) {
-                html.append(quote);
-                html.append(SPACER);
-            }
-
-            html.append(CURSOR);
-            html.append(BODY_POST.printf(SIGNATURE_HTML_ID));
-
-            if (top_posting && !Geary.String.is_empty(quote)) {
-                html.append_printf(QUOTE, QUOTE_HTML_ID, quote);
-            }
-        } else {
-            html.append(body);
-        }
-        html.append(HTML_POST);
-        base.load_html((string) html.data);
+    /**
+     * Loads a message HTML body into the view.
+     */
+    public new void load_html_headless(string body,
+                                       string quote,
+                                       bool top_posting,
+                                       bool body_complete) {
+        base.load_html_headless(
+            get_internal_html(body, quote, top_posting, body_complete)
+        );
     }
 
     /**
@@ -518,6 +506,39 @@ public class Composer.WebView : Components.WebView {
         return flowed.str;
     }
 
+    private string get_internal_html(string body,
+                                     string quote,
+                                     bool top_posting,
+                                     bool body_complete) {
+        StringBuilder html = new StringBuilder();
+        string body_class = (this.is_rich_text) ? "" : "plain";
+        html.append(HTML_PRE.printf(body_class));
+        if (!body_complete) {
+            html.append(BODY_PRE.printf(BODY_HTML_ID));
+            bool have_body = !Geary.String.is_empty(body);
+            if (have_body) {
+                html.append(body);
+                html.append(SPACER);
+            }
+
+            if (!top_posting && !Geary.String.is_empty(quote)) {
+                html.append(quote);
+                html.append(SPACER);
+            }
+
+            html.append(CURSOR);
+            html.append(BODY_POST.printf(SIGNATURE_HTML_ID));
+
+            if (top_posting && !Geary.String.is_empty(quote)) {
+                html.append_printf(QUOTE, QUOTE_HTML_ID, quote);
+            }
+        } else {
+            html.append(body);
+        }
+        html.append(HTML_POST);
+        return (string) html.data;
+    }
+
     private void on_cursor_context_changed(GLib.Variant? parameters) {
         if (parameters != null && parameters.classify() == STRING) {
             cursor_context_changed(new EditContext(parameters as string));
diff --git a/test/client/components/components-web-view-test-case.vala b/test/client/components/components-web-view-test-case.vala
index 9f5db70f..8f8f92f7 100644
--- a/test/client/components/components-web-view-test-case.vala
+++ b/test/client/components/components-web-view-test-case.vala
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ public abstract class Components.WebViewTestCase<V> : TestCase {
 
     protected virtual void load_body_fixture(string html = "") {
         WebView client_view = (WebView) this.test_view;
-        client_view.load_html(html);
+        client_view.load_html_headless(html);
         while (!client_view.is_content_loaded) {
             Gtk.main_iteration();
         }
diff --git a/test/client/composer/composer-web-view-test.vala b/test/client/composer/composer-web-view-test.vala
index 8d02f0d2..a1cc2506 100644
--- a/test/client/composer/composer-web-view-test.vala
+++ b/test/client/composer/composer-web-view-test.vala
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long,
     }
 
     protected override void load_body_fixture(string html = "") {
-        this.test_view.load_html(html, "", false, false);
+        this.test_view.load_html_headless(html, "", false, false);
         while (this.test_view.is_loading) {
             Gtk.main_iteration();
         }
diff --git a/test/js/composer-page-state-test.vala b/test/js/composer-page-state-test.vala
index 85634fea..cbb19354 100644
--- a/test/js/composer-page-state-test.vala
+++ b/test/js/composer-page-state-test.vala
@@ -421,7 +421,7 @@ I can send email through smtp.gmail.com:587 or through <a href="https://www.gmai
     protected void load_body_fixture_full(string body,
                                           string quote,
                                           bool top_posting) {
-        this.test_view.load_html(body, quote, top_posting, false);
+        this.test_view.load_html_headless(body, quote, top_posting, false);
         while (this.test_view.is_loading) {
             Gtk.main_iteration();
         }
diff --git a/ui/conversation-web-view.css b/ui/conversation-web-view.css
index d1da2eae..eb11584b 100644
--- a/ui/conversation-web-view.css
+++ b/ui/conversation-web-view.css
@@ -23,15 +23,6 @@ html {
   width: 100vw !important;
   height: max-content !important;
 
-  /* Despite the fact that the width must always be defined by the
-  viewport, the viewport width will be 0 if the email is loaded before
-  its WebView is laid out in the widget hierarchy. As a workaround, to
-  prevent this causing the email being squished down to is minimum
-  width and hence being stretched right out in height, set a
-  reasonable minimum width. See
-  https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/geary/-/issues/283 */
-  min-width: 400px !important;
-
   /* Lock down the box sizing just enough so that the width and height
   constraints above work as expected, and so the element's
   scrollHeight is accurate. */