diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index eabb5bc..a3cf5ff 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 ### Fixed
 - Calendar: display `calendar events` times and JSON local fields in the calendar timezone instead of preserving arbitrary event offsets. (#493)
+- Gmail: apply Gmail system-label filters for searches like `in:spam is:unread` so thread, message, and batch message searches do not return read spam. (#449)
 - Gmail: build outbound `Date` headers with the configured timezone so replies do not inherit a wrong host-local offset. (#514, #472) — thanks @dinakars777.
 - Gmail: preserve renewed watch expiration fields when a long-running `gmail watch serve` process records push delivery state after `gmail watch renew` runs separately. (#526)
 - Gmail: auto-fill draft reply subjects from the original message when `gmail drafts create --reply-to-message-id` omits `--subject`. (#488) — thanks @jbowerbir.
diff --git a/internal/cmd/execute_gmail_messages_search_text_test.go b/internal/cmd/execute_gmail_messages_search_text_test.go
index 163d936..102f823 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/execute_gmail_messages_search_text_test.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/execute_gmail_messages_search_text_test.go
@@ -175,3 +175,49 @@ func TestExecute_GmailMessagesSearch_JSON_IncludeBody(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("expected decoded body, got: %q", out)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestExecute_GmailMessagesSearch_AppliesSystemLabelFilters(t *testing.T) {
+	origNew := newGmailService
+	t.Cleanup(func() { newGmailService = origNew })
+
+	var gotQuery string
+	var gotLabels []string
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		path := r.URL.Path
+		switch {
+		case strings.Contains(path, "/users/me/messages") && !strings.Contains(path, "/users/me/messages/"):
+			gotQuery = r.URL.Query().Get("q")
+			gotLabels = r.URL.Query()["labelIds"]
+			w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+			_ = json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(map[string]any{
+				"messages": []map[string]any{},
+			})
+			return
+		default:
+			http.NotFound(w, r)
+			return
+		}
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	svc, err := gmail.NewService(context.Background(),
+		option.WithoutAuthentication(),
+		option.WithHTTPClient(srv.Client()),
+		option.WithEndpoint(srv.URL+"/"),
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("NewService: %v", err)
+	}
+	newGmailService = func(context.Context, string) (*gmail.Service, error) { return svc, nil }
+
+	_ = captureStderr(t, func() {
+		if err := Execute([]string{"--account", "a@b.com", "gmail", "messages", "search", "in:spam is:unread", "--max", "1000"}); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Execute: %v", err)
+		}
+	})
+
+	if gotQuery != "in:spam is:unread" {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected query: %q", gotQuery)
+	}
+	assertSameStrings(t, gotLabels, []string{"SPAM", "UNREAD"})
+}
diff --git a/internal/cmd/execute_gmail_search_text_test.go b/internal/cmd/execute_gmail_search_text_test.go
index 6f4e1c7..dc4a237 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/execute_gmail_search_text_test.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/execute_gmail_search_text_test.go
@@ -127,3 +127,49 @@ func TestExecute_GmailSearch_Text_NoResults(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("unexpected stderr: %q", errOut)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestExecute_GmailSearch_AppliesSystemLabelFilters(t *testing.T) {
+	origNew := newGmailService
+	t.Cleanup(func() { newGmailService = origNew })
+
+	var gotQuery string
+	var gotLabels []string
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		path := r.URL.Path
+		switch {
+		case strings.Contains(path, "/users/me/threads") && !strings.Contains(path, "/users/me/threads/"):
+			gotQuery = r.URL.Query().Get("q")
+			gotLabels = r.URL.Query()["labelIds"]
+			w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+			_ = json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(map[string]any{
+				"threads": []map[string]any{},
+			})
+			return
+		default:
+			http.NotFound(w, r)
+			return
+		}
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	svc, err := gmail.NewService(context.Background(),
+		option.WithoutAuthentication(),
+		option.WithHTTPClient(srv.Client()),
+		option.WithEndpoint(srv.URL+"/"),
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("NewService: %v", err)
+	}
+	newGmailService = func(context.Context, string) (*gmail.Service, error) { return svc, nil }
+
+	_ = captureStderr(t, func() {
+		if err := Execute([]string{"--account", "a@b.com", "gmail", "search", "in:spam is:unread", "--max", "1000"}); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Execute: %v", err)
+		}
+	})
+
+	if gotQuery != "in:spam is:unread" {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected query: %q", gotQuery)
+	}
+	assertSameStrings(t, gotLabels, []string{"SPAM", "UNREAD"})
+}
diff --git a/internal/cmd/gmail_archive.go b/internal/cmd/gmail_archive.go
index 692018c..1a9d2ba 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/gmail_archive.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/gmail_archive.go
@@ -177,6 +177,9 @@ func searchMessageIDs(ctx context.Context, svc *gmail.Service, query string, lim
 			MaxResults(batchSize).
 			Fields("messages(id),nextPageToken").
 			Context(ctx)
+		if labelIDs := gmailQuerySystemLabelIDs(query); len(labelIDs) > 0 {
+			call = call.LabelIds(labelIDs...)
+		}
 		if pageToken != "" {
 			call = call.PageToken(pageToken)
 		}
diff --git a/internal/cmd/gmail_messages.go b/internal/cmd/gmail_messages.go
index 18c16cc..0298dd0 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/gmail_messages.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/gmail_messages.go
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ func (c *GmailMessagesSearchCmd) Run(ctx context.Context, flags *RootFlags) erro
 			MaxResults(c.Max).
 			Fields("messages(id,threadId),nextPageToken").
 			Context(ctx)
+		if labelIDs := gmailQuerySystemLabelIDs(query); len(labelIDs) > 0 {
+			call = call.LabelIds(labelIDs...)
+		}
 		if strings.TrimSpace(pageToken) != "" {
 			call = call.PageToken(pageToken)
 		}
diff --git a/internal/cmd/gmail_search.go b/internal/cmd/gmail_search.go
index 47c5a78..b09a319 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/gmail_search.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/gmail_search.go
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ func (c *GmailSearchCmd) Run(ctx context.Context, flags *RootFlags) error {
 			Q(query).
 			MaxResults(c.Max).
 			Context(ctx)
+		if labelIDs := gmailQuerySystemLabelIDs(query); len(labelIDs) > 0 {
+			call = call.LabelIds(labelIDs...)
+		}
 		if strings.TrimSpace(pageToken) != "" {
 			call = call.PageToken(pageToken)
 		}
diff --git a/internal/cmd/gmail_search_labels.go b/internal/cmd/gmail_search_labels.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..75e5486
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/cmd/gmail_search_labels.go
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+)
+
+const (
+	gmailSystemLabelUnread    = "UNREAD"
+	gmailSystemLabelStarred   = "STARRED"
+	gmailSystemLabelImportant = "IMPORTANT"
+	gmailSystemLabelInbox     = "INBOX"
+	gmailSystemLabelSent      = "SENT"
+	gmailSystemLabelDraft     = "DRAFT"
+	gmailSystemLabelSpam      = "SPAM"
+	gmailSystemLabelTrash     = "TRASH"
+)
+
+func gmailQuerySystemLabelIDs(query string) []string {
+	fields := strings.Fields(query)
+	for _, field := range fields {
+		token := strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(field))
+		if token == "or" || strings.ContainsAny(token, "{}") {
+			return nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	var labels []string
+	seen := map[string]bool{}
+	for _, field := range fields {
+		token := strings.ToLower(strings.Trim(field, `"'(),[]`))
+		if token == "" || strings.HasPrefix(token, "-") {
+			continue
+		}
+		if labelID := gmailQuerySystemLabelID(token); labelID != "" && !seen[labelID] {
+			seen[labelID] = true
+			labels = append(labels, labelID)
+		}
+	}
+	return labels
+}
+
+func gmailQuerySystemLabelID(token string) string {
+	switch token {
+	case "is:unread", "label:unread":
+		return gmailSystemLabelUnread
+	case "is:starred", "label:starred":
+		return gmailSystemLabelStarred
+	case "is:important", "label:important":
+		return gmailSystemLabelImportant
+	case "in:inbox", "label:inbox":
+		return gmailSystemLabelInbox
+	case "in:sent", "label:sent":
+		return gmailSystemLabelSent
+	case "in:draft", "in:drafts", "label:draft", "label:drafts":
+		return gmailSystemLabelDraft
+	case "in:spam", "is:spam", "label:spam":
+		return gmailSystemLabelSpam
+	case "in:trash", "label:trash":
+		return gmailSystemLabelTrash
+	case "category:primary":
+		return "CATEGORY_PERSONAL"
+	case "category:social":
+		return "CATEGORY_SOCIAL"
+	case "category:promotions":
+		return "CATEGORY_PROMOTIONS"
+	case "category:updates":
+		return "CATEGORY_UPDATES"
+	case "category:forums":
+		return "CATEGORY_FORUMS"
+	default:
+		return ""
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/cmd/testutil_test.go b/internal/cmd/testutil_test.go
index ef0a533..cf51e4f 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/testutil_test.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/testutil_test.go
@@ -123,6 +123,24 @@ func captureStderr(t *testing.T, fn func()) string {
 	return buf.String()
 }
 
+func assertSameStrings(t *testing.T, got, want []string) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	if len(got) != len(want) {
+		t.Fatalf("got %v, want %v", got, want)
+	}
+	seen := make(map[string]int, len(got))
+	for _, v := range got {
+		seen[v]++
+	}
+	for _, v := range want {
+		seen[v]--
+		if seen[v] < 0 {
+			t.Fatalf("got %v, want %v", got, want)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func withStdin(t *testing.T, input string, fn func()) {
 	t.Helper()