diff --git a/src/channels/email/smtp-imap/SmtpImapChannelHost.ts b/src/channels/email/smtp-imap/SmtpImapChannelHost.ts
index 8d61be2..45e5360 100644
--- a/src/channels/email/smtp-imap/SmtpImapChannelHost.ts
+++ b/src/channels/email/smtp-imap/SmtpImapChannelHost.ts
@@ -128,15 +128,8 @@ export class SmtpImapChannelHost {
     if (oauth2?.accessToken && oauth2.accessTokenExpiry && Date.now() >= oauth2.accessTokenExpiry) {
       logger.info({ channelProviderId }, 'SMTP/IMAP outgoing: OAuth2 token expired, refreshing inline');
       await this.oauth2TokenRefreshService.refreshProvider(channelProviderId);
-      const refreshedRawConfig = await this.secretRefUtils.resolveObject(providerRecord.config as Record<string, unknown>);
-      const refreshedResult = smtpImapChannelProviderConfigSchema.safeParse(refreshedRawConfig);
-      if (refreshedResult.success) {
-        configResult.data = refreshedResult.data;
-      }
     }
 
-    const { oauth2: refreshedOAuth2 } = configResult.data;
-
     let resolvedStageId = body.stageId ?? queryStageId;
     if (!resolvedStageId) {
       const project = await this.projectService.getProjectById(projectId, SYSTEM_CONTEXT);
@@ -174,12 +167,12 @@ export class SmtpImapChannelHost {
       threadingStrategy ?? 'messageId',
       this.sessionManager,
       subject,
+      channelProviderId,
       smtp.host,
       smtp.port,
       smtp.secure,
       smtp.auth.user,
       smtp.auth.pass,
-      refreshedOAuth2?.accessToken,
     );
 
     try {
@@ -243,6 +236,7 @@ export class SmtpImapChannelHost {
     keySettings: Record<string, unknown> | null,
     fromAddress: string,
     threadingStrategy: 'messageId' | 'senderSubject',
+    providerId: string,
     smtpHost: string,
     smtpPort: number,
     smtpSecure: boolean,
@@ -256,7 +250,6 @@ export class SmtpImapChannelHost {
     references: string | string[] | undefined,
     stageId: string | undefined,
     agentId: string | undefined,
-    oauth2AccessToken: string | undefined,
   ): Promise<void> {
     const replyConversationId = extractConversationIdFromMessageId(inReplyTo) ?? extractConversationIdFromReferences(references);
     logger.info({ projectId, from: senderEmail, inReplyTo, references, replyConversationId }, 'SMTP/IMAP: inbound email threading headers');
@@ -286,12 +279,12 @@ export class SmtpImapChannelHost {
       threadingStrategy ?? 'messageId',
       this.sessionManager,
       subject ?? 'Re: Conversation',
+      providerId,
       smtpHost,
       smtpPort,
       smtpSecure,
       smtpAuthUser,
       smtpAuthPass,
-      oauth2AccessToken,
     );
 
     try {
diff --git a/src/channels/email/smtp-imap/SmtpImapConnection.ts b/src/channels/email/smtp-imap/SmtpImapConnection.ts
index cda0a7e..49458db 100644
--- a/src/channels/email/smtp-imap/SmtpImapConnection.ts
+++ b/src/channels/email/smtp-imap/SmtpImapConnection.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
+import { eq } from 'drizzle-orm';
+import { container } from 'tsyringe';
 import type { Session, SessionManager } from '../../SessionManager';
 import type { CALOutputMessage } from '../../messages';
 import * as nodemailer from 'nodemailer';
+import { db } from '../../../db';
+import { providers } from '../../../db/schema';
 import { EmailConnectionBase, type EmailHeaders } from '../shared/EmailConnectionBase';
 import { extractDomainFromEmail, generateEmailMessageId } from '../shared/MessageIdUtils';
 import { logger } from '../../../utils/logger';
+import { smtpImapChannelProviderConfigSchema } from '../../../services/providers/channel/SmtpImapChannelProvider';
 
 export class SmtpImapConnection extends EmailConnectionBase {
   readonly connectionType = 'smtp_imap' as const;
@@ -17,6 +22,7 @@ export class SmtpImapConnection extends EmailConnectionBase {
   private inboundMessageId: string | undefined;
   private referencesChain: string[] = [];
   private skipNextEmail = false;
+  private cachedOAuth2Token: string | undefined;
 
   constructor(
     private readonly toAddress: string,
@@ -24,29 +30,22 @@ export class SmtpImapConnection extends EmailConnectionBase {
     threadingStrategy: 'messageId' | 'senderSubject',
     sessionManager: SessionManager,
     private readonly subject: string,
+    private readonly providerId: string,
     smtpHost: string,
     smtpPort: number,
     smtpSecure: boolean,
     smtpAuthUser: string,
-    smtpAuthPass: string,
-    private oauth2AccessToken: string | undefined,
+    private readonly smtpAuthPass: string,
   ) {
     super(fromAddress, threadingStrategy, sessionManager, 'smtp_imap');
     this.smtpAuthUser = smtpAuthUser;
     this.smtpHost = smtpHost;
     this.smtpPort = smtpPort;
     this.smtpSecure = smtpSecure;
-    this.oauth2AccessToken = oauth2AccessToken || undefined;
-    this.createTransporter(smtpAuthPass);
   }
 
-  setOAuth2AccessToken(token: string): void {
-    this.oauth2AccessToken = token;
-    this.createTransporter();
-  }
-
-  private createTransporter(smtpAuthPass?: string): void {
-    const isOAuth2 = !!this.oauth2AccessToken;
+  private createTransporter(oauth2Token?: string): void {
+    const isOAuth2 = !!oauth2Token;
     const transporterConfig: Record<string, unknown> = {
       host: this.smtpHost,
       port: this.smtpPort,
@@ -57,18 +56,55 @@ export class SmtpImapConnection extends EmailConnectionBase {
         ? {
             type: 'OAuth2',
             user: this.smtpAuthUser,
-            accessToken: this.oauth2AccessToken,
+            accessToken: oauth2Token,
           }
         : {
             user: this.smtpAuthUser,
-            pass: smtpAuthPass,
+            pass: this.smtpAuthPass,
           },
     };
     logger.info({ host: this.smtpHost, port: this.smtpPort, secure: this.smtpSecure, authType: isOAuth2 ? 'OAuth2' : 'LOGIN' }, 'SMTP/IMAP: creating transporter');
     this.transporter = nodemailer.createTransport(transporterConfig as nodemailer.TransportOptions);
   }
 
+  private async ensureTransporter(): Promise<void> {
+    if (this.transporter && !this.cachedOAuth2Token) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const provider = await db.query.providers.findFirst({
+      where: eq(providers.id, this.providerId),
+    });
+
+    if (!provider) {
+      if (!this.transporter) {
+        this.createTransporter();
+      }
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const { SecretRefUtils } = await import('../../../services/secrets/SecretRefUtils');
+    const secretRefUtils = container.resolve(SecretRefUtils);
+    const rawConfig = await secretRefUtils.resolveObject(provider.config as Record<string, unknown>);
+    const configResult = smtpImapChannelProviderConfigSchema.safeParse(rawConfig);
+
+    if (!configResult.success) {
+      if (!this.transporter) {
+        this.createTransporter();
+      }
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const newToken = configResult.data.oauth2?.accessToken;
+
+    if (newToken !== this.cachedOAuth2Token) {
+      this.cachedOAuth2Token = newToken;
+      this.createTransporter(newToken);
+    }
+  }
+
   async verifyConnection(): Promise<void> {
+    await this.ensureTransporter();
     if (!this.transporter) {
       throw new Error('SMTP transporter not initialized');
     }
@@ -138,7 +174,8 @@ export class SmtpImapConnection extends EmailConnectionBase {
     await this.sendEmail(this.toAddress, this.subject, body, headers);
   }
 
- protected async sendEmail(to: string, subject: string, body: string, headers?: EmailHeaders): Promise<void> {
+  protected async sendEmail(to: string, subject: string, body: string, headers?: EmailHeaders): Promise<void> {
+    await this.ensureTransporter();
     const messageId = headers?.messageId ?? this.generateMessageId();
     const from = headers?.from ?? this.fromAddress ?? this.smtpAuthUser;
 
diff --git a/src/services/ImapInboundService.ts b/src/services/ImapInboundService.ts
index a9f24b5..eacdb15 100644
--- a/src/services/ImapInboundService.ts
+++ b/src/services/ImapInboundService.ts
@@ -281,6 +281,7 @@ class ImapMailboxSession {
         this.keySettings,
         this.fromAddress,
         this.threadingStrategy,
+        this.providerId,
         this.smtpHost,
         this.smtpPort,
         this.smtpSecure,
@@ -294,7 +295,6 @@ class ImapMailboxSession {
         references,
         undefined,
         undefined,
-        this.oauth2AccessToken,
       );
 
       this.processedUids.add(uid);