diff --git a/common/shareddb.cpp b/common/shareddb.cpp
index a48c33212..d22de7056 100644
--- a/common/shareddb.cpp
+++ b/common/shareddb.cpp
@@ -133,55 +133,54 @@ uint32 SharedDatabase::GetTotalTimeEntitledOnAccount(uint32 AccountID) {
 
 void SharedDatabase::SetMailKey(int CharID, int IPAddress, int MailKey)
 {
-	char MailKeyString[17];
+	char mail_key[17];
 
-	if (RuleB(Chat, EnableMailKeyIPVerification) == true)
-		sprintf(MailKeyString, "%08X%08X", IPAddress, MailKey);
-	else
-		sprintf(MailKeyString, "%08X", MailKey);
+	if (RuleB(Chat, EnableMailKeyIPVerification) == true) {
+		sprintf(mail_key, "%08X%08X", IPAddress, MailKey);
+	}
+	else {
+		sprintf(mail_key, "%08X", MailKey);
+	}
 
-	const std::string query = StringFormat("UPDATE character_data SET mailkey = '%s' WHERE id = '%i'",
-	                                       MailKeyString, CharID);
-	const auto results = QueryDatabase(query);
-	if (!results.Success())
-		LogError("SharedDatabase::SetMailKey({}, {}) : {}", CharID, MailKeyString, results.ErrorMessage().c_str());
+	const std::string query = StringFormat(
+		"UPDATE character_data SET mailkey = '%s' WHERE id = '%i'",
+		mail_key, CharID
+	);
 
+	const auto        results = QueryDatabase(query);
+	if (!results.Success()) {
+		LogError("SharedDatabase::SetMailKey({}, {}) : {}", CharID, mail_key, results.ErrorMessage().c_str());
+	}
 }
 
-std::string SharedDatabase::GetMailKey(int CharID, bool key_only)
+SharedDatabase::MailKeys SharedDatabase::GetMailKey(int character_id)
 {
-	const std::string query = StringFormat("SELECT `mailkey` FROM `character_data` WHERE `id`='%i' LIMIT 1", CharID);
-	auto results = QueryDatabase(query);
-
+	const std::string query   = StringFormat("SELECT `mailkey` FROM `character_data` WHERE `id`='%i' LIMIT 1", character_id);
+	auto              results = QueryDatabase(query);
 	if (!results.Success()) {
-
-		Log(Logs::Detail, Logs::MySQLError, "Error retrieving mailkey from database: %s", results.ErrorMessage().c_str());
-		return std::string();
+		return MailKeys{};
 	}
 
 	if (!results.RowCount()) {
-
-		Log(Logs::General, Logs::ClientLogin, "Error: Mailkey for character id [%i] does not exist or could not be found", CharID);
-		return std::string();
+		Log(Logs::General,
+			Logs::ClientLogin,
+			"Error: Mailkey for character id [%i] does not exist or could not be found",
+			character_id
+		);
+		return MailKeys{};
 	}
 
-	auto& row = results.begin();
+	auto &row = results.begin();
 	if (row != results.end()) {
-
 		std::string mail_key = row[0];
 
-		if (mail_key.length() > 8 && key_only) {
-			return mail_key.substr(8);
-		}
-		else {
-			return mail_key;
-		}
+		return MailKeys{
+			.mail_key = mail_key.substr(8),
+			.mail_key_full = mail_key
+		};
 	}
-	else {
 
-		Log(Logs::General, Logs::MySQLError, "Internal MySQL error in SharedDatabase::GetMailKey(int, bool)");
-		return std::string();
-	}
+	return MailKeys{};
 }
 
 bool SharedDatabase::SaveCursor(uint32 char_id, std::list<EQ::ItemInstance*>::const_iterator &start, std::list<EQ::ItemInstance*>::const_iterator &end)
diff --git a/common/shareddb.h b/common/shareddb.h
index 7139b17fd..2956fe9b2 100644
--- a/common/shareddb.h
+++ b/common/shareddb.h
@@ -81,7 +81,11 @@ public:
 	bool SetGMInvul(uint32 account_id, bool gminvul);
 	bool SetGMFlymode(uint32 account_id, uint8 flymode);
 	void SetMailKey(int CharID, int IPAddress, int MailKey);
-	std::string GetMailKey(int CharID, bool key_only = false);
+	struct MailKeys {
+		std::string mail_key;
+		std::string mail_key_full;
+	};
+	MailKeys GetMailKey(int character_id);
 	bool SaveCursor(
 		uint32 char_id,
 		std::list<EQ::ItemInstance *>::const_iterator &start,
diff --git a/zone/client.cpp b/zone/client.cpp
index e605a9198..37adaec76 100644
--- a/zone/client.cpp
+++ b/zone/client.cpp
@@ -11238,7 +11238,7 @@ void Client::ReconnectUCS()
 {
 	EQApplicationPacket      *outapp         = nullptr;
 	std::string              buffer;
-	std::string              mail_key        = database.GetMailKey(CharacterID(), true);
+	std::string              mail_key        = m_mail_key;
 	EQ::versions::UCSVersion connection_type = EQ::versions::ucsUnknown;
 
 	// chat server packet
diff --git a/zone/client.h b/zone/client.h
index 4dced69a5..7621d4244 100644
--- a/zone/client.h
+++ b/zone/client.h
@@ -2038,6 +2038,13 @@ private:
 	bool CanTradeFVNoDropItem();
 	void SendMobPositions();
 	void PlayerTradeEventLog(Trade *t, Trade *t2);
+
+	// full and partial mail key cache
+	std::string m_mail_key_full;
+	std::string m_mail_key;
+public:
+	const std::string &GetMailKeyFull() const;
+	const std::string &GetMailKey() const;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/zone/client_packet.cpp b/zone/client_packet.cpp
index dc54f1f58..77e4bb2ef 100644
--- a/zone/client_packet.cpp
+++ b/zone/client_packet.cpp
@@ -1267,6 +1267,12 @@ void Client::Handle_Connect_OP_ZoneEntry(const EQApplicationPacket *app)
 	database.LoadCharacterLeadershipAA(cid, &m_pp); /* Load Character Leadership AA's */
 	database.LoadCharacterTribute(cid, &m_pp); /* Load CharacterTribute */
 
+	// this pattern is strange
+	// this is remnants of the old way of doing things
+	auto mail_keys = database.GetMailKey(CharacterID());
+	m_mail_key_full = mail_keys.mail_key_full;
+	m_mail_key      = mail_keys.mail_key;
+
 	/* Load AdventureStats */
 	AdventureStats_Struct as;
 	if (database.GetAdventureStats(cid, &as))
@@ -11677,7 +11683,7 @@ void Client::Handle_OP_QueryUCSServerStatus(const EQApplicationPacket *app)
 		EQApplicationPacket* outapp = nullptr;
 		std::string buffer;
 
-		std::string MailKey = database.GetMailKey(CharacterID(), true);
+		std::string MailKey = GetMailKey();
 		EQ::versions::UCSVersion ConnectionType = EQ::versions::ucsUnknown;
 
 		// chat server packet
diff --git a/zone/trading.cpp b/zone/trading.cpp
index 9500f9a23..1f6607a66 100644
--- a/zone/trading.cpp
+++ b/zone/trading.cpp
@@ -3018,3 +3018,13 @@ void Client::BuyerItemSearch(const EQApplicationPacket *app) {
 	QueuePacket(outapp);
 	safe_delete(outapp);
 }
+
+const std::string &Client::GetMailKeyFull() const
+{
+	return m_mail_key_full;
+}
+
+const std::string &Client::GetMailKey() const
+{
+	return m_mail_key;
+}
diff --git a/zone/zonedb.cpp b/zone/zonedb.cpp
index 95c3d324a..416167b27 100755
--- a/zone/zonedb.cpp
+++ b/zone/zonedb.cpp
@@ -1132,8 +1132,6 @@ bool ZoneDatabase::SaveCharacterData(
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	const auto mail_key = database.GetMailKey(c->CharacterID());
-
 	clock_t t = std::clock(); /* Function timer start */
 	const auto query = fmt::format(
 		"REPLACE INTO `character_data` ("
@@ -1427,7 +1425,7 @@ bool ZoneDatabase::SaveCharacterData(
 		m_epp->perAA,
 		m_epp->expended_aa,
 		m_epp->last_invsnapshot_time,
-		mail_key.c_str()
+		c->GetMailKeyFull()
 	);
 	auto results = database.QueryDatabase(query);
 	LogDebug(