diff --git a/allow_mail_archived_partner/models/mail_thread.py b/allow_mail_archived_partner/models/mail_thread.py
index dd82b0d..ad9c4ac 100755
--- a/allow_mail_archived_partner/models/mail_thread.py
+++ b/allow_mail_archived_partner/models/mail_thread.py
@@ -11,19 +11,17 @@ class MailThread(models.AbstractModel):
     _logger.info("=== MAILTHREAD CLASS LOADED (allow_mail_archived_partner) ===")
 
     def _notify_thread(self, message, msg_vals=False, **kwargs):
-        """
-        Keep default behavior.
-        """
         return super()._notify_thread(message, msg_vals=msg_vals, **kwargs)
 
     def _notify_get_recipients(self, message, msg_vals, **kwargs):
         """
-        Force correct email recipients for manual sends (invoices),
-        including archived partners, and avoid incomplete recipient dicts.
+        Ensure archived partners can still be used as recipients for manual sends.
+        Important: message.partner_ids may appear empty for archived partners if
+        active_test=True, even if the M2M relation contains IDs.
         """
         _logger.error("🔥🔥🔥 MailThread._notify_get_recipients CALLED 🔥🔥🔥")
 
-        # --- Ignore system / automatic notifications ---
+        # --- Ignore system/automatic notifications ---
         is_system_message = (
             getattr(message, "message_type", None) == "notification"
             or (
@@ -33,7 +31,6 @@ class MailThread(models.AbstractModel):
             )
             or (msg_vals and msg_vals.get("message_type") == "notification")
         )
-
         if is_system_message:
             _logger.debug("SYSTEM MESSAGE – using parent behavior")
             return super()._notify_get_recipients(message, msg_vals, **kwargs)
@@ -47,18 +44,25 @@ class MailThread(models.AbstractModel):
         )
 
         _logger.error(f"🔥 Is manual send? {is_manual_send}")
-        _logger.error(
-            f"🔥 Message partner_ids: {getattr(message, 'partner_ids', None)}"
-        )
 
-        if not (
-            is_manual_send and hasattr(message, "partner_ids") and message.partner_ids
-        ):
-            _logger.debug("Not a manual send or no partners – using parent behavior")
+        if not is_manual_send:
+            _logger.debug("Not a manual send – using parent behavior")
             return super()._notify_get_recipients(message, msg_vals, **kwargs)
 
-        # --- Manual send with partners ---
-        partner_ids = message.partner_ids.ids
+        # 🔥 CRITICAL: read partner_ids with active_test=False, otherwise archived partners disappear
+        msg_archived_ok = message.with_context(active_test=False)
+        msg_partner_rs = getattr(
+            msg_archived_ok, "partner_ids", self.env["res.partner"]
+        )
+        _logger.error(f"🔥 Message partner_ids (active_test=False): {msg_partner_rs}")
+
+        if not msg_partner_rs:
+            _logger.error(
+                "🔥 Manual send but no partners on message (even with active_test=False)"
+            )
+            return super()._notify_get_recipients(message, msg_vals, **kwargs)
+
+        partner_ids = msg_partner_rs.ids
         _logger.error(f"🔥 Manual send partners: {partner_ids}")
 
         # Get parent recipients (may be incomplete)
@@ -77,24 +81,20 @@ class MailThread(models.AbstractModel):
         _logger.error(f"🔥 Parent returned {len(recipients)} recipients")
 
         def _is_bad_recipient(r):
-            return not r or not r.get("email") or not r.get("partner_id")
+            return (not r) or (not r.get("email")) or (not r.get("partner_id"))
 
         bad_recipients = [r for r in recipients if _is_bad_recipient(r)]
-
         if bad_recipients:
             _logger.error(
                 f"🔥 Found {len(bad_recipients)} incomplete recipient(s), forcing from partner_ids"
             )
 
-        # Build forced recipients from partner_ids
+        # Build forced recipients from partner_ids (always correct)
         forced_recipients = []
-        for partner_id in partner_ids:
+        for pid in partner_ids:
             partner = (
-                self.env["res.partner"]
-                .with_context(active_test=False)
-                .browse(partner_id)
+                self.env["res.partner"].with_context(active_test=False).browse(pid)
             )
-
             if partner.exists() and partner.email:
                 forced_recipients.append(
                     {
@@ -112,16 +112,14 @@ class MailThread(models.AbstractModel):
                 )
                 _logger.error(f"🔥 Forced recipient: {partner.id} – {partner.email}")
 
-        # Prefer forced recipients if parent gave nothing useful
+        # Prefer forced recipients if parent gave nothing useful / incomplete
         if forced_recipients and (not recipients or bad_recipients):
             recipients = forced_recipients
 
         for i, recipient in enumerate(recipients):
             _logger.error(
-                f"🔥 Recipient {i}: "
-                f"partner_id={recipient.get('partner_id')}, "
-                f"notif={recipient.get('notif')}, "
-                f"email={recipient.get('email')}"
+                f"🔥 Recipient {i}: partner_id={recipient.get('partner_id')}, "
+                f"notif={recipient.get('notif')}, email={recipient.get('email')}"
             )
 
         return recipients