diff --git a/Lib/email/_header_value_parser.py b/Lib/email/_header_value_parser.py
index c02175e24e0e08e..00274ba7661aaba 100644
--- a/Lib/email/_header_value_parser.py
+++ b/Lib/email/_header_value_parser.py
@@ -169,6 +169,14 @@ def comments(self):
             comments.extend(token.comments)
         return comments
 
+    def contains_token_type(self, *token_types):
+        if self.token_type in token_types:
+            return True
+        for t in self:
+            if t.contains_token_type(*token_types):
+                return True
+        return False
+
     def fold(self, *, policy):
         return _refold_parse_tree(self, policy=policy)
 
@@ -935,6 +943,9 @@ def pop_trailing_ws(self):
     def comments(self):
         return []
 
+    def contains_token_type(self, *token_types):
+        return self.token_type in token_types
+
     def __getnewargs__(self):
         return(str(self), self.token_type)
 
@@ -2863,7 +2874,7 @@ def _refold_parse_tree(parse_tree, *, policy):
             continue
         tstr = str(part)
         if not want_encoding:
-            if part.token_type in ('ptext', 'vtext'):
+            if part.token_type == 'ptext' or part.contains_token_type('vtext'):
                 # Encode if tstr contains special characters.
                 want_encoding = not SPECIALSNL.isdisjoint(tstr)
             else:
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_email/test__header_value_parser.py b/Lib/test/test_email/test__header_value_parser.py
index 8c9601288da8f8b..2d46d5832f420f6 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_email/test__header_value_parser.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_email/test__header_value_parser.py
@@ -3347,6 +3347,11 @@ def test_address_list_with_specials_in_encoded_word(self):
              'A =?utf-8?q?v=C3=A9ry?= long name\n'
              ' containing =?utf-8?q?a=2C?= comma\n'
              ' <to@example.com>\n'),
+            ('=?utf-8?Q?a=2C=20123456789012345678901234567890123456?='
+                ' <abc@example.com>',
+             '=?utf-8?q?a=2C?=\n'
+             ' 123456789012345678901234567890123456\n'
+             ' <abc@example.com>\n'),
         ]
         for (to, folded) in cases:
             with self.subTest(to=to):
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-10-08-16-18-43.gh-issue-87720.Elqdl9.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-10-08-16-18-43.gh-issue-87720.Elqdl9.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000000..a2df7654b31444b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-10-08-16-18-43.gh-issue-87720.Elqdl9.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Fixed error in :mod:`email` new policies where header folding failed to
+detect the need to re-quote text obtained from encoded words in certain
+cases.