diff --git a/src/components/MoneyReportHeader.tsx b/src/components/MoneyReportHeader.tsx
index 6e514871632f0..06d679d982078 100644
--- a/src/components/MoneyReportHeader.tsx
+++ b/src/components/MoneyReportHeader.tsx
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import {
     isArchivedReportWithID,
     isInvoiceReport,
     isReportApproved,
+    isReportOwner,
     navigateBackOnDeleteTransaction,
     reportTransactionsSelector,
 } from '@libs/ReportUtils';
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ import {
     canSubmitReport,
     deleteMoneyRequest,
     deleteTrackExpense,
+    getNextApproverAccountID,
     payInvoice,
     payMoneyRequest,
     submitReport,
@@ -208,10 +210,12 @@ function MoneyReportHeader({policy, report: moneyRequestReport, transactionThrea
     const shouldShowStatusBar =
         hasAllPendingRTERViolations || shouldShowBrokenConnectionViolation || hasOnlyHeldExpenses || hasScanningReceipt || isPayAtEndExpense || hasOnlyPendingTransactions;
 
-    // When prevent self-approval is enabled, we need to show the optimistic next step
+    // When prevent self-approval is enabled & the current user is submitter AND they're submitting to theirself, we need to show the optimistic next step
     // We should always show this optimistic message for policies with preventSelfApproval
     // to avoid any flicker during transitions between online/offline states
-    const optimisticNextStep = policy?.preventSelfApproval ? buildOptimisticNextStepForPreventSelfApprovalsEnabled() : nextStep;
+    const nextApproverAccountID = getNextApproverAccountID(moneyRequestReport);
+    const isSubmitterSameAsNextApprover = isReportOwner(moneyRequestReport) && nextApproverAccountID === moneyRequestReport?.ownerAccountID;
+    const optimisticNextStep = isSubmitterSameAsNextApprover && policy?.preventSelfApproval ? buildOptimisticNextStepForPreventSelfApprovalsEnabled() : nextStep;
 
     const shouldShowNextStep = transactions?.length !== 0 && isFromPaidPolicy && !!optimisticNextStep?.message?.length && !shouldShowStatusBar;
     const shouldShowAnyButton =
@@ -344,7 +348,7 @@ function MoneyReportHeader({policy, report: moneyRequestReport, transactionThrea
         (isDuplicate || shouldShowSettlementButton || !!shouldShowExportIntegrationButton || shouldShowSubmitButton || shouldShowMarkAsCashButton) &&
         (!!statusBarProps || shouldShowNextStep);
 
-    // The submit button should be success green colour only if the user is submitter and the policy does not have Scheduled Submit turned on
+    // The submit button should be success green colour only if the user is the submitter and the policy does not have Scheduled Submit turned on
     const isWaitingForSubmissionFromCurrentUser = useMemo(
         () => chatReport?.isOwnPolicyExpenseChat && !policy?.harvesting?.enabled,
         [chatReport?.isOwnPolicyExpenseChat, policy?.harvesting?.enabled],
diff --git a/src/libs/NextStepUtils.ts b/src/libs/NextStepUtils.ts
index b9f1abf81edc3..1e3073dca7737 100644
--- a/src/libs/NextStepUtils.ts
+++ b/src/libs/NextStepUtils.ts
@@ -92,14 +92,14 @@ function buildOptimisticNextStepForPreventSelfApprovalsEnabled() {
             },
             {
                 text: 'yourself',
-                type: 'strong',
+                type: 'next-step-email',
             },
             {
                 text: '. Approving your own reports is ',
             },
             {
                 text: 'forbidden',
-                type: 'strong',
+                type: 'next-step-email',
             },
             {
                 text: ' by your policy. Please submit this report to someone else or contact your admin to change the person you submit to.',