Needle insertion and retraction mechanism for a medication delivery device comprising: a housing and a needle carrier holding a needle, and guided by a housing to be moved along the needle axis. A first spring member adapted to move the carrier in an insertion direction. A second spring member adapted to retract the carrier in a retraction direction, opposed to the insertion direction. A control element linearly guided by the housing and moveable transversely to the needle axis from a starting position, via a needle insertion release position, to a needle retraction release position. When the control element is in its starting position, the control element is coupled to the carrier to prevent the carrier moving in the insertion direction. When the control element is in the release position, the control element is decoupled from the carrier and the first spring member drives the carrier in the needle insertion direction.
