diff --git a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Email/EmailHandler.coffee b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Email/EmailHandler.coffee
index 5430db7473..6316c21511 100644
--- a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Email/EmailHandler.coffee
+++ b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Email/EmailHandler.coffee
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
-EmailTemplator = require "./EmailTemplator"
+settings = require("settings-sharelatex")
+EmailBuilder = require "./EmailBuilder"
 EmailSender = require "./EmailSender"
 
 module.exports =
 
 	sendEmail : (emailType, opts, callback)->
-		email = EmailTemplator.buildEmail emailType, opts
+		email = EmailBuilder.buildEmail emailType, opts
+		if email.type == "lifecycle" and !settings.email.lifecycle
+			return callback()
 		opts.html = email.html
 		opts.subject = email.subject
 		EmailSender.sendEmail opts, (err)->
-			callback(err)
-
-# module.exports.sendEmail "welcome", {first_name:"henry", to:"henry.oswald@gmail.com"}, ->
-
+			callback(err)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Email/EmailSender.coffee b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Email/EmailSender.coffee
index 9e9de012a1..ff34d9d60e 100644
--- a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Email/EmailSender.coffee
+++ b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Email/EmailSender.coffee
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ Settings = require('settings-sharelatex')
 metrics = require("../../infrastructure/Metrics")
 ses = require('node-ses')
 
-if Settings.ses?.key? and Settings.ses?.key != "" and Settings.ses?.secret? and Settings.ses?.secret != ""
-	client = ses.createClient({ key: Settings.ses.key, secret: Settings.ses.secret });
+if Settings.email?.ses? and Settings.email.ses?.key? and Settings.email.ses?.key != "" and Settings.email.ses?.secret? and Settings.email.ses?.secret != ""
+	client = ses.createClient({ key: Settings.email.ses.key, secret: Settings.email.ses.secret });
 else
 	logger.warn "AWS SES credentials are not configured. No emails will be sent."
 	client =
diff --git a/services/web/config/settings.development.coffee b/services/web/config/settings.development.coffee
index 385fc72646..5d10678a19 100644
--- a/services/web/config/settings.development.coffee
+++ b/services/web/config/settings.development.coffee
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ module.exports =
 		secret: ""
 		bucketName : ""
 
+
 	# Databases
 	# ---------
 	mongo:
@@ -155,11 +156,16 @@ module.exports =
 	# ShareLaTeX's help desk is provided by tenderapp.com
 	# tenderUrl: ""
 	#
-	# ShareLaTeX uses Amazon's SES api to send transactional emails.
-	# Uncomment these lines and provide your credentials to be able to send emails.
-	# ses:
-	# 	"key":""
-	# 	"secret":""
+
+	# email:
+	#	fromAddress: ""
+	# 	replyTo: ""
+	#	lifecycle: false
+	#	ShareLaTeX uses Amazon's SES api to send transactional emails.
+	#	Uncomment these lines and provide your credentials to be able to send emails.
+	#	ses:
+	#		"key":""
+	#		"secret":""
 
 	# Production Settings
 	# -------------------
diff --git a/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/Email/EmailHandlerTests.coffee b/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/Email/EmailHandlerTests.coffee
index 7e668415a1..21a764f597 100644
--- a/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/Email/EmailHandlerTests.coffee
+++ b/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/Email/EmailHandlerTests.coffee
@@ -10,13 +10,14 @@ describe "EmailHandler", ->
 
 	beforeEach ->
 
-		@settings = {}
-		@EmailTemplator = 
+		@settings = 
+			email:{}
+		@EmailBuilder = 
 			buildEmail:sinon.stub()
 		@EmailSender =
 			sendEmail:sinon.stub()
 		@EmailHandler = SandboxedModule.require modulePath, requires:
-			"./EmailTemplator":@EmailTemplator
+			"./EmailBuilder":@EmailBuilder
 			"./EmailSender":@EmailSender
 			"settings-sharelatex":@settings
 			"logger-sharelatex": log:->
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ describe "EmailHandler", ->
 	describe "send email", ->
 
 		it "should use the correct options", (done)->
-			@EmailTemplator.buildEmail.returns({html:@html})
+			@EmailBuilder.buildEmail.returns({html:@html})
 			@EmailSender.sendEmail.callsArgWith(1)
 
 			opts =
@@ -36,10 +37,8 @@ describe "EmailHandler", ->
 				args.html.should.equal @html
 				done()
 
-
-
 		it "should return the erroor", (done)->
-			@EmailTemplator.buildEmail.returns({html:@html})
+			@EmailBuilder.buildEmail.returns({html:@html})
 			@EmailSender.sendEmail.callsArgWith(1, "error")
 
 			opts =
@@ -48,3 +47,30 @@ describe "EmailHandler", ->
 			@EmailHandler.sendEmail "welcome", opts, (err)=>
 				err.should.equal "error"
 				done()
+
+		it "should not send an email if lifecycle is not enabled", (done)->
+			@settings.email.lifecycle = false
+			@EmailBuilder.buildEmail.returns({type:"lifecycle"})
+			@EmailHandler.sendEmail "welcome", {}, =>
+				@EmailSender.sendEmail.called.should.equal false
+				done()
+
+		it "should send an email if lifecycle is not enabled but the type is notification", (done)->
+			@settings.email.lifecycle = false
+			@EmailBuilder.buildEmail.returns({type:"notification"})
+			@EmailSender.sendEmail.callsArgWith(1)
+			opts =
+				to: "bob@bob.com"
+			@EmailHandler.sendEmail "welcome", opts, =>
+				@EmailSender.sendEmail.called.should.equal true
+				done()
+
+		it "should send lifecycle email if it is enabled", (done)->
+			@settings.email.lifecycle = true
+			@EmailBuilder.buildEmail.returns({type:"lifecycle"})
+			@EmailSender.sendEmail.callsArgWith(1)
+			opts =
+				to: "bob@bob.com"
+			@EmailHandler.sendEmail "welcome", opts, =>
+				@EmailSender.sendEmail.called.should.equal true
+				done()