diff --git a/app/controllers/users/users.authentication.server.controller.js b/app/controllers/users/users.authentication.server.controller.js
index 7eba442a..4ad8154d 100755
--- a/app/controllers/users/users.authentication.server.controller.js
+++ b/app/controllers/users/users.authentication.server.controller.js
@@ -95,7 +95,6 @@ exports.resendVerificationEmail = function(req, res, next){
  * Signup
  */
 exports.signup = function(req, res) {
-
 	// For security measures we remove the roles from the req.body object
 	delete req.body.roles;
 
@@ -106,13 +105,13 @@ exports.signup = function(req, res) {
 	user.provider = 'local';
 	// Then save the temporary user
 	nev.createTempUser(user, function (err, existingPersistentUser, newTempUser) {
-		debugger;
-        if (err) {
+		if (err) {
 			return res.status(400).send({
 				message: errorHandler.getErrorMessage(err)
 			});
 		}
 
+
 		// new user created
 		if (newTempUser) {
 			var URL = newTempUser[nev.options.URLFieldName];
diff --git a/app/models/user.server.model.js b/app/models/user.server.model.js
index 17cac977..a22f53d4 100755
--- a/app/models/user.server.model.js
+++ b/app/models/user.server.model.js
@@ -15,6 +15,14 @@ var mongoose = require('mongoose'),
 
 var smtpTransport = nodemailer.createTransport(config.mailer.options);
 
+// verify connection configuration on startup
+smtpTransport.verify(function(error, success) {
+	if (error) {
+			 console.log('Your mail configuration is incorrect', error);
+	} else {
+			 console.log('Mail server is ready to take our messages');
+	}
+});
 
 /**
  * A Validation function for local strategy properties
diff --git a/config/env/development.js b/config/env/development.js
index 2506743b..7771b6e0 100755
--- a/config/env/development.js
+++ b/config/env/development.js
@@ -43,7 +43,15 @@ module.exports = {
 	},
 	mailer: {
 		from: process.env.MAILER_FROM || 'no-reply@tellform.com',
-		options: {
+		options: process.env.MAILER_SMTP_HOST ? { //Uses custom SMTP if MAILER_SMTP_HOST is set
+			host: process.env.MAILER_SMTP_HOST || '',
+			port: process.env.MAILER_SMTP_PORT || 465,
+			secure: process.env.MAILER_SMTP_SECURE || true,
+			auth: {
+				user: process.env.MAILER_EMAIL_ID || '',
+				pass: process.env.MAILER_PASSWORD || ''
+			}
+		} : {
 			service: process.env.MAILER_SERVICE_PROVIDER || '',
 			auth: {
 				user: process.env.MAILER_EMAIL_ID || '',
diff --git a/config/env/production.js b/config/env/production.js
index e0d00fc3..110fd1f4 100755
--- a/config/env/production.js
+++ b/config/env/production.js
@@ -59,11 +59,19 @@ module.exports = {
 	},
 	mailer: {
 		from: process.env.MAILER_FROM || 'testing@'+process.env.SPARKPOST_SANDBOX_DOMAIN || 'no-reply@tellform.com',
-		options: {
+		options: process.env.MAILER_SMTP_HOST ? { //Uses custom SMTP if MAILER_SMTP_HOST is set
+			host: process.env.MAILER_SMTP_HOST || '',
+			port: process.env.MAILER_SMTP_PORT || 465,
+			secure: process.env.MAILER_SMTP_SECURE || true,
+			auth: {
+				user: process.env.MAILER_EMAIL_ID || '',
+				pass: process.env.MAILER_PASSWORD || ''
+			}
+		} : {
 			service: process.env.MAILER_SERVICE_PROVIDER || '',
 			auth: {
-				user: process.env.MAILER_EMAIL_ID || process.env.SPARKPOST_SMTP_USERNAME || '',
-				pass: process.env.MAILER_PASSWORD || process.env.SPARKPOST_SMTP_PASSWORD || ''
+				user: process.env.MAILER_EMAIL_ID || '',
+				pass: process.env.MAILER_PASSWORD || ''
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/config/env/secure.js b/config/env/secure.js
index 5f4c9b8e..4c6a584f 100755
--- a/config/env/secure.js
+++ b/config/env/secure.js
@@ -66,7 +66,15 @@ module.exports = {
 	},
 	mailer: {
 		from: process.env.MAILER_FROM || '',
-		options: {
+		options: process.env.MAILER_SMTP_HOST ? { //Uses custom SMTP if MAILER_SMTP_HOST is set
+			host: process.env.MAILER_SMTP_HOST || '',
+			port: process.env.MAILER_SMTP_PORT || 587,
+			secure: process.env.MAILER_SMTP_SECURE || true,
+			auth: {
+				user: process.env.MAILER_EMAIL_ID || '',
+				pass: process.env.MAILER_PASSWORD || ''
+			}
+		} : {
 			service: process.env.MAILER_SERVICE_PROVIDER || '',
 			auth: {
 				user: process.env.MAILER_EMAIL_ID || '',
diff --git a/config/env/test.js b/config/env/test.js
index b6d24812..29e4e821 100755
--- a/config/env/test.js
+++ b/config/env/test.js
@@ -52,7 +52,15 @@ module.exports = {
 	},
 	mailer: {
 		from: process.env.MAILER_FROM || 'MAILER_FROM',
-		options: {
+		options: process.env.MAILER_SMTP_HOST ? { //Uses custom SMTP if MAILER_SMTP_HOST is set
+			host: process.env.MAILER_SMTP_HOST || '',
+			port: process.env.MAILER_SMTP_PORT || 587,
+			secure: process.env.MAILER_SMTP_SECURE || true,
+			auth: {
+				user: process.env.MAILER_EMAIL_ID || '',
+				pass: process.env.MAILER_PASSWORD || ''
+			}
+		} : {
 			service: process.env.MAILER_SERVICE_PROVIDER || '',
 			auth: {
 				user: process.env.MAILER_EMAIL_ID || '',