diff --git a/src/cloudron.js b/src/cloudron.js
index 46e0fc95c..c5e75df41 100644
--- a/src/cloudron.js
+++ b/src/cloudron.js
@@ -148,7 +148,6 @@ function uninitialize(callback) {
 
     async.series([
         cron.uninitialize,
-        mailer.stop,
         platform.stop,
         certificates.uninitialize,
         settings.uninitialize
@@ -178,10 +177,7 @@ function onActivated(callback) {
         if (error) return callback(new CloudronError(CloudronError.INTERNAL_ERROR, error));
         if (!count) return callback(); // not activated
 
-        async.series([
-            platform.start, // requires fallback certs for mail container
-            mailer.start, // this requires the "mail" container to be running
-        ], callback);
+        platform.start(callback);
     });
 }
 
diff --git a/src/mailer.js b/src/mailer.js
index fc37c2abe..ee1ec44ec 100644
--- a/src/mailer.js
+++ b/src/mailer.js
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
 'use strict';
 
 exports = module.exports = {
-    start: start,
-    stop: stop,
-
     userAdded: userAdded,
     userRemoved: userRemoved,
     adminChanged: adminChanged,
@@ -49,8 +46,7 @@ var NOOP_CALLBACK = function (error) { if (error) debug(error); };
 
 var MAIL_TEMPLATES_DIR = path.join(__dirname, 'mail_templates');
 
-var gMailQueue = [ ],
-    gPaused = false;
+var gMailQueue = [ ];
 
 function splatchError(error) {
     var result = { };
@@ -63,25 +59,6 @@ function splatchError(error) {
     return util.inspect(result, { depth: null, showHidden: true });
 }
 
-function start(callback) {
-    assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
-
-    if (process.env.BOX_ENV === 'test') gPaused = true;
-
-    callback(null);
-}
-
-function stop(callback) {
-    assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
-
-    // TODO: interrupt processQueue as well
-
-    debug(gMailQueue.length + ' mail items dropped');
-    gMailQueue = [ ];
-
-    callback(null);
-}
-
 function mailConfig() {
     return {
         from: '"Cloudron" <no-reply@' + config.fqdn() + '>'
@@ -89,8 +66,6 @@ function mailConfig() {
 }
 
 function processQueue() {
-    assert(!gPaused);
-
     sendMails(gMailQueue);
     gMailQueue = [ ];
 }
@@ -137,7 +112,7 @@ function enqueue(mailOptions) {
     debug('Queued mail for ' + mailOptions.from + ' to ' + mailOptions.to);
     gMailQueue.push(mailOptions);
 
-    if (!gPaused) processQueue();
+    if (process.env.BOX_ENV !== 'test') processQueue();
 }
 
 function render(templateFile, params) {
diff --git a/src/test/digest-test.js b/src/test/digest-test.js
index e232b2b73..210a05c94 100644
--- a/src/test/digest-test.js
+++ b/src/test/digest-test.js
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ describe('digest', function () {
             user.createOwner.bind(null, USER_0.username, USER_0.password, USER_0.email, USER_0.displayName, AUDIT_SOURCE),
             eventlog.add.bind(null, eventlog.ACTION_UPDATE, AUDIT_SOURCE, { boxUpdateInfo: { sourceTarballUrl: 'xx', version: '1.2.3', changelog: [ 'good stuff' ] } }),
             settingsdb.set.bind(null, settings.MAIL_CONFIG_KEY, JSON.stringify({ enabled: true })),
-            mailer.start,
             mailer._clearMailQueue
         ], done);
     });
diff --git a/src/test/updatechecker-test.js b/src/test/updatechecker-test.js
index 25969c1cb..35a862320 100644
--- a/src/test/updatechecker-test.js
+++ b/src/test/updatechecker-test.js
@@ -73,8 +73,7 @@ describe('updatechecker - box - manual (email)', function () {
             user.createOwner.bind(null, USER_0.username, USER_0.password, USER_0.email, USER_0.displayName, AUDIT_SOURCE),
             settings.setAutoupdatePattern.bind(null, constants.AUTOUPDATE_PATTERN_NEVER),
             settingsdb.set.bind(null, settings.APPSTORE_CONFIG_KEY, JSON.stringify({ userId: 'uid', cloudronId: 'cid', token: 'token' })),
-            mailer._clearMailQueue,
-            mailer.start
+            mailer._clearMailQueue
         ], done);
     });
 
diff --git a/src/test/user-test.js b/src/test/user-test.js
index b9df2d306..fdc9155b1 100644
--- a/src/test/user-test.js
+++ b/src/test/user-test.js
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ function setup(done) {
     async.series([
         database.initialize,
         database._clear,
-        mailer.start,
         mailer._clearMailQueue
     ], done);
 }