diff --git a/crashnotifierservice.js b/crashnotifierservice.js
index e6eb85c36..eb3d33c47 100755
--- a/crashnotifierservice.js
+++ b/crashnotifierservice.js
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 'use strict';
 
+var database = require('./src/database.js');
+
 var sendFailureLogs = require('./src/logcollector').sendFailureLogs;
 
 function main() {
@@ -10,7 +12,12 @@ function main() {
     var processName = process.argv[2];
     console.log('Started crash notifier for', processName);
 
-    sendFailureLogs(processName, { unit: processName });
+    // mailer needs the db
+    database.initialize(function (error) {
+        if (error) return console.error('Cannot connect to database. Unable to send crash log.', error);
+
+        sendFailureLogs(processName, { unit: processName });
+    });
 }
 
 main();
diff --git a/src/mailer.js b/src/mailer.js
index f3424b692..c33822490 100644
--- a/src/mailer.js
+++ b/src/mailer.js
@@ -508,7 +508,7 @@ function oomEvent(program, context) {
 }
 
 // this function bypasses the queue intentionally. it is also expected to work without the mailer module initialized
-// NOTE: crashnotifier should be able to send mail when there is no db
+// NOTE: crashnotifier should ideally be able to send mail when there is no db, however we need the 'from' address domain from the db
 function unexpectedExit(program, context, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof program, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof context, 'string');
@@ -516,18 +516,14 @@ function unexpectedExit(program, context, callback) {
 
     if (config.provider() !== 'caas') return callback(); // no way to get admins without db access
 
-    settings.getCloudronName(function (error, cloudronName) {
-        if (error) {
-            debug(error);
-            cloudronName = 'Cloudron';
-        }
+    getMailConfig(function (error, mailConfig) {
+        if (error) return debug('Error getting mail details:', error);
 
-        // FIXME which domain should we use here if we can't contact the db??
         var mailOptions = {
-            from: '"Cloudron" <no-reply@' + config.fqdn() + '>',
+            from: mailConfig.notificationFrom,
             to: 'support@cloudron.io',
-            subject: util.format('[%s] %s exited unexpectedly', cloudronName, program),
-            text: render('unexpected_exit.ejs', { cloudronName: cloudronName, program: program, context: context, format: 'text' })
+            subject: util.format('[%s] %s exited unexpectedly', mailConfig.cloudronName, program),
+            text: render('unexpected_exit.ejs', { cloudronName: mailConfig.cloudronName, program: program, context: context, format: 'text' })
         };
 
         sendMails([ mailOptions ], callback);