diff --git a/src/services.js b/src/services.js
index 1f5445f2f..06845b44b 100644
--- a/src/services.js
+++ b/src/services.js
@@ -837,6 +837,7 @@ function startServices(existingInfra, callback) {
         if (existingInfra.version !== infra.version) {
             debug(`startServices: ${existingInfra.version} -> ${infra.version}. starting all services`);
             startFuncs.push(
+                mail.startMail, // start this first to reduce email downtime
                 startTurn.bind(null, existingInfra, servicesConfig['turn'] || {}),
                 startMysql.bind(null, existingInfra),
                 startPostgresql.bind(null, existingInfra),
@@ -844,15 +845,15 @@ function startServices(existingInfra, callback) {
                 startRedis.bind(null, existingInfra),
                 graphite.start.bind(null, existingInfra, servicesConfig['graphite'] || {}),
                 sftp.start.bind(null, existingInfra, servicesConfig['sftp'] || {}),
-                mail.startMail);
+            );
         } else {
             assert.strictEqual(typeof existingInfra.images, 'object');
 
+            if (infra.images.mail.tag !== existingInfra.images.mail.tag) startFuncs.push(mail.startMail);  // start this first to reduce email downtime
             if (infra.images.turn.tag !== existingInfra.images.turn.tag) startFuncs.push(startTurn.bind(null, existingInfra, servicesConfig['turn'] || {}));
             if (infra.images.mysql.tag !== existingInfra.images.mysql.tag) startFuncs.push(startMysql.bind(null, existingInfra));
             if (infra.images.postgresql.tag !== existingInfra.images.postgresql.tag) startFuncs.push(startPostgresql.bind(null, existingInfra));
             if (infra.images.mongodb.tag !== existingInfra.images.mongodb.tag) startFuncs.push(startMongodb.bind(null, existingInfra));
-            if (infra.images.mail.tag !== existingInfra.images.mail.tag) startFuncs.push(mail.startMail);
             if (infra.images.redis.tag !== existingInfra.images.redis.tag) startFuncs.push(startRedis.bind(null, existingInfra));
             if (infra.images.graphite.tag !== existingInfra.images.graphite.tag) startFuncs.push(graphite.start.bind(null, existingInfra, servicesConfig['graphite'] || {}));
             if (infra.images.sftp.tag !== existingInfra.images.sftp.tag) startFuncs.push(sftp.start.bind(null, existingInfra, servicesConfig['sftp'] || {}));