diff --git a/src/certificates.js b/src/certificates.js
index fa837853c..baba0ebfd 100644
--- a/src/certificates.js
+++ b/src/certificates.js
@@ -169,11 +169,12 @@ function renewAll(auditSource, callback) {
 
                     var errorMessage = error ? error.message : '';
                     eventlog.add(eventlog.ACTION_CERTIFICATE_RENEWAL, auditSource, { domain: domain, errorMessage: errorMessage });
-                    mailer.certificateRenewed(domain, errorMessage);
 
                     if (error) {
                         debug('renewAll: could not renew cert for %s because %s', domain, error);
 
+                        mailer.certificateRenewalError(domain, errorMessage);
+
                         // check if we should fallback if we expire in the coming day
                         if (!isExpiringSync(certFilePath, 24 * 1)) return iteratorCallback();
 
diff --git a/src/mail_templates/certificate_renewed.ejs b/src/mail_templates/certificate_renewal_error.ejs
similarity index 67%
rename from src/mail_templates/certificate_renewed.ejs
rename to src/mail_templates/certificate_renewal_error.ejs
index 4d4941c19..a7d9a8396 100644
--- a/src/mail_templates/certificate_renewed.ejs
+++ b/src/mail_templates/certificate_renewal_error.ejs
@@ -1,13 +1,10 @@
 <%if (format === 'text') { %>
 
 Dear Cloudron Team,
-<% if (message) { %>
 <%= domain %> was not renewed.
 
 <%- message %>
-<% } else { %>
-<%= domain %> was renewed.
-<% } %>
+
 Thank you,
 Your Cloudron
 <% } else { %>
diff --git a/src/mailer.js b/src/mailer.js
index 831557720..fe9a89bc0 100644
--- a/src/mailer.js
+++ b/src/mailer.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ exports = module.exports = {
 
     outOfDiskSpace: outOfDiskSpace,
 
-    certificateRenewed: certificateRenewed,
+    certificateRenewalError: certificateRenewalError,
 
     FEEDBACK_TYPE_FEEDBACK: 'feedback',
     FEEDBACK_TYPE_TICKET: 'ticket',
@@ -384,15 +384,15 @@ function outOfDiskSpace(message) {
     sendMails([ mailOptions ]);
 }
 
-function certificateRenewed(domain, message) {
+function certificateRenewalError(domain, message) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof domain, 'string');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof message, 'string');
 
     var mailOptions = {
         from: platform.mailConfig().from,
         to: 'admin@cloudron.io',
-        subject: util.format('[%s] Certificate was %s renewed', domain, message ? 'not' : ''),
-        text: render('certificate_renewed.ejs', { domain: domain, message: message, format: 'text' })
+        subject: util.format('[%s] Certificate renewal error', domain),
+        text: render('certificate_renewal_error.ejs', { domain: domain, message: message, format: 'text' })
     };
 
     sendMails([ mailOptions ]);