diff --git a/app/__init__.py b/app/__init__.py
index 4e5b345..f5a8a91 100644
--- a/app/__init__.py
+++ b/app/__init__.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ from flask import Flask
 from flask.ext.sqlalchemy import SQLAlchemy
 from flask.ext.login import LoginManager
 from flask.ext.openid import OpenID
+from flask.ext.mail import Mail
 from config import basedir, ADMINS, MAIL_SERVER, MAIL_PORT, MAIL_USERNAME, MAIL_PASSWORD
 
 app = Flask(__name__)
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@ lm = LoginManager()
 lm.setup_app(app)
 lm.login_view = 'login'
 oid = OpenID(app, os.path.join(basedir, 'tmp'))
+mail = Mail(app)
 
 if not app.debug:
     import logging
diff --git a/app/decorators.py b/app/decorators.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..65c1411
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/decorators.py
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+from threading import Thread
+
+def async(f):
+    def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
+        thr = Thread(target = f, args = args, kwargs = kwargs)
+        thr.start()
+    return wrapper
+    
diff --git a/app/emails.py b/app/emails.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e511119
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/emails.py
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+from flask import render_template
+from flask.ext.mail import Message
+from app import mail
+from decorators import async
+from config import ADMINS
+
+@async    
+def send_async_email(msg):
+    mail.send(msg)
+    
+def send_email(subject, sender, recipients, text_body, html_body):
+    msg = Message(subject, sender = sender, recipients = recipients)
+    msg.body = text_body
+    msg.html = html_body
+    send_async_email(msg)
+    #thr = threading.Thread(target = send_async_email, args = [msg])
+    #thr.start()
+
+    
+def follower_notification(followed, follower):
+    send_email("[microblog] %s is now following you!" % follower.nickname,
+        ADMINS[0],
+        [followed.email],
+        render_template("follower_email.txt", 
+            user = followed, follower = follower),
+        render_template("follower_email.html", 
+            user = followed, follower = follower))
+        
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/templates/follower_email.html b/app/templates/follower_email.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b00e00d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/templates/follower_email.html
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+<p>Dear {{user.nickname}},</p>
+<p><a href="{{url_for("user", nickname = follower.nickname, _external = True)}}">{{follower.nickname}}</a> is now a follower.</p>
+<table>
+    <tr valign="top">
+        <td><img src="{{follower.avatar(50)}}"></td>
+        <td>
+            <a href="{{url_for('user', nickname = follower.nickname, _external = True)}}">{{follower.nickname}}</a><br />
+            {{follower.about_me}}
+        </td>
+    </tr>
+</table>
+<p>Regards,</p>
+<p>The <code>microblog</code> admin</p>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/templates/follower_email.txt b/app/templates/follower_email.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f4c49a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/templates/follower_email.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+Dear {{user.nickname}},
+
+{{follower.nickname}} is now a follower. Click on the following link to visit {{follower.nickname}}'s profile page:
+
+{{url_for("user", nickname = follower.nickname, _external = True)}}
+
+Regards,
+
+The microblog admin
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/views.py b/app/views.py
index e47363b..71ebf7b 100644
--- a/app/views.py
+++ b/app/views.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ from app import app, db, lm, oid
 from forms import LoginForm, EditForm, PostForm, SearchForm
 from models import User, ROLE_USER, ROLE_ADMIN, Post
 from datetime import datetime
+from emails import follower_notification
 from config import POSTS_PER_PAGE, MAX_SEARCH_RESULTS
 
 @lm.user_loader
@@ -135,6 +136,7 @@ def follow(nickname):
     db.session.add(u)
     db.session.commit()
     flash('You are now following ' + nickname + '!')
+    follower_notification(user, g.user)
     return redirect(url_for('user', nickname = nickname))
 
 @app.route('/unfollow/<nickname>')
diff --git a/config.py b/config.py
index 9adb163..ad29d77 100644
--- a/config.py
+++ b/config.py
@@ -15,11 +15,13 @@ SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI = 'sqlite:///' + os.path.join(basedir, 'app.db')
 SQLALCHEMY_MIGRATE_REPO = os.path.join(basedir, 'db_repository')
 WHOOSH_BASE = os.path.join(basedir, 'search.db')
 
-# mail server settings
-MAIL_SERVER = 'localhost'
+# email server
+MAIL_SERVER = 'your.mailserver.com'
 MAIL_PORT = 25
-MAIL_USERNAME = None
-MAIL_PASSWORD = None
+MAIL_USE_TLS = False
+MAIL_USE_SSL = False
+MAIL_USERNAME = 'you'
+MAIL_PASSWORD = 'your-password'
 
 # administrator list
 ADMINS = ['you@example.com']