diff --git a/app/controllers/user_admin_controller.rb b/app/controllers/user_admin_controller.rb
--- a/app/controllers/user_admin_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/user_admin_controller.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 class UserAdminController < ApplicationController
 
+  include MailHelperMethods
+
   before_filter :admin_authorization
 
   # GETs should be safe (see http://www.w3.org/2001/tag/doc/whenToUseGet.html)
@@ -326,19 +328,12 @@
       redirect_to :action => 'mass_mailing' and return
     end
 
-    admin_email = GraderConfiguration['system.admin_email']
-
     note = []
     users = []
     lines.split("\n").each do |line|
       user = User.find_by_login(line.chomp)
       if user
-        Mail.deliver do
-          from admin_email
-          to user.email
-          subject mail_subject
-          body mail_body
-        end
+        send_mail(user.email, mail_subject, mail_body)
         note << user.login
       end
     end
@@ -440,15 +435,8 @@
                     :contest_name => contest.name,
                   })
 
-    admin_email = GraderConfiguration['system.admin_email']
-
     logger.info mail_body
-    Mail.deliver do
-      from admin_email
-      to user.email
-      subject mail_subject
-      body mail_body
-    end
+    send_mail(user.email, mail_subject, mail_body)
   end
 
   def find_contest_and_user_from_contest_id(id)
diff --git a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
--- a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 class UsersController < ApplicationController
 
+  include MailHelperMethods
+
   before_filter :authenticate, :except => [:new, 
                                            :register, 
                                            :confirm, 
@@ -116,7 +118,6 @@
 
   def send_confirmation_email(user)
     contest_name = GraderConfiguration['contest.name']
-    admin_email = GraderConfiguration['system.admin_email']
     activation_url = url_for(:action => 'confirm', 
                              :login => user.login, 
                              :activation => user.activation_key)
@@ -133,17 +134,11 @@
 
     logger.info mail_body
 
-    Mail.deliver do
-      from admin_email
-      to user.email
-      subject mail_subject
-      body mail_body
-    end
+    send_mail(user.email, mail_subject, mail_body)
   end
   
   def send_new_password_email(user)
     contest_name = GraderConfiguration['contest.name']
-    admin_email = GraderConfiguration['system.admin_email']
     mail_subject = "[#{contest_name}] Password recovery"
     mail_body = t('registration.password_retrieval.email_body', {
                     :full_name => user.full_name,
@@ -155,12 +150,7 @@
 
     logger.info mail_body
 
-    Mail.deliver do
-      from admin_email
-      to user.email
-      subject mail_subject
-      body mail_body
-    end
+    send_mail(user.email, mail_subject, mail_body)
   end
   
 end
diff --git a/lib/mail_helper_methods.rb b/lib/mail_helper_methods.rb
--- a/lib/mail_helper_methods.rb
+++ b/lib/mail_helper_methods.rb
@@ -1,35 +1,29 @@
 module MailHelperMethods
 
-  def send_mail(to, subject, body)
-    mail = TMail::Mail.new
-    mail.to = to
-    mail.from = Configuration['system.online_registration.from']
-    mail.subject = subject
-    mail.body = body
-
-    smtp_server = Configuration['system.online_registration.smtp']
+  def send_mail(mail_to, mail_subject, mail_body)
+    mail_from = GraderConfiguration['system.online_registration.from']
+    smtp_server = GraderConfiguration['system.online_registration.smtp']
 
     if ['fake', 'debug'].include? smtp_server
       puts "-------------------------
-To: #{mail.to}
-From: #{mail.from}
-Subject: #{mail.subject}
-#{mail.body}
+To: #{mail_to}
+From: #{mail_from}
+Subject: #{mail_subject}
+#{mail_body}
 --------------------------
 "
       return true
     end
 
-    begin
-      Net::SMTP.start(smtp_server) do |smtp|
-        smtp.send_message(mail.to_s, mail.from, mail.to)
-      end
-      result = true
-    rescue
-      result = false
+    mail = Mail.new do
+      from mail_from
+      to mail_to
+      subject mail_subject
+      body mail_body
     end
 
-    result
+    mail.delivery_settings = { :address => smtp_server }
+    mail.deliver
   end
 
 end