diff --git a/packages/component-mail-service/src/Mail.js b/packages/component-mail-service/src/Mail.js
index da82365693ca61e4e1d845f487a5211579d2ddff..df3d1580d80f8ea5a472f29beb186171a5f1916d 100644
--- a/packages/component-mail-service/src/Mail.js
+++ b/packages/component-mail-service/src/Mail.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ const helpers = require('./helpers/helpers')
 
 const resetPasswordPath = config.get('invite-reviewer.url')
 const resetPath = config.get('invite-reset-password.url')
+const emailSending = config.get('email-sending')
 
 module.exports = {
   sendSimpleEmail: async ({
@@ -130,7 +131,8 @@ module.exports = {
       text: textBody,
       html: htmlBody,
     }
-    return Email.send(mailData)
+    if (emailSending === 'true') return Email.send(mailData)
+    return {}
   },
   sendReviewerInvitationEmail: async ({
     user,
@@ -246,7 +248,8 @@ module.exports = {
       text: textBody,
       html: htmlBody,
     }
-    return Email.send(mailData)
+    if (emailSending === 'true') return Email.send(mailData)
+    return {}
   },
   sendNotificationEmail: async ({ toEmail, user, emailType, meta = {} }) => {
     let subject, textBody
@@ -375,6 +378,7 @@ module.exports = {
       text: textBody,
       html: htmlBody,
     }
-    return Email.send(mailData)
+    if (emailSending === 'true') return Email.send(mailData)
+    return {}
   },
 }
diff --git a/packages/xpub-faraday/config/default.js b/packages/xpub-faraday/config/default.js
index 8733d526914c5fb774300d42b2089166e981c6c2..dc6d64d968f13b7e1ce92c1c1e0571e08afa0f8e 100644
--- a/packages/xpub-faraday/config/default.js
+++ b/packages/xpub-faraday/config/default.js
@@ -123,4 +123,5 @@ module.exports = {
       private: 'Pending Approval',
     },
   },
+  'email-sending': process.env.EMAIL_SENDING || false,
 }