diff --git a/packages/component-helper-service/src/services/email/Email.js b/packages/component-helper-service/src/services/email/Email.js
index 8d5b688b6993b3ebb9df7ab25630b926aa7762c6..59531e05d4c0b1b92748e4ff65d04a7381f105a5 100644
--- a/packages/component-helper-service/src/services/email/Email.js
+++ b/packages/component-helper-service/src/services/email/Email.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 const config = require('config')
 const helpers = require('./helpers')
 const SendEmail = require('@pubsweet/component-send-email')
+const logger = require('@pubsweet/logger')
 
 class Email {
   constructor({
@@ -64,14 +65,20 @@ class Email {
   }
 
   sendEmail({ text, html }) {
+    const fromEmail = config.get('mailer.from')
     const mailData = {
-      from: config.get('mailer.from'),
+      from: fromEmail,
       to: this.toUser.email,
       subject: this.content.subject,
       text,
       html,
     }
 
+    logger.info(
+      `INFO: Sent email from ${fromEmail} to ${
+        this.toUser.email
+      } with subject ${this.content.subject}`,
+    )
     SendEmail.send(mailData)
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/components-faraday/src/components/SignUp/utils.js b/packages/components-faraday/src/components/SignUp/utils.js
index ae98c93c7df0b2d169affe222f81c2c79f412311..c5564bfe044faa2d7903253efb4ac688082567d5 100644
--- a/packages/components-faraday/src/components/SignUp/utils.js
+++ b/packages/components-faraday/src/components/SignUp/utils.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ const generatePasswordHash = () =>
 export const parseSignupAuthor = ({ token, confirmPassword, ...values }) => ({
   ...values,
   admin: false,
+  isActive: true,
   isConfirmed: false,
   editorInChief: false,
   handlingEditor: false,