diff --git a/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/mail/IMailClient.java b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/mail/IMailClient.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..5dba4a0629c65671dc7e45b2e8eb7f618bbc17ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/mail/IMailClient.java
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2007 ETH Zuerich, CISD
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package ch.systemsx.cisd.common.mail;
+
+import ch.systemsx.cisd.common.exceptions.EnvironmentFailureException;
+
+/**
+ * 
+ *
+ * @author Franz-Josef Elmer
+ */
+public interface IMailClient
+{
+
+    /**
+     * Sends a mail with given <var>subject</var> and <var>content</var> to given <var>recipients</var>.
+     * 
+     * @param recipients list of recipients (of type <code>Message.RecipientType.TO</code>)
+     */
+    public void sendMessage(String subject, String content, String... recipients) throws EnvironmentFailureException;
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/mail/MailClient.java b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/mail/MailClient.java
index d72cf6cd6089d972baad16e692d36bf97caf7e93..f6d0347c6182f456b19ce53407c1f05b6f90d8e3 100644
--- a/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/mail/MailClient.java
+++ b/common/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/common/mail/MailClient.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import javax.mail.internet.MimeMessage;
 
 import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
 
+import ch.systemsx.cisd.common.exceptions.EnvironmentFailureException;
 import ch.systemsx.cisd.common.logging.LogCategory;
 import ch.systemsx.cisd.common.logging.LogFactory;
 
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ import ch.systemsx.cisd.common.logging.LogFactory;
  * 
  * @author Christian Ribeaud
  */
-public final class MailClient extends Authenticator
+public final class MailClient extends Authenticator implements IMailClient
 {
 
     /** This system property is not supported by the <i>JavaMail API</i> */
@@ -139,7 +140,8 @@ public final class MailClient extends Authenticator
      * 
      * @param recipients list of recipients (of type <code>Message.RecipientType.TO</code>)
      */
-    public final void sendMessage(String subject, String content, String... recipients) throws MessagingException
+    public final void sendMessage(String subject, String content, String... recipients)
+            throws EnvironmentFailureException
     {
         if (operationLog.isInfoEnabled())
         {
@@ -152,11 +154,18 @@ public final class MailClient extends Authenticator
             internetAddresses[i] = createInternetAddress(recipients[i]);
         }
         MimeMessage msg = new MimeMessage(createSession());
-        msg.setFrom(createInternetAddress(from));
-        msg.addRecipients(Message.RecipientType.TO, internetAddresses);
-        msg.setSubject(subject);
-        msg.setText(content);
-        Transport.send(msg);
+        try
+        {
+            msg.setFrom(createInternetAddress(from));
+            msg.addRecipients(Message.RecipientType.TO, internetAddresses);
+            msg.setSubject(subject);
+            msg.setText(content);
+            Transport.send(msg);
+        } catch (MessagingException ex)
+        {
+            throw new EnvironmentFailureException("Sending e-mail with subject '" + subject + "' to recipients "
+                    + Arrays.asList(recipients) + " failed. Reason: " + ex, ex);
+        }
     }
 
     //