diff --git a/csharp/App/Backend/Controller.cs b/csharp/App/Backend/Controller.cs
index 8270d4c40..1fd23700e 100644
--- a/csharp/App/Backend/Controller.cs
+++ b/csharp/App/Backend/Controller.cs
@@ -555,6 +555,7 @@ public class Controller : ControllerBase
             if (!mail_success)
             {
                 Db.GetSession(authToken).Delete(newUser);
+                return StatusCode(500, "Welcome email failed to send");
             }
             
             return mail_success ? newUser.HidePassword():Unauthorized();
diff --git a/csharp/App/Backend/Database/Db.cs b/csharp/App/Backend/Database/Db.cs
index f83e33cac..7d21eee60 100644
--- a/csharp/App/Backend/Database/Db.cs
+++ b/csharp/App/Backend/Database/Db.cs
@@ -296,8 +296,10 @@ public static partial class Db
             await user.SendNewUserWelcomeMessage();
             return true;
         }
-        catch
+        catch (Exception ex)
         {
+            Console.WriteLine($"Welcome email failed for {user.Email}");
+            Console.WriteLine(ex.ToString());
             return false;
         }
     }
diff --git a/csharp/Lib/Mailer/Mailer.cs b/csharp/Lib/Mailer/Mailer.cs
index 74781ce14..87563cef0 100644
--- a/csharp/Lib/Mailer/Mailer.cs
+++ b/csharp/Lib/Mailer/Mailer.cs
@@ -1,35 +1,52 @@
 using System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis;
 using System.Text.Json;
 using MailKit.Net.Smtp;
+using MailKit.Security;
 using MimeKit;
 
 namespace InnovEnergy.Lib.Mailer;
 
-
 public static class Mailer
 {
     [UnconditionalSuppressMessage("Trimming", "IL2026:Members annotated with 'RequiresUnreferencedCodeAttribute' require dynamic access otherwise can break functionality when trimming application code", Justification = "<Pending>")]
-    public static async Task Send(String recipientName, String recipientEmailAddress, String subject, String body)
+    public static async Task Send(string recipientName, string recipientEmailAddress, string subject, string body)
     {
         var config = await ReadMailerConfig();
+        
+        Console.WriteLine("=============== SMTP CONFIG LOADED ==============");
+        Console.WriteLine($"Config full path: {Path.GetFullPath(MailerConfig.DefaultFile)}");
+        Console.WriteLine($"SMTP host: {config!.SmtpServerUrl}");
+        Console.WriteLine($"SMTP port: {config.SmtpPort}");
+        Console.WriteLine($"SMTP username: {config.SmtpUsername}");
+        Console.WriteLine($"Sender: {config.SenderName} <{config.SenderAddress}>");
+        Console.WriteLine("==================================================");
+
 
         var from = new MailboxAddress(config!.SenderName, config.SenderAddress);
         var to   = new MailboxAddress(recipientName, recipientEmailAddress);
-        
-        var msg  = new MimeMessage
+
+        var msg = new MimeMessage
         {
             From    = { from },
             To      = { to },
             Subject = subject,
-            Body    = new TextPart { Text = body }
+            Body    = new TextPart("plain") { Text = body }
         };
 
         using var smtp = new SmtpClient();
-        
-        await smtp.ConnectAsync(config.SmtpServerUrl, config.SmtpPort, false);
-        await smtp.AuthenticateAsync(config.SmtpUsername, config.SmtpPassword);
-        await smtp.SendAsync(msg);
-        await smtp.DisconnectAsync(true);
+
+        try
+        {
+            await smtp.ConnectAsync(config.SmtpServerUrl, config.SmtpPort, SecureSocketOptions.StartTls);
+            await smtp.AuthenticateAsync(config.SmtpUsername, config.SmtpPassword);
+            await smtp.SendAsync(msg);
+            await smtp.DisconnectAsync(true);
+        }
+        catch (Exception ex)
+        {
+            Console.WriteLine(ex.ToString());
+            throw; // keep while testing
+        }
     }
 
     [RequiresUnreferencedCode("Calls System.Text.Json.JsonSerializer.DeserializeAsync<TValue>(Stream, JsonSerializerOptions, CancellationToken)")]