diff --git a/comanage-registry-base/comanage_utils.sh b/comanage-registry-base/comanage_utils.sh
index 916b366..6217c98 100644
--- a/comanage-registry-base/comanage_utils.sh
+++ b/comanage-registry-base/comanage_utils.sh
@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@ function comanage_utils::consume_injected_environment() {
         COMANAGE_REGISTRY_EMAIL_FROM
         COMANAGE_REGISTRY_EMAIL_TRANSPORT
         COMANAGE_REGISTRY_EMAIL_HOST
+        COMANAGE_REGISTRY_EMAIL_TLS
         COMANAGE_REGISTRY_EMAIL_PORT
         COMANAGE_REGISTRY_EMAIL_ACCOUNT
         COMANAGE_REGISTRY_EMAIL_ACCOUNT_PASSWORD
@@ -450,6 +451,7 @@ EOF
 #   COMANAGE_REGISTRY_EMAIL_FROM
 #   COMANAGE_REGISTRY_EMAIL_HOST
 #   COMANAGE_REGISTRY_EMAIL_PORT
+#   COMANAGE_REGISTRY_EMAIL_TLS
 #   COMANAGE_REGISTRY_EMAIL_TRANSPORT
 #   COMANAGE_REGISTRY_DIR
 # Arguments:
@@ -513,6 +515,12 @@ EOF
         php_string+="'port' => ${COMANAGE_REGISTRY_EMAIL_PORT},"
     fi
 
+    # set tls if provided
+    if [[ -n "${COMANAGE_REGISTRY_EMAIL_TLS}" ]]; then
+        php_string+=$'\n\t\t'
+        php_string+="'tls' => ${COMANAGE_REGISTRY_EMAIL_TLS},"
+    fi
+
     if [[ -n "${COMANAGE_REGISTRY_EMAIL_ACCOUNT}" ]]; then
         php_string+=$'\n\t\t'
         php_string+="'username' => '${COMANAGE_REGISTRY_EMAIL_ACCOUNT}',"
diff --git a/docs/comanage-registry-common-environment-variables.md b/docs/comanage-registry-common-environment-variables.md
index 66e5ce5..02de385 100644
--- a/docs/comanage-registry-common-environment-variables.md
+++ b/docs/comanage-registry-common-environment-variables.md
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ When used together the resulting PHP is
 * Description: Email server host
 * Required: no
 * Default: none
-* Example: tls://smtp.gmail.com
+* Example: tls://smtp.gmail.com OR smtp.gmail.com if the TLS option is used
 * Note: \[[3](#note03)\]
 
 ```COMANAGE_REGISTRY_EMAIL_PORT```
@@ -170,7 +170,15 @@ When used together the resulting PHP is
 * Description: Email server port
 * Required: no
 * Default: none
-* Example: 465
+* Example: 465 or 587
+* Note: \[[3](#note03)\]
+
+```COMANAGE_REGISTRY_EMAIL_TLS```
+
+* Description: STARTTLS SMTP extension using the tls option
+* Required: no
+* Default: none
+* Example: true
 * Note: \[[3](#note03)\]
 
 ```COMANAGE_REGISTRY_EMAIL_ACCOUNT```