diff --git a/src/main/java/org/olat/core/util/_spring/utilCorecontext.xml b/src/main/java/org/olat/core/util/_spring/utilCorecontext.xml
index b4dcd6f50c0f5e66d61f86ecd8939f36841af518..83bd3edbf9ed6049a0f9314791213c28807464e5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/olat/core/util/_spring/utilCorecontext.xml
+++ b/src/main/java/org/olat/core/util/_spring/utilCorecontext.xml
@@ -24,11 +24,12 @@
 		<property name="mailConfig">
 			<map>
 				<entry key="mailhost" value="${smtp.host}"/>
-				<entry key="mailTimeout" value="8000"/> <!-- timeout in milliseconds -->
+				<entry key="mailTimeout" value="${smtp.timeout}"/> <!-- timeout in milliseconds -->
 				<entry key="smtpUser" value="${smtp.user}"/>
 				<entry key="smtpPwd" value="${smtp.pwd}"/>
 				<entry key="sslEnabled" value="${smtp.sslEnabled}"/>
 				<entry key="sslCheckCertificate" value="${smtp.sslCheckCertificate}"/>
+				<entry key="smtpStarttls" value="${smtp.starttls}"/>
 				<entry key="mailFrom" value="${fromemail}"/>
 				<entry key="mailFromName" value="${fromname}"/>
 				<entry key="mailReplyTo" value="${adminemail}"/>
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/olat/core/util/mail/manager/MailManagerImpl.java b/src/main/java/org/olat/core/util/mail/manager/MailManagerImpl.java
index 0bf659b01dfe9d80282ef800695bcadcbf1c1073..8ab00be68b15f79d2c7bfaad7754589280837f64 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/olat/core/util/mail/manager/MailManagerImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/olat/core/util/mail/manager/MailManagerImpl.java
@@ -1448,6 +1448,7 @@ public class MailManagerImpl extends BasicManager implements MailManager {
 		String mailhostTimeout = WebappHelper.getMailConfig("mailTimeout");
 		boolean sslEnabled = Boolean.parseBoolean(WebappHelper.getMailConfig("sslEnabled"));
 		boolean sslCheckCertificate = Boolean.parseBoolean(WebappHelper.getMailConfig("sslCheckCertificate"));
+		boolean startTls = Boolean.parseBoolean(WebappHelper.getMailConfig("smtpStarttls"));
 		
 		Authenticator smtpAuth;
 		if (WebappHelper.isMailHostAuthenticationEnabled()) {
@@ -1465,6 +1466,10 @@ public class MailManagerImpl extends BasicManager implements MailManager {
 		p.put("mail.smtp.connectiontimeout", mailhostTimeout);
 		p.put("mail.smtp.ssl.enable", sslEnabled);
 		p.put("mail.smtp.ssl.checkserveridentity", sslCheckCertificate);
+		if(startTls) {
+			p.put("mail.smtp.starttls.enable", "true");
+		}
+		
 		Session mailSession;
 		if (smtpAuth == null) {
 			mailSession = javax.mail.Session.getInstance(p);
diff --git a/src/main/resources/serviceconfig/olat.properties b/src/main/resources/serviceconfig/olat.properties
index 4bff2de24953d5a9221f82cd2de4dbe6176eeaee..962d2c07523736937ed110c90a65adc4b1f7bccb 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/serviceconfig/olat.properties
+++ b/src/main/resources/serviceconfig/olat.properties
@@ -123,6 +123,9 @@ smtp.pwd=
 # enable SSL if your smtp server supports it
 smtp.sslEnabled=false
 smtp.sslCheckCertificate=false
+smtp.starttls=false
+# timeout in milliseconds
+smtp.timeout=8000
 # system mails will be sent from this address (from local domain with valid reverse dns):
 fromemail=no-reply@your.domain
 # the plain text name of the from mail address usually displayed by the email client