diff --git a/common/models/user.js b/common/models/user.js
index 77d9874df2..f75dea051a 100644
--- a/common/models/user.js
+++ b/common/models/user.js
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { blacklistedUsernames } from '../../server/utils/constants';
 
 const debug = debugFactory('fcc:user:remote');
 const BROWNIEPOINTS_TIMEOUT = [1, 'hour'];
+const isDev = process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production';
 
 function getAboutProfile({
   username,
@@ -356,6 +357,9 @@ module.exports = function(User) {
             to: email,
             from: 'Team@freecodecamp.com',
             subject: 'Welcome to Free Code Camp!',
+            protocol: isDev ? null : 'https',
+            host: isDev ? 'localhost' : 'freecodecamp.com',
+            port: isDev ? null : 443,
             template: path.join(
               __dirname,
               '..',
diff --git a/server/boot/a-extendUser.js b/server/boot/a-extendUser.js
index 9d62c62e0f..3e9dbf0305 100644
--- a/server/boot/a-extendUser.js
+++ b/server/boot/a-extendUser.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { isEmail } from 'validator';
 import path from 'path';
 
 const debug = debugFactory('fcc:user:remote');
+const isDev = process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production';
 
 function destroyAllRelated(id, Model) {
   return Observable.fromNodeCallback(
@@ -70,6 +71,9 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
       to: user.email,
       from: 'Team@freecodecamp.com',
       subject: 'Welcome to Free Code Camp!',
+      protocol: isDev ? null : 'https',
+      host: isDev ? 'localhost' : 'freecodecamp.com',
+      port: isDev ? null : 443,
       template: path.join(
         __dirname,
         '..',