diff --git a/hapi-fhir-server/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/rest/server/mail/MailConfig.java b/hapi-fhir-server/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/rest/server/mail/MailConfig.java
index 46848cdafac..02bb16f9fdc 100644
--- a/hapi-fhir-server/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/rest/server/mail/MailConfig.java
+++ b/hapi-fhir-server/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/rest/server/mail/MailConfig.java
@@ -1,61 +1,64 @@
 package ca.uhn.fhir.rest.server.mail;
 
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.builder.EqualsBuilder;
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.builder.HashCodeBuilder;
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.builder.ToStringBuilder;
 
 public class MailConfig {
-	private String smtpHostname;
-	private Integer smtpPort;
-	private String smtpUsername;
-	private String smtpPassword;
-	private boolean smtpUseStartTLS;
+	private String mySmtpHostname;
+	private Integer mySmtpPort;
+	private String mySmtpUsername;
+	private String mySmtpPassword;
+	private boolean mySmtpUseStartTLS;
 
 	public MailConfig() {
 	}
 
 	public String getSmtpHostname() {
-		return smtpHostname;
+		return mySmtpHostname;
 	}
 
 	public MailConfig setSmtpHostname(String theSmtpHostname) {
-		smtpHostname = theSmtpHostname;
+		mySmtpHostname = theSmtpHostname;
 		return this;
 	}
 
 	public Integer getSmtpPort() {
-		return smtpPort;
+		return mySmtpPort;
 	}
 
 	public MailConfig setSmtpPort(Integer theSmtpPort) {
-		smtpPort = theSmtpPort;
+		mySmtpPort = theSmtpPort;
 		return this;
 	}
 
 	public String getSmtpUsername() {
-		return smtpUsername;
+		return mySmtpUsername;
 	}
 
 	public MailConfig setSmtpUsername(String theSmtpUsername) {
-		smtpUsername = theSmtpUsername;
+		// SimpleJavaMail treats empty smtp username as valid username and requires auth
+		mySmtpUsername = StringUtils.isBlank(theSmtpUsername) ? null : theSmtpUsername;
 		return this;
 	}
 
 	public String getSmtpPassword() {
-		return smtpPassword;
+		return mySmtpPassword;
 	}
 
 	public MailConfig setSmtpPassword(String theSmtpPassword) {
-		smtpPassword = theSmtpPassword;
+		// SimpleJavaMail treats empty smtp password as valid password and requires auth
+		mySmtpPassword = StringUtils.isBlank(theSmtpPassword) ? null : theSmtpPassword;
 		return this;
 	}
 
 	public boolean isSmtpUseStartTLS() {
-		return smtpUseStartTLS;
+		return mySmtpUseStartTLS;
 	}
 
 	public MailConfig setSmtpUseStartTLS(boolean theSmtpUseStartTLS) {
-		smtpUseStartTLS = theSmtpUseStartTLS;
+		mySmtpUseStartTLS = theSmtpUseStartTLS;
 		return this;
 	}
 
diff --git a/hapi-fhir-server/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/rest/server/mail/MailSvc.java b/hapi-fhir-server/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/rest/server/mail/MailSvc.java
index 95e2d4d40bb..5c87c4256dd 100644
--- a/hapi-fhir-server/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/rest/server/mail/MailSvc.java
+++ b/hapi-fhir-server/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/rest/server/mail/MailSvc.java
@@ -62,6 +62,9 @@ public class MailSvc {
 
 	@Nonnull
 	private Mailer makeMailer(@Nonnull MailConfig theMailConfig) {
+		ourLog.info("SMTP Mailer config Hostname:[{}] | Port:[{}] | Username:[{}] | TLS:[{}]",
+			theMailConfig.getSmtpHostname(), theMailConfig.getSmtpPort(),
+			theMailConfig.getSmtpUsername(), theMailConfig.isSmtpUseStartTLS());
 		return MailerBuilder
 			.withSMTPServer(
 				theMailConfig.getSmtpHostname(),
diff --git a/hapi-fhir-server/src/test/java/ca/uhn/fhir/rest/server/mail/MailConfigTest.java b/hapi-fhir-server/src/test/java/ca/uhn/fhir/rest/server/mail/MailConfigTest.java
index d66cb711ad3..a05d0b8ee92 100644
--- a/hapi-fhir-server/src/test/java/ca/uhn/fhir/rest/server/mail/MailConfigTest.java
+++ b/hapi-fhir-server/src/test/java/ca/uhn/fhir/rest/server/mail/MailConfigTest.java
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNotEquals;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNotSame;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNull;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertSame;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
 
@@ -86,4 +87,22 @@ public class MailConfigTest {
 		assertNotEquals(fixture, null);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testSetSmtpUsername() {
+		// execute & validate
+		assertEquals("xyz", fixture.setSmtpUsername("xyz").getSmtpUsername());
+		assertNull(fixture.setSmtpUsername(null).getSmtpUsername());
+		assertNull(fixture.setSmtpUsername("").getSmtpUsername());
+		assertNull(fixture.setSmtpUsername("  ").getSmtpUsername());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testSetSmtpPassword() {
+		// execute & validate
+		assertEquals("xyz", fixture.setSmtpPassword("xyz").getSmtpPassword());
+		assertNull(fixture.setSmtpPassword(null).getSmtpPassword());
+		assertNull(fixture.setSmtpPassword("").getSmtpPassword());
+		assertNull(fixture.setSmtpPassword("  ").getSmtpPassword());
+	}
+
 }