diff --git a/dashboard/server/control.js b/dashboard/server/control.js
index 195f7ef..02df044 100644
--- a/dashboard/server/control.js
+++ b/dashboard/server/control.js
@@ -185,23 +185,28 @@ export async function report(slug, { actual, error }) {
     if (actual === "running" && ["provisioning", "past_due"].includes(x.status)) x.status = "active";
   }, error ? `provisioning error: ${String(error).slice(0, 120)}` : `container ${actual}`);
   if (!error && actual === "running" && before.actual !== "running" && t.setupToken && !t.welcomedAt) {
-    const sent = await notify.sendEmail({
-      to: t.ownerEmail, subject: `Your Quorla workspace is ready`, heading: `Welcome to Quorla, ${t.ownerName || t.agencyName}`,
-      lines: [`Your workspace for ${t.agencyName} is ready at ${t.url}.`, "Use the button to create your admin account. The link works once; after that, sign in with your email and password.", "Then follow the Getting started list: connect your clients' accounts, invite your team and schedule your first post."],
-      button: { label: "Create my account", url: `${t.url}/?setup=${t.setupToken}` }, fromName: "Quorla",
-    });
-    update(slug, (x) => { if (sent.sent) x.welcomedAt = now(); }, sent.sent ? "welcome email sent" : `welcome email not sent: ${sent.reason}`);
+    // Don't make the script wait for the mail server; the outcome lands in the agency's log on Admin → Agencies.
+    sendWelcome(slug, t).catch(() => {});
   }
   return PUBLIC(read()[slug]);
 }
 
+async function sendWelcome(slug, t) {
+  const sent = await notify.sendEmail({
+    to: t.ownerEmail, subject: `Your Quorla workspace is ready`, heading: `Welcome to Quorla, ${t.ownerName || t.agencyName}`,
+    lines: [`Your workspace for ${t.agencyName} is ready at ${t.url}.`, "Use the button to create your admin account. The link works once; after that, sign in with your email and password.", "Then follow the Getting started list: connect your clients' accounts, invite your team and schedule your first post."],
+    button: { label: "Create my account", url: `${t.url}/?setup=${t.setupToken}` }, fromName: "Quorla",
+  });
+  update(slug, (x) => { if (sent.sent) x.welcomedAt = now(); }, sent.sent ? "welcome email sent" : `welcome email not sent: ${sent.reason}`);
+  return sent;
+}
+
 /** Send the welcome email again (the setup link only works until the first account exists). */
 export async function resendWelcome(slug) {
   const t = read()[slug];
   if (!t) throw err("Unknown agency.", 404);
   if (t.actual !== "running") throw err("The workspace isn't running yet.");
-  update(slug, (x) => { delete x.welcomedAt; });
-  await report(slug, { actual: "running" });
-  update(slug, () => {}, "welcome email re-sent");
+  const sent = await sendWelcome(slug, t);
+  if (!sent.sent) throw err(`Welcome email not sent: ${sent.reason}`, 502);
   return PUBLIC(read()[slug]);
 }
diff --git a/dashboard/server/notify.js b/dashboard/server/notify.js
index 407a1d1..11658e6 100644
--- a/dashboard/server/notify.js
+++ b/dashboard/server/notify.js
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ function mailer() {
   transport ||= nodemailer.createTransport({
     host: process.env.SMTP_HOST, port: Number(process.env.SMTP_PORT || 587), secure: Number(process.env.SMTP_PORT) === 465,
     auth: process.env.SMTP_USER ? { user: process.env.SMTP_USER, pass: process.env.SMTP_PASS || "" } : undefined,
+    connectionTimeout: 15000, greetingTimeout: 15000, socketTimeout: 30000, // fail with a reason instead of hanging for minutes
   });
   return transport;
 }