diff --git a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
index 3031afdb85..0a7977eabd 100644
--- a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ def create
         flash[:warning] = I18n.t('users_controller.account_migrated_create_new_password')
         redirect_to "/profile/edit"
       else
+        WelcomeMailer.notify_newcomer(@user).deliver_now
         flash[:notice] = I18n.t('users_controller.registration_successful').html_safe
         flash[:warning] = I18n.t('users_controller.spectralworkbench_or_mapknitter', :url1 => "'#{session[:openid_return_to]}'").html_safe if session[:openid_return_to]
         session[:openid_return_to] = nil
diff --git a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
index 53b3cd7764..71ee8d34db 100644
--- a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
@@ -63,6 +63,15 @@ def feature(title)
     end
   end
 
+  def feature_node(title)
+    features = Node.where(type: 'feature', title: title)
+    if !features.empty?
+      return features.last
+    else
+      ''
+    end
+  end
+
   def locale_name_pairs
     I18n.available_locales.map do |locale|
       [I18n.t('language', locale: locale), locale]
diff --git a/app/mailers/welcome_mailer.rb b/app/mailers/welcome_mailer.rb
index d9641a2b76..a1fd775520 100644
--- a/app/mailers/welcome_mailer.rb
+++ b/app/mailers/welcome_mailer.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 class WelcomeMailer < ActionMailer::Base
   helper :application
   include ApplicationHelper
-  # default from: "notifications@#{ActionMailer::Base.default_url_options[:host]}"
+  default from: "notifications@#{ActionMailer::Base.default_url_options[:host]}"
 
   # PasswordResetMailer.reset_notify(user).deliver_now
   def add_to_list(user, list)
@@ -10,4 +10,12 @@ def add_to_list(user, list)
     @footer = feature('email-footer')
     mail(to: list + '+subscribe@googlegroups.com', subject: subject, from: user.email)
   end
+
+  def notify_newcomer(user)
+    subject = 'Welcome to Public Lab'
+    @user = user
+    @footer = feature('email-footer')
+    @body = feature_node('welcome-email-body')
+    mail(to: user.email, subject: subject)
+  end
 end
diff --git a/app/views/welcome_mailer/notify_newcomer.html.erb b/app/views/welcome_mailer/notify_newcomer.html.erb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..49f0854089
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/views/welcome_mailer/notify_newcomer.html.erb
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+
+<%= raw auto_link(@body.latest.render_body_email(ActionMailer::Base.default_url_options[:host]), sanitize: false) %>
+
+<%= @footer %>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/fixtures/nodes.yml b/test/fixtures/nodes.yml
index cb8ce965ed..9de6bd7cf6 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/nodes.yml
+++ b/test/fixtures/nodes.yml
@@ -248,3 +248,13 @@ draft:
   type: "note"
   cached_likes: 0
   slug: test-<%= Time.now.strftime("%m-%d-%Y") %>-draft-note token:briRpnTHzKHepo6-j8-b5w
+
+welcome_feature:
+  nid: 22
+  uid: 1
+  title: "welcome-email-body"
+  created: <%= Time.now.to_i %>
+  changed: <%= Time.now.to_i %>
+  status: 1
+  type: "feature"
+  cached_likes: 0
diff --git a/test/fixtures/revisions.yml b/test/fixtures/revisions.yml
index 4a44a5044e..8f39094f1b 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/revisions.yml
+++ b/test/fixtures/revisions.yml
@@ -270,3 +270,10 @@ checkbox_two:
     # Heading 1
     List of things
     * [x] 
+
+email_body:
+  nid: 22
+  uid: 1
+  title: "welcome-email-body"
+  body: Welcome email body
+  timestamp: <%= (Time.now - 1.week).to_i %>
diff --git a/test/unit/welcome_mailer_test.rb b/test/unit/welcome_mailer_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8512dbc986
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/welcome_mailer_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+require 'test_helper'
+
+class WelcomeMailerTest < ActionMailer::TestCase
+
+  test 'notify newcomer with welcome email' do
+    user = users(:bob)
+    @body = nodes(:welcome_feature)
+
+    assert_difference 'ActionMailer::Base.deliveries.size', 1 do
+      WelcomeMailer.notify_newcomer(user).deliver_now
+    end
+    assert !ActionMailer::Base.deliveries.empty?
+
+    email = ActionMailer::Base.deliveries.last
+    assert_equal ["notifications@#{request_host}"], email.from
+    assert_equal [user.email], email.to
+    assert_equal "Welcome to Public Lab", email.subject
+    assert email.body.include?("Welcome email body")
+  end
+end