diff --git a/src/email/build.ts b/src/email/build.ts
index 19d92dbd12..cede07f4d6 100644
--- a/src/email/build.ts
+++ b/src/email/build.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,24 @@ const ensureConfigHasFrom = (emailConfig) => {
   }
 };
 
+const handleMockAccount = async (emailConfig: EmailOptions) => {
+  let mockAccount;
+  try {
+    mockAccount = await mockHandler(emailConfig);
+    const { account: { web, user, pass } } = mockAccount;
+    logger.info('E-mail configured with mock configuration');
+    logger.info(`Log into mock email provider at ${web}`);
+    logger.info(`Mock email account username: ${user}`);
+    logger.info(`Mock email account password: ${pass}`);
+  } catch (err) {
+    logger.error(
+      'There was a problem setting up the mock email handler',
+      err,
+    );
+  }
+  return mockAccount;
+};
+
 export default async function buildEmail(emailConfig: EmailOptions): BuildEmailResult {
   if (hasTransport(emailConfig) && emailConfig.transport) {
     ensureConfigHasFrom(emailConfig);
@@ -41,12 +59,5 @@ export default async function buildEmail(emailConfig: EmailOptions): BuildEmailR
     return handleTransport(transport, email);
   }
 
-  const mockAccount = await mockHandler(emailConfig);
-  // Only log mock credentials if was explicitly set in config
-  const { account: { web, user, pass } } = mockAccount;
-  logger.info('E-mail configured with mock configuration');
-  logger.info(`Log into mock email provider at ${web}`);
-  logger.info(`Mock email account username: ${user}`);
-  logger.info(`Mock email account password: ${pass}`);
-  return mockAccount;
+  return handleMockAccount(emailConfig);
 }
diff --git a/src/email/sendEmail.ts b/src/email/sendEmail.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..912ecaff1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/email/sendEmail.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+import { Message } from './types';
+import logger from '../utilities/logger';
+
+export default async function sendEmail(message: Message): Promise<unknown> {
+  let result;
+  try {
+    const email = await this.email;
+    result = email.transport.sendMail(message);
+  } catch (err) {
+    logger.error(
+      `Failed to send mail to ${message.to}, subject: ${message.subject}`,
+      err,
+    );
+    return err;
+  }
+  return result;
+}
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index ade8490747..88cb699d52 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ import localGlobalOperations from './globals/operations/local';
 import { encrypt, decrypt } from './auth/crypto';
 import { MockEmailHandler, BuildEmailResult, Message } from './email/types';
 import { PayloadRequest } from './express/types';
+import sendEmail from './email/sendEmail';
 
 import { Options as CreateOptions } from './collections/operations/local/create';
 import { Options as FindOptions } from './collections/operations/local/find';
@@ -67,6 +68,8 @@ export class Payload {
 
   email: BuildEmailResult;
 
+  sendEmail: (message: Message) => Promise<unknown>;
+
   license: string;
 
   secret: string;
@@ -133,6 +136,7 @@ export class Payload {
 
     // Configure email service
     this.email = buildEmail(this.emailOptions);
+    this.sendEmail = sendEmail.bind(this);
 
     // Initialize collections & globals
     initCollections(this);
@@ -184,17 +188,6 @@ export class Payload {
     if (typeof options.onInit === 'function') options.onInit(this);
   }
 
-  sendEmail = async (message: Message): Promise<unknown> => {
-    const email = await this.email;
-    const result = email.transport.sendMail(message);
-    return result;
-  }
-
-  getMockEmailCredentials = async (): Promise<TestAccount> => {
-    const email = await this.email as MockEmailHandler;
-    return email.account;
-  }
-
   getAdminURL = (): string => `${this.config.serverURL}${this.config.routes.admin}`;
 
   getAPIURL = (): string => `${this.config.serverURL}${this.config.routes.api}`;