diff --git a/poast/cli.py b/poast/cli.py
index 56648bc..f681b51 100644
--- a/poast/cli.py
+++ b/poast/cli.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 import getpass
 import logging
 from logging.config import fileConfig
-from smtplib import SMTP_SSL, SMTPRecipientsRefused
+from smtplib import SMTP, SMTP_SSL, SMTPRecipientsRefused
 from tempfile import NamedTemporaryFile
 from time import sleep
 
@@ -55,13 +55,17 @@ def queue(path, mongo, mongo_database, mongo_collection, people_db, sender,
 @click.option('--password', prompt=True, hide_input=True)
 @click.option('--smtp-host', default='localhost')
 @click.option('--smtp-port', default=465, type=int)
-def mail(path, username, password, smtp_host, smtp_port):
-    s = SMTP_SSL(smtp_host, smtp_port)
-    try:
-        s.login(username, password)
-    except:
-        s.quit()
-        raise
+@click.option('--ssl/--no-ssl', default=True)
+def mail(path, username, password, smtp_host, smtp_port, ssl):
+    if not ssl:
+        s = SMTP(smtp_host, smtp_port)
+    else:
+        s = SMTP_SSL(smtp_host, smtp_port)
+        try:
+            s.login(username, password)
+        except:
+            s.quit()
+            raise
     try:
         for msg in delivery_queue(path):
             receiver = msg['To']
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 59e4a70..5f02785 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -1,11 +1,15 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 from __future__ import absolute_import
 
+import asyncore
 import io
 import json
 import os
+import socket
 import shutil
+import smtpd
 import tempfile
+import threading
 
 from mongobox import MongoBox
 from pymongo import MongoClient
@@ -52,3 +56,39 @@ def tmp_dir():
     path = tempfile.mkdtemp()
     yield path
     shutil.rmtree(path)
+
+
+@pytest.yield_fixture
+def smtp_server():
+    port = _get_open_port()
+    server = TestSMTPServer(('localhost', port))
+    server.start()
+    yield server
+    server.close()
+
+
+def _get_open_port(host="localhost"):
+    s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
+    s.bind((host, 0))
+    port = s.getsockname()[1]
+    s.close()
+    return port
+
+
+class TestSMTPServer(smtpd.SMTPServer):
+    def __init__(self, localaddr):
+        self.received = []
+        self._port = localaddr[1]
+        smtpd.SMTPServer.__init__(self, localaddr, None)
+
+    def process_message(self, peer, mailfrom, rcpttos, data):
+        self.received.append(data)
+
+    def start(self):
+        self.thread = threading.Thread(target=asyncore.loop,
+                                       kwargs={'timeout': 0.1})
+        self.thread.start()
+
+    def close(self):
+        smtpd.SMTPServer.close(self)
+        self.thread.join()
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index f73b4bf..b2db17e 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 import io
 import os
+from email import message_from_file, message_from_string
 
 from click.testing import CliRunner
 import pytest
@@ -21,5 +22,5 @@ def test_queue_writes_messages_to_directory(runner, tmp_dir, mongo_db, mongo):
     msgs = os.listdir(tmp_dir)
     assert len(msgs) == 1
     with io.open(os.path.join(tmp_dir, msgs[0])) as fp:
-        msg = fp.read()
-    assert u'Þorgerðr Hǫlgabrúðr' in msg
+        msg = message_from_file(fp)
+    assert msg['To'] == 'thor@example.com'