diff --git a/packages/application-configuration/config.js b/packages/application-configuration/config.js
index edd1ac1651..bec41318e4 100644
--- a/packages/application-configuration/config.js
+++ b/packages/application-configuration/config.js
@@ -59,9 +59,6 @@ try {
         'mongo-livedata': {
           url: process.env.MONGO_URL,
           oplog: process.env.MONGO_OPLOG_URL
-        },
-        'email': {
-          url: process.env.MAIL_URL
         }
       }
     };
@@ -84,10 +81,13 @@ AppConfig.getAppConfig = function () {
 AppConfig.configurePackage = function (packageName, configure) {
   var appConfig = AppConfig.getAppConfig(); // Will either be based in the env var,
                                          // or wait for galaxy to connect.
-  var lastConfig = appConfig && appConfig.packages && appConfig.packages[packageName];
-  if (lastConfig) {
-    configure(lastConfig);
-  }
+  var lastConfig =
+        (appConfig && appConfig.packages && appConfig.packages[packageName]) || {};
+  // Always call the configure callback "soon" even if the initial configuration
+  // is empty (synchronously, though deferred would be OK).
+  // XXX make sure that all callers of configurePackage deal well with multiple
+  // callback invocations!  eg, email does not
+  configure(lastConfig);
   var configureIfDifferent = function (app) {
     if (!EJSON.equals(app.config && app.config.packages && app.config.packages[packageName],
                       lastConfig)) {
diff --git a/packages/email/email.js b/packages/email/email.js
index 6490f4ea65..8fce809930 100644
--- a/packages/email/email.js
+++ b/packages/email/email.js
@@ -33,19 +33,26 @@ var makePool = function (mailUrlString) {
 
 // We construct smtpPool at the first call to Email.send, so that
 // Meteor.startup code can set $MAIL_URL.
-var smtpPool = null;
-var maybeMakePool = function () {
-  // We check MAIL_URL in case someone else set it in Meteor.startup code.
-  var poolFuture = new Future();
-  AppConfig.configurePackage('email', function (config) {
-    // TODO: allow reconfiguration.
-    if (!smtpPool && (config.url || process.env.MAIL_URL)) {
-      smtpPool = makePool(config.url || process.env.MAIL_URL);
-    }
-    poolFuture.return();
-  });
+var smtpPoolFuture = new Future;;
+var configured = false;
 
-  poolFuture.wait();
+var getPool = function () {
+  // We check MAIL_URL in case someone else set it in Meteor.startup code.
+  if (!configured) {
+    configured = true;
+    AppConfig.configurePackage('email', function (config) {
+      // XXX allow reconfiguration when the app config changes
+      if (smtpPoolFuture.isResolved())
+        return;
+      var url = config.url || process.env.MAIL_URL;
+      var pool = null;
+      if (url)
+        pool = makePool(url);
+      smtpPoolFuture.return(pool);
+    });
+  }
+
+  return smtpPoolFuture.wait();
 };
 
 var next_devmode_mail_id = 0;
@@ -81,8 +88,8 @@ var devModeSend = function (mc) {
   future.wait();
 };
 
-var smtpSend = function (mc) {
-  smtpPool._future_wrapped_sendMail(mc).wait();
+var smtpSend = function (pool, mc) {
+  pool._future_wrapped_sendMail(mc).wait();
 };
 
 /**
@@ -141,10 +148,9 @@ Email.send = function (options) {
     mc.addHeader(name, value);
   });
 
-  maybeMakePool();
-
-  if (smtpPool) {
-    smtpSend(mc);
+  var pool = getPool();
+  if (pool) {
+    smtpSend(pool, mc);
   } else {
     devModeSend(mc);
   }