diff --git a/src/pretix/base/models.py b/src/pretix/base/models.py
index a4f2784a5..9f95267c0 100644
--- a/src/pretix/base/models.py
+++ b/src/pretix/base/models.py
@@ -484,7 +484,7 @@ class Event(Versionable):
         return EventRelatedCache(self)
 
     @cached_property
-    def settings(self):
+    def settings(self) -> SettingsProxy:
         """
         Returns an object representing this event's settings
         """
diff --git a/src/pretix/base/services/mail.py b/src/pretix/base/services/mail.py
index 11ce702fa..57d99c3cf 100644
--- a/src/pretix/base/services/mail.py
+++ b/src/pretix/base/services/mail.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ def mail(user: User, subject: str, template: str, context: dict, event: Event=No
     sender = event.settings.get('mail_from') if event else settings.MAIL_FROM
 
     email = EmailMessage(
-        subject, body, sender,
+        str(subject), body, sender,
         to=[user.email]
     )
 
diff --git a/src/pretix/settings.py b/src/pretix/settings.py
index 8482f7411..d7e6ea5e1 100644
--- a/src/pretix/settings.py
+++ b/src/pretix/settings.py
@@ -219,6 +219,7 @@ LOGGING = {
         'console': {
             'level': loglevel,
             'class': 'logging.StreamHandler',
+            'formatter': 'default'
         },
         'file': {
             'level': loglevel,
@@ -243,5 +244,10 @@ LOGGING = {
             'level': loglevel,
             'propagate': True,
         },
+        'django.db.backends.schema': {
+            'handlers': ['file', 'console'],
+            'level': 'INFO',  # Do not output all the queries
+            'propagate': True,
+        }
     },
 }
diff --git a/src/pytest.ini b/src/pytest.ini
index 6a0091843..77fb16399 100644
--- a/src/pytest.ini
+++ b/src/pytest.ini
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 [pytest]
-DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE=pretix.settings
+DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE=tests.settings
 
diff --git a/src/tests/base/test_mail.py b/src/tests/base/test_mail.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0e546ebf1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/base/test_mail.py
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+from django.conf import settings
+from django.utils.timezone import now
+from django.core import mail as djmail
+from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _
+import pytest
+
+from pretix.base.models import Event, Organizer, User
+from pretix.base.services.mail import mail
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def env():
+    o = Organizer.objects.create(name='Dummy', slug='dummy')
+    event = Event.objects.create(
+        organizer=o, name='Dummy', slug='dummy',
+        date_from=now(), plugins='pretix.plugins.banktransfer'
+    )
+    user = User.objects.create_user('dummy@dummy.dummy', 'dummy@dummy.dummy', 'dummy')
+    user.email = 'dummy@dummy.dummy'
+    user.save()
+    return event, user, o
+
+
+@pytest.mark.django_db
+def test_send_mail_with_event_sender(client, env):
+    djmail.outbox = []
+    event, user, organizer = env
+    event.settings.set('mail_from', 'foo@bar')
+    mail(user, 'Test subject',
+         'mailtest.txt', {}, event)
+
+    assert len(djmail.outbox) == 1
+    assert djmail.outbox[0].to == [user.email]
+    assert djmail.outbox[0].subject == 'Test subject'
+    assert djmail.outbox[0].from_email == 'foo@bar'
+
+
+@pytest.mark.django_db
+def test_send_mail_with_default_sender(client, env):
+    djmail.outbox = []
+    event, user, organizer = env
+    mail(user, 'Test subject',
+         'mailtest.txt', {}, event)
+    del event.settings['mail_from']
+
+    assert len(djmail.outbox) == 1
+    assert djmail.outbox[0].to == [user.email]
+    assert djmail.outbox[0].subject == 'Test subject'
+    assert djmail.outbox[0].from_email == settings.MAIL_FROM
+
+
+@pytest.mark.django_db
+def test_send_mail_with_user_locale(client, env):
+    djmail.outbox = []
+    event, user, organizer = env
+    user.locale = 'de'
+    user.save()
+    mail(user, _('User'),
+         'mailtest.txt', {}, event)
+    del event.settings['mail_from']
+
+    assert len(djmail.outbox) == 1
+    assert djmail.outbox[0].subject == 'Benutzer'
+    assert 'The language code used for rendering this e-mail is de.' in djmail.outbox[0].body
diff --git a/src/tests/settings.py b/src/tests/settings.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..34b7a3e6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/settings.py
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+from pretix.settings import *
+
+TEST_DIR = os.path.dirname(__file__)
+
+TEMPLATES[0]['DIRS'].append(os.path.join(TEST_DIR, 'templates'))
diff --git a/src/tests/templates/mailtest.txt b/src/tests/templates/mailtest.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3ff57d7d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/templates/mailtest.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+{% load i18n %}
+This is a test file for sending mails.
+{% get_current_language as LANGUAGE_CODE %}
+The language code used for rendering this e-mail is {{ LANGUAGE_CODE }}.
\ No newline at end of file