diff --git a/bin/NotificationHelper.py b/bin/NotificationHelper.py
index 6d396a5d..dd15499a 100755
--- a/bin/NotificationHelper.py
+++ b/bin/NotificationHelper.py
@@ -47,29 +47,37 @@ def sendEmailNotification(recipient, term):
         
     if isinstance(sender_pw, tuple):
         sender_pw = sender_pw[0]    
+
+    # raise an exception if any of these is None
+    if (sender is None or
+        sender_host is None or
+        sender_port is None
+        ):
+        raise Exception('SMTP configuration (host, port, sender) is missing or incomplete!')
+
+    try:
+        if sender_pw is not None:
+            smtp_server = smtplib.SMTP_SSL(sender_host, sender_port)
+            smtp_server.ehlo()
+            smtp_server.login(sender, sender_pw)
+        else:
+            smtp_server = smtplib.SMTP(sender_host, sender_port)
             
-    if (
-        sender is not None and
-        sender_host is not None and
-        sender_port is not None and
-        sender_pw is not None
-       ):
-        try:                    
-                                  
-            server_ssl = smtplib.SMTP_SSL(sender_host, sender_port)
-            server_ssl.ehlo()
-            server_ssl.login(sender, sender_pw)
+        
+        mime_msg = MIMEMultipart()
+        mime_msg['From'] = sender
+        mime_msg['To'] = recipient
+        mime_msg['Subject'] = "AIL Term Alert"
+        
+        body = "New occurrence for term: " + term
+        mime_msg.attach(MIMEText(body, 'plain'))
+        
+        smtp_server.sendmail(sender, recipient, mime_msg.as_string())
+        smtp_server.quit()
             
-            mime_msg = MIMEMultipart()
-            mime_msg['From'] = sender
-            mime_msg['To'] = recipient
-            mime_msg['Subject'] = "AIL Term Alert"
-            
-            body = "New occurrence for term: " + term
-            mime_msg.attach(MIMEText(body, 'plain'))
-            
-            server_ssl.sendmail(sender, recipient, mime_msg.as_string())
-            server_ssl.quit()
-            
-        except Exception as e:
-            print str(e)
+    except Exception as e:
+        print str(e)
+        # raise e
+
+
+
diff --git a/bin/packages/config.cfg.sample b/bin/packages/config.cfg.sample
index 5f409d96..8cb7a295 100644
--- a/bin/packages/config.cfg.sample
+++ b/bin/packages/config.cfg.sample
@@ -23,7 +23,9 @@ sentiment_lexicon_file = sentiment/vader_lexicon.zip/vader_lexicon/vader_lexicon
 sender = sender@example.com
 sender_host = smtp.example.com
 sender_port = 1337
-sender_pw = securepassword
+
+# optional for using with authenticated SMTP over SSL
+# sender_pw = securepassword
 
 ##### Flask #####
 [Flask]