diff --git a/pkg/api/alerting.go b/pkg/api/alerting.go
index 5652196b58c..58ea56cc8a7 100644
--- a/pkg/api/alerting.go
+++ b/pkg/api/alerting.go
@@ -255,6 +255,9 @@ func NotificationTest(c *middleware.Context, dto dtos.NotificationTestCommand) R
 	}
 
 	if err := bus.Dispatch(cmd); err != nil {
+		if err == models.ErrSmtpNotEnabled {
+			return ApiError(412, err.Error(), err)
+		}
 		return ApiError(500, "Failed to send alert notifications", err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/models/notifications.go b/pkg/models/notifications.go
index ad7aed3bc50..089d7c4360d 100644
--- a/pkg/models/notifications.go
+++ b/pkg/models/notifications.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package models
 import "errors"
 
 var ErrInvalidEmailCode = errors.New("Invalid or expired email code")
+var ErrSmtpNotEnabled = errors.New("SMTP not configured, check your grafana.ini config file's [smtp] section.")
 
 type SendEmailCommand struct {
 	To           []string
diff --git a/pkg/services/notifications/mailer.go b/pkg/services/notifications/mailer.go
index ae1348cbf99..df9f1138b15 100644
--- a/pkg/services/notifications/mailer.go
+++ b/pkg/services/notifications/mailer.go
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ func createDialer() (*gomail.Dialer, error) {
 
 func buildEmailMessage(cmd *m.SendEmailCommand) (*Message, error) {
 	if !setting.Smtp.Enabled {
-		return nil, errors.New("Grafana mailing/smtp options not configured, contact your Grafana admin")
+		return nil, m.ErrSmtpNotEnabled
 	}
 
 	var buffer bytes.Buffer