diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 4423dd23b..dd0d06daf 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@ services:
      test: ["CMD", "redis-cli","ping"]
      interval: 1s
 
+  mailpit:
+    image: axllent/mailpit:v1.27
+    ports:
+      - "8025:8025"
+
   web:
     build:
       context: .
@@ -33,11 +38,16 @@ services:
     environment:
       DATABASE_URL: postgresql://pythondotorg:pythondotorg@postgres:5432/pythondotorg
       DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE: pydotorg.settings.local
+      EMAIL_BACKEND: django.core.mail.backends.smtp.EmailBackend
+      EMAIL_HOST: mailpit
+      EMAIL_PORT: 1025
     depends_on:
       postgres:
         condition: service_healthy
       redis:
         condition: service_healthy
+      mailpit:
+        condition: service_started
 
   worker:
     image: pythondotorg:docker-compose
@@ -47,8 +57,13 @@ services:
     environment:
       DATABASE_URL: postgresql://pythondotorg:pythondotorg@postgres:5432/pythondotorg
       DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE: pydotorg.settings.local
+      EMAIL_BACKEND: django.core.mail.backends.smtp.EmailBackend
+      EMAIL_HOST: mailpit
+      EMAIL_PORT: 1025
     depends_on:
       postgres:
         condition: service_healthy
       redis:
         condition: service_healthy
+      mailpit:
+        condition: service_started
diff --git a/docs/source/install.md b/docs/source/install.md
index 3c82b7571..252a1b405 100644
--- a/docs/source/install.md
+++ b/docs/source/install.md
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ web_1       | Quit the server with CONTROL-C.
 
 You can view these results in your local web browser at: <http://localhost:8000>
 
+Emails sent by the site (account verification, nomination confirmations, etc.) are caught by [Mailpit](https://mailpit.axllent.org/) and can be read at <http://localhost:8025>.
+
 To reset your local environment, run:
 
 ```
diff --git a/pydotorg/settings/local.py b/pydotorg/settings/local.py
index e93395bc5..a89fb84a7 100644
--- a/pydotorg/settings/local.py
+++ b/pydotorg/settings/local.py
@@ -22,7 +22,10 @@
     },
 }
 
-EMAIL_BACKEND = "django.core.mail.backends.console.EmailBackend"
+# docker-compose points these at Mailpit; outside Docker, mail prints to the console.
+EMAIL_BACKEND = config("EMAIL_BACKEND", default="django.core.mail.backends.console.EmailBackend")
+EMAIL_HOST = config("EMAIL_HOST", default="localhost")
+EMAIL_PORT = config("EMAIL_PORT", default=25, cast=int)
 
 
 try: