diff --git a/backend/app/auth/mail.py b/backend/app/auth/mail.py
index c8ca35b..0b59112 100644
--- a/backend/app/auth/mail.py
+++ b/backend/app/auth/mail.py
@@ -15,9 +15,21 @@ def magic_link(token: str) -> str:
     return f"{settings.frontend_url.rstrip('/')}/login?token={token}"
 
 
+def _send(message: EmailMessage) -> None:
+    with smtplib.SMTP(settings.smtp_host, settings.smtp_port, timeout=10) as smtp:
+        smtp.starttls()
+        if settings.smtp_username:
+            smtp.login(settings.smtp_username, settings.smtp_password)
+        smtp.send_message(message)
+
+
 def send_magic_link(to_email: str, link: str) -> bool:
     """Mail the login link. Returns False (logs instead) when SMTP is unset.
 
+    Never raises: callers invoke it after committing (approve/bootstrap),
+    so a delivery failure must not turn into a 500 — the token stays valid
+    and the admin sees ``email_sent: false``.
+
     The plaintext link only ever appears here: service/api logging must
     never include tokens or session ids (see test_auth no-leak test).
     """
@@ -33,11 +45,11 @@ def send_magic_link(to_email: str, link: str) -> bool:
     message.set_content(
         f"Hello,\n\nUse this link to log in (valid 15 minutes, single use):\n{link}\n"
     )
-    with smtplib.SMTP(settings.smtp_host, settings.smtp_port, timeout=10) as smtp:
-        smtp.starttls()
-        if settings.smtp_username:
-            smtp.login(settings.smtp_username, settings.smtp_password)
-        smtp.send_message(message)
+    try:
+        _send(message)
+    except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001 - delivery is best effort, see docstring
+        logger.warning("magic-link delivery failed for %s", to_email)
+        return False
     logger.info("magic link mailed to %s", to_email)
     return True
 
@@ -55,12 +67,8 @@ def send_access_notification(request_id: str, name: str, email: str) -> bool:
         f"Name: {name}\nEmail: {email}\nRequest: {request_id}\n"
     )
     try:
-        with smtplib.SMTP(settings.smtp_host, settings.smtp_port, timeout=10) as smtp:
-            smtp.starttls()
-            if settings.smtp_username:
-                smtp.login(settings.smtp_username, settings.smtp_password)
-            smtp.send_message(message)
-    except OSError:
+        _send(message)
+    except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001 - best effort, request is already stored
         logger.warning("access-request notification failed for %s", request_id)
         return False
     return True
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_auth.py b/backend/tests/test_auth.py
index fb901c2..d29be8c 100644
--- a/backend/tests/test_auth.py
+++ b/backend/tests/test_auth.py
@@ -226,3 +226,45 @@ def test_resolve_tenant():
     user = User(email="a@b.c", tenant_id="parish-7")
     assert resolve_tenant(user, None) == "parish-7"
     assert resolve_tenant(user, "other") == "parish-7"
+
+
+def _broken_smtp(monkeypatch):
+    import smtplib
+
+    from app.auth import mail
+
+    class ExplodingSMTP:
+        def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+            raise smtplib.SMTPException("relay down")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(mail.smtplib, "SMTP", ExplodingSMTP)
+
+
+def test_magic_link_delivery_failure_returns_false(monkeypatch):
+    from app.auth import mail
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(settings, "smtp_host", "dummy")
+    _broken_smtp(monkeypatch)
+    assert mail.send_magic_link("a@example.com", "http://x/login?token=t") is False
+    assert (
+        mail.send_access_notification("req-1", "A", "a@example.com") is False
+    )
+
+
+async def test_approve_survives_delivery_failure(client, session, monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(settings, "smtp_host", "dummy")
+    _broken_smtp(monkeypatch)
+    await client.post("/api/auth/admin-bootstrap", json={"email": ADMIN})
+    await _login(client, session, ADMIN, role="admin")
+    created = await client.post(
+        "/api/access/requests",
+        json={"name": "M", "email": "m@example.com", "reason": ""},
+    )
+    assert created.status_code == 201, created.text
+    approved = await client.post(
+        f"/api/access/requests/{created.json()['id']}/approve"
+    )
+    assert approved.status_code == 200, approved.text
+    body = approved.json()
+    assert body["request"]["status"] == "approved"
+    assert body["email_sent"] is False
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/AccessQueue.tsx b/frontend/src/components/AccessQueue.tsx
index 74e9657..21c57c1 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/AccessQueue.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/AccessQueue.tsx
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ export default function AccessQueue() {
         prev.map((r) => (r.id === id ? res.request : r)),
       );
       if (approve && !res.email_sent) {
-        setInfo("Genehmigt — E-Mail-Versand ist nicht konfiguriert.");
+        setInfo("Genehmigt — die E-Mail kam nicht an (SMTP prüfen).");
       }
     } catch (e) {
       setError(e instanceof ApiError ? `${e.status}: ${e.message}` : String(e));