diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/Essentials.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/Essentials.java
index 7987e4e3c..ce4ecb309 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/Essentials.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/Essentials.java
@@ -462,10 +462,7 @@ public class Essentials extends JavaPlugin implements net.ess3.api.IEssentials {
 
             // New mail notification
             if (user != null && !getSettings().isCommandDisabled("mail") && !command.getName().equals("mail") && user.isAuthorized("essentials.mail")) {
-                final List<String> mail = user.getMails();
-                if (mail != null && !mail.isEmpty()) {
-                    user.sendMessage(tl("youHaveNewMail", mail.size()));
-                }
+                user.notifyOfMail();
             }
 
             //Print version even if admin command is not available #easteregg
diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/EssentialsPlayerListener.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/EssentialsPlayerListener.java
index 1e30eddb0..a135086b1 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/EssentialsPlayerListener.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/EssentialsPlayerListener.java
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ public class EssentialsPlayerListener implements Listener {
                             user.sendMessage(tl("noNewMail")); // Only notify if they want us to.
                         }
                     } else {
-                        user.sendMessage(tl("youHaveNewMail", mail.size()));
+                        user.notifyOfMail();
                     }
                 }
 
diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/ISettings.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/ISettings.java
index 05aba3b66..57f45ea02 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/ISettings.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/ISettings.java
@@ -277,4 +277,6 @@ public interface ISettings extends IConf {
     boolean isAddingPrefixInPlayerlist();
 
     boolean isAddingSuffixInPlayerlist();
+
+    int getNotifyPlayerOfMailCooldown();
 }
diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/Settings.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/Settings.java
index 7aafd7ed8..bfe4c7bd0 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/Settings.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/Settings.java
@@ -1409,4 +1409,9 @@ public class Settings implements net.ess3.api.ISettings {
     public boolean isAddingSuffixInPlayerlist() {
         return config.getBoolean("add-suffix-in-playerlist", false);
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public int getNotifyPlayerOfMailCooldown() {
+        return config.getInt("notify-player-of-mail-cooldown", 0);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/User.java b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/User.java
index 85fd77d1d..e9035a8ef 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/User.java
+++ b/Essentials/src/com/earth2me/essentials/User.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import org.bukkit.potion.PotionEffectType;
 import java.math.BigDecimal;
 import java.util.Calendar;
 import java.util.GregorianCalendar;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.UUID;
 import java.util.WeakHashMap;
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@ public class User extends UserData implements Comparable<User>, IMessageRecipien
     private String afkMessage;
     private long afkSince;
     private Map<User, BigDecimal> confirmingPayments = new WeakHashMap<>();
+    private long lastNotifiedAboutMailsMs;
 
     public User(final Player base, final IEssentials ess) {
         super(base, ess);
@@ -855,4 +857,15 @@ public class User extends UserData implements Comparable<User>, IMessageRecipien
             return inventory.getItemInMainHand() != null ? inventory.getItemInMainHand() : inventory.getItemInOffHand();
         }
     }
+    
+    public void notifyOfMail() {
+        List<String> mails = getMails();
+        if (mails != null && !mails.isEmpty()) {
+            int notifyPlayerOfMailCooldown = ess.getSettings().getNotifyPlayerOfMailCooldown() * 1000;
+            if (System.currentTimeMillis() - lastNotifiedAboutMailsMs >= notifyPlayerOfMailCooldown) {
+                sendMessage(tl("youHaveNewMail", mails.size()));
+                lastNotifiedAboutMailsMs = System.currentTimeMillis();
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/Essentials/src/config.yml b/Essentials/src/config.yml
index cda7fe440..03d625419 100644
--- a/Essentials/src/config.yml
+++ b/Essentials/src/config.yml
@@ -119,6 +119,10 @@ drop-items-if-full: false
 # Should we notify players if they have no new mail?
 notify-no-new-mail: true
 
+# Specifies the duration (in seconds) between each time a player is notified of mail they have.
+# Useful for servers with a lot of mail traffic.
+notify-player-of-mail-cooldown: 60
+
 # The motd and rules are now configured in the files motd.txt and rules.txt.
 
 # When a command conflicts with another plugin, by default, Essentials will try to force the OTHER plugin to take priority.