diff --git a/bus/src/main/java/de/srsoftware/umbrella/messagebus/MessageBus.java b/bus/src/main/java/de/srsoftware/umbrella/messagebus/MessageBus.java
index f5919e88..6b6964a7 100644
--- a/bus/src/main/java/de/srsoftware/umbrella/messagebus/MessageBus.java
+++ b/bus/src/main/java/de/srsoftware/umbrella/messagebus/MessageBus.java
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ package de.srsoftware.umbrella.messagebus;
 import de.srsoftware.umbrella.messagebus.events.Event;
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.List;
-import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
 
 public class MessageBus {
diff --git a/messages/src/main/java/de/srsoftware/umbrella/message/Constants.java b/messages/src/main/java/de/srsoftware/umbrella/message/Constants.java
index bd407701..23cfa2db 100644
--- a/messages/src/main/java/de/srsoftware/umbrella/message/Constants.java
+++ b/messages/src/main/java/de/srsoftware/umbrella/message/Constants.java
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ public class Constants {
 	public static final String AUTH = "mail.smtp.auth";
 
 	public static final String CONFIG_DB = "umbrella.modules.message.database";
+	public static final String CONFIG_SMTP_FROM = "umbrella.modules.message.smtp.from";
 	public static final String CONFIG_SMTP_HOST = "umbrella.modules.message.smtp.host";
 	public static final String CONFIG_SMTP_PASS = "umbrella.modules.message.smtp.pass";
 	public static final String CONFIG_SMTP_PORT = "umbrella.modules.message.smtp.port";
diff --git a/messages/src/main/java/de/srsoftware/umbrella/message/MessageSystem.java b/messages/src/main/java/de/srsoftware/umbrella/message/MessageSystem.java
index aed00077..e3685999 100644
--- a/messages/src/main/java/de/srsoftware/umbrella/message/MessageSystem.java
+++ b/messages/src/main/java/de/srsoftware/umbrella/message/MessageSystem.java
@@ -93,10 +93,10 @@ public class MessageSystem extends BaseHandler implements PostBox, EventListener
 
 		debugAddress = config.get(DEBUG_ADDREESS).map(Object::toString).orElse(null);
 		port         = config.get(CONFIG_SMTP_PORT,587);
-		host         = config.get(CONFIG_SMTP_HOST).map(Object::toString).orElseThrow(() -> new RuntimeException("umbrella.modules.message.smtp.host not configured!"));
-		user         = config.get(CONFIG_SMTP_USER).map(Object::toString).orElseThrow(() -> new RuntimeException("umbrella.modules.message.smtp.user not configured!"));
-		pass         = config.get(CONFIG_SMTP_PASS).map(Object::toString).orElseThrow(() -> new RuntimeException("umbrella.modules.message.smtp.pass not configured!"));
-		from         = user;
+		host         = config.get(CONFIG_SMTP_HOST).map(Object::toString).orElseThrow(() -> missingConfig(CONFIG_SMTP_HOST));
+		user         = config.get(CONFIG_SMTP_USER).map(Object::toString).orElseThrow(() -> missingConfig(CONFIG_SMTP_USER));
+		pass         = config.get(CONFIG_SMTP_PASS).map(Object::toString).orElseThrow(() -> missingConfig(CONFIG_SMTP_PASS));
+		from         = config.get(CONFIG_SMTP_FROM).map(Object::toString).orElseThrow(() -> missingConfig(CONFIG_SMTP_FROM));
 		ModuleRegistry.add(this);
 		new SubmissionTask(8).schedule();
 		new SubmissionTask(10).schedule();
@@ -212,6 +212,7 @@ public class MessageSystem extends BaseHandler implements PostBox, EventListener
 		LOG.log(INFO,"Running {0}…",scheduledHour == null ? "instantly" : "scheduled at "+scheduledHour);
 
 		var dueRecipients = queue.getReceivers().map(this::toUmbrellaUser).filter(uu -> sendAt(uu,scheduledHour)).toList();
+		var fallbackSender = new User("Umbrella",new EmailAddress(from),null);
 
 		var date = new Date();
 
@@ -220,7 +221,7 @@ public class MessageSystem extends BaseHandler implements PostBox, EventListener
 				LOG.log(DEBUG,"Debug address is set to {0}, ignoring mail to {1}",debugAddress,receiver);
 				continue;
 			}
-			var combined = new CombinedMessage(t("Collected messages"),receiver);
+			var combined = new CombinedMessage(t("Collected messages"),receiver, fallbackSender);
 
 			try {
 				var envelopes = queue.getEnvelopesFor(receiver);
diff --git a/messages/src/main/java/de/srsoftware/umbrella/message/model/CombinedMessage.java b/messages/src/main/java/de/srsoftware/umbrella/message/model/CombinedMessage.java
index 7a17e043..60126e85 100644
--- a/messages/src/main/java/de/srsoftware/umbrella/message/model/CombinedMessage.java
+++ b/messages/src/main/java/de/srsoftware/umbrella/message/model/CombinedMessage.java
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package de.srsoftware.umbrella.message.model;
 
 import static de.srsoftware.umbrella.core.ModuleRegistry.translator;
 import static de.srsoftware.umbrella.core.Util.dateTimeOf;
-import static de.srsoftware.umbrella.core.model.Translatable.t;
 import static java.lang.System.Logger.Level.DEBUG;
 import static java.lang.System.Logger.Level.TRACE;
 import static java.text.MessageFormat.format;
@@ -18,17 +17,19 @@ public class CombinedMessage {
 	private final StringBuilder combinedBody = new StringBuilder();
 	private final User receiver;
 	private final String lang;
+	private final User fallbackSender;
 	private String combinedSubject = null;
 	private final List<Message<?>> mergedMessages = new ArrayList<>();
 	private final Translatable subjectForCombinedMessage;
-	private UmbrellaUser sender = null;
+	private User sender = null;
 	public static final String SEPARATOR = "\n\n━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━\n\n";
 
-	public CombinedMessage(Translatable subjectForCombinedMessage, User receiver){
+	public CombinedMessage(Translatable subjectForCombinedMessage, User receiver, User fallbackSender){
 		LOG.log(DEBUG,"Creating combined message for {0}…",receiver);
 		this.subjectForCombinedMessage = subjectForCombinedMessage;
 		this.receiver = receiver;
 		this.lang = receiver.language();
+		this.fallbackSender = fallbackSender;
 	}
 
 	public void addNote() {
@@ -57,10 +58,11 @@ public class CombinedMessage {
 				combinedSubject = subject;
 				break;
 			case 1:
-				combinedBody.insert(0,format("# {0} @ {1}\n→ {2}:\n\n",sender, dateTimeOf(message.utcTime()),subject)); // insert sender and subject of first message right before the body of the first message
+				combinedBody.insert(0,format("# {0} @ {1}\n→ {2}:\n\n",sender, dateTimeOf(mergedMessages.getFirst().utcTime()),subject)); // insert sender and subject of first message right before the body of the first message
 				combinedSubject = subjectForCombinedMessage.translate(lang);
 				// no break here, we need to append the subject and content
 			default:
+				if (!sender.equals(message.sender())) sender = fallbackSender;
 				combinedBody.append(SEPARATOR).append("# ").append(message.sender()).append(" @ ").append(dateTimeOf(message.utcTime())).append("\n→ ").append(subject).append(":\n\n");
 				combinedBody.append(body);
 		}
@@ -76,7 +78,7 @@ public class CombinedMessage {
 		return receiver;
 	}
 
-	public UmbrellaUser sender() {
+	public User sender() {
 		return sender;
 	}
 
diff --git a/user/src/main/java/de/srsoftware/umbrella/user/api/UserDb.java b/user/src/main/java/de/srsoftware/umbrella/user/api/UserDb.java
index 284d80a4..b7dada5a 100644
--- a/user/src/main/java/de/srsoftware/umbrella/user/api/UserDb.java
+++ b/user/src/main/java/de/srsoftware/umbrella/user/api/UserDb.java
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import de.srsoftware.umbrella.user.model.DbUser;
 import de.srsoftware.umbrella.user.model.Password;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Map;
-import java.util.Optional;
 
 public interface UserDb {