diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/action/executer/MailActionExecuter.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/action/executer/MailActionExecuter.java
index 0cabb60001..f37ee4e8c9 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/action/executer/MailActionExecuter.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/action/executer/MailActionExecuter.java
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ public class MailActionExecuter extends ActionExecuterAbstractBase
      * "mocked out" or some other better way of running the unit tests. 
      */
     private boolean testMode = false;
+    private MimeMessage lastTestMessage;
     
     /**
      * @param javaMailSender    the java mail sender
@@ -437,6 +438,16 @@ public class MailActionExecuter extends ActionExecuterAbstractBase
             {
                 javaMailSender.send(mailPreparer);
             }
+            else
+            {
+               try {
+                  MimeMessage mimeMessage = javaMailSender.createMimeMessage(); 
+                  mailPreparer.prepare(mimeMessage);
+                  lastTestMessage = mimeMessage;
+               } catch(Exception e) {
+                  System.err.println(e);
+               }
+            }
         }
         catch (MailException e)
         {
@@ -528,6 +539,15 @@ public class MailActionExecuter extends ActionExecuterAbstractBase
     {
         return testMode;
     }
+    
+    /**
+     * Returns the most recent message that wasn't sent
+     *  because TestMode had been enabled.
+     */
+    public MimeMessage retrieveLastTestMessage()
+    {
+        return lastTestMessage; 
+    }
 
     public static class URLHelper
     {
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/invitation/InvitationServiceImplTest.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/invitation/InvitationServiceImplTest.java
index 1252b5c3e2..5de55fda78 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/invitation/InvitationServiceImplTest.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/invitation/InvitationServiceImplTest.java
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ package org.alfresco.repo.invitation;
 import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.List;
 
+import javax.mail.internet.MimeMessage;
+
 import org.alfresco.model.ContentModel;
 import org.alfresco.repo.action.executer.MailActionExecuter;
 import org.alfresco.repo.management.subsystems.ApplicationContextFactory;
@@ -49,6 +51,7 @@ public class InvitationServiceImplTest extends BaseAlfrescoSpringTest
     private AuthenticationComponent authenticationComponent;
     private PersonService personService;
     private InvitationService invitationService;
+    private MailActionExecuter mailService;
 
     private final String SITE_SHORT_NAME_INVITE = "InvitationTest";
     private final String SITE_SHORT_NAME_RED = "InvitationTestRed";
@@ -83,9 +86,9 @@ public class InvitationServiceImplTest extends BaseAlfrescoSpringTest
         // TODO MER 20/11/2009 Bodge - turn off email sending to prevent errors
         // during unit testing
         // (or sending out email by accident from tests)
-        MailActionExecuter mail = (MailActionExecuter) ((ApplicationContextFactory) this.applicationContext
+        mailService = (MailActionExecuter) ((ApplicationContextFactory) this.applicationContext
                 .getBean("OutboundSMTP")).getApplicationContext().getBean("mail");
-        mail.setTestMode(true);
+        mailService.setTestMode(true);
 
         createPerson(USER_MANAGER, USER_MANAGER + "@alfrescotesting.com", PERSON_FIRSTNAME, PERSON_LASTNAME);
         createPerson(USER_ONE, USER_ONE_EMAIL, USER_ONE_FIRSTNAME, USER_ONE_LASTNAME);
@@ -213,6 +216,26 @@ public class InvitationServiceImplTest extends BaseAlfrescoSpringTest
             assertTrue("sentDate wrong too early", sentDate.after(startDate));
             assertTrue("sentDate wrong - too late", sentDate.before(new Date(new Date().getTime() + 1)));
         }
+        
+        /**
+         * Check the email itself, and check it
+         *  is as we would expect it to be
+         */
+        {
+           MimeMessage msg = mailService.retrieveLastTestMessage();
+           
+           assertEquals(1, msg.getAllRecipients().length);
+           assertEquals(inviteeEmail, msg.getAllRecipients()[0].toString());
+           
+           assertEquals(1, msg.getFrom().length);
+           assertEquals(USER_MANAGER + "@alfrescotesting.com", msg.getFrom()[0].toString());
+           
+           // Hasn't been sent, so no sent or received date
+           assertNull("Not been sent yet", msg.getSentDate());
+           assertNull("Not been sent yet", msg.getReceivedDate());
+           
+           // TODO - check some more details of the email
+        }
 
         /**
          * Search for the new invitation