diff --git a/modules/dumbster/src/org/labkey/dumbster/DumbsterModule.java b/modules/dumbster/src/org/labkey/dumbster/DumbsterModule.java
index 08b1108723..0f2100d85d 100644
--- a/modules/dumbster/src/org/labkey/dumbster/DumbsterModule.java
+++ b/modules/dumbster/src/org/labkey/dumbster/DumbsterModule.java
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 import org.labkey.api.module.CodeOnlyModule;
 import org.labkey.api.module.ModuleContext;
 import org.labkey.api.settings.AppProps;
+import org.labkey.api.util.MailHelper;
+import org.labkey.api.util.SmtpTransportProvider;
 import org.labkey.api.view.BaseWebPartFactory;
 import org.labkey.api.view.Portal;
 import org.labkey.api.view.ViewContext;
@@ -65,7 +67,7 @@ public WebPartView<?> getWebPartView(@NotNull ViewContext portalCtx, @NotNull Po
     @Override
     public void doStartup(ModuleContext moduleContext)
     {
-        if (AppProps.getInstance().isMailRecorderEnabled())
+        if (MailHelper.getActiveProvider() instanceof SmtpTransportProvider && AppProps.getInstance().isMailRecorderEnabled())
             DumbsterManager.get().start();
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modules/dumbster/src/org/labkey/dumbster/model/DumbsterManager.java b/modules/dumbster/src/org/labkey/dumbster/model/DumbsterManager.java
index 0e41a0e7a9..29c040326c 100644
--- a/modules/dumbster/src/org/labkey/dumbster/model/DumbsterManager.java
+++ b/modules/dumbster/src/org/labkey/dumbster/model/DumbsterManager.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 import org.labkey.api.util.ContextListener;
 import org.labkey.api.util.MailHelper;
 import org.labkey.api.util.ShutdownListener;
+import org.labkey.api.util.SmtpTransportProvider;
 import org.labkey.api.util.StringUtilsLabKey;
 
 import jakarta.mail.MessagingException;
@@ -60,6 +61,12 @@ public static void setInstance(DumbsterManager instance)
 
     public boolean start()
     {
+        if (!(MailHelper.getActiveProvider() instanceof SmtpTransportProvider))
+        {
+            _log.error("Mail recorder cannot be started: active mail provider is not SmtpTransportProvider");
+            return false;
+        }
+
         if (_server != null && !_server.isStopped())
         {
             // We're already running, no need to spin up another, but reset the list of messages