diff --git a/docs/howto/error-reporting.txt b/docs/howto/error-reporting.txt
index 246e7445d0..afda25b911 100644
--- a/docs/howto/error-reporting.txt
+++ b/docs/howto/error-reporting.txt
@@ -23,6 +23,17 @@ administrators immediate notification of any errors. The :setting:`ADMINS` will
 get a description of the error, a complete Python traceback, and details about
 the HTTP request that caused the error.
 
+.. note::
+
+   In order to send e-mail, Django requires a few settings telling it
+   how to connect to your mail server. At the very least, you'll need
+   to specify :setting:`EMAIL_HOST` and possibly
+   :setting:`EMAIL_HOST_USER` and :setting:`EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD`,
+   though other settings may be also required depending on your mail
+   server's configuration. Consult :ref:`the Django settings
+   documentation <ref-settings>` for a full list of email-related
+   settings.
+
 By default, Django will send email from root@localhost. However, some mail
 providers reject all email from this address. To use a different sender
 address, modify the :setting:`SERVER_EMAIL` setting.