diff --git a/Documentation/licenses.txt b/Documentation/licenses.txt
index 2c123f8..25194a9 100644
--- a/Documentation/licenses.txt
+++ b/Documentation/licenses.txt
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 Apache MINA                 <<apache2,Apache License 2.0>>
 Apache Tomact Servlet API   <<apache2,Apache License 2.0>>
 Apache SSHD                 <<apache2,Apache License 2.0>>, see also <<sshd,NOTICE>>
+Apache Velocity             <<apache2,Apache License 2.0>>
 Apache Xerces               <<apache2,Apache License 2.0>>
 OpenID4Java                 <<apache2,Apache License 2.0>>
 Neko HTML                   <<apache2,Apache License 2.0>>
diff --git a/gerrit-server/pom.xml b/gerrit-server/pom.xml
index db8093c..3b78c17 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/pom.xml
+++ b/gerrit-server/pom.xml
@@ -34,6 +34,16 @@
 
   <dependencies>
     <dependency>
+      <groupId>log4j</groupId>
+      <artifactId>log4j</artifactId>
+    </dependency>
+
+    <dependency>
+      <groupId>org.apache.velocity</groupId>
+      <artifactId>velocity</artifactId>
+    </dependency>
+
+    <dependency>
       <groupId>org.eclipse.jgit</groupId>
       <artifactId>org.eclipse.jgit</artifactId>
     </dependency>
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/config/GerritGlobalModule.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/config/GerritGlobalModule.java
index b70682c..232c09d 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/config/GerritGlobalModule.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/config/GerritGlobalModule.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 import static com.google.inject.Scopes.SINGLETON;
 
 import com.google.gerrit.common.data.ApprovalTypes;
+import com.google.gerrit.lifecycle.LifecycleListener;
 import com.google.gerrit.lifecycle.LifecycleModule;
 import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.AccountGroup;
 import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.AuthType;
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@
 import com.google.gerrit.server.account.Realm;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.auth.ldap.LdapModule;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.cache.CachePool;
+import com.google.gerrit.server.config.SitePaths;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.events.EventFactory;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.git.ChangeMergeQueue;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.git.GitRepositoryManager;
@@ -64,15 +66,54 @@
 import com.google.inject.Inject;
 import com.google.inject.TypeLiteral;
 
+import org.apache.velocity.app.Velocity;
+import org.apache.velocity.runtime.RuntimeConstants;
+
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Config;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.PersonIdent;
 
+import java.util.Properties;
 import java.util.Set;
 
+
 /** Starts global state with standard dependencies. */
 public class GerritGlobalModule extends FactoryModule {
   private final AuthType loginType;
 
+  public static class VelocityLifecycle implements LifecycleListener {
+    private final SitePaths site;
+
+    @Inject
+    VelocityLifecycle(final SitePaths site) {
+      this.site = site;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void start() {
+      String rl = "resource.loader";
+      String pkg = "org.apache.velocity.runtime.resource.loader";
+      Properties p = new Properties();
+
+      p.setProperty(rl, "file, class");
+      p.setProperty("file." + rl + ".class", pkg + ".FileResourceLoader");
+      p.setProperty("file." + rl + ".path", site.mail_dir.getAbsolutePath());
+      p.setProperty("class." + rl + ".class", pkg + ".ClasspathResourceLoader");
+      p.setProperty(RuntimeConstants.RUNTIME_LOG_LOGSYSTEM_CLASS,
+              "org.apache.velocity.runtime.log.SimpleLog4JLogSystem" );
+      p.setProperty("runtime.log.logsystem.log4j.category", "velocity");
+
+      try {
+        Velocity.init(p);
+      } catch(Exception e) {
+        throw new RuntimeException(e);
+      }
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void stop() {
+    }
+  }
+
   @Inject
   GerritGlobalModule(final AuthConfig authConfig,
       @GerritServerConfig final Config config) {
@@ -149,6 +190,7 @@
         listener().to(LocalDiskRepositoryManager.Lifecycle.class);
         listener().to(CachePool.Lifecycle.class);
         listener().to(WorkQueue.Lifecycle.class);
+        listener().to(VelocityLifecycle.class);
       }
     });
   }
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/config/SitePaths.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/config/SitePaths.java
index 1faa672..c3a5fb7 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/config/SitePaths.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/config/SitePaths.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
   public final File etc_dir;
   public final File lib_dir;
   public final File logs_dir;
+  public final File mail_dir;
   public final File hooks_dir;
   public final File static_dir;
 
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@
     etc_dir = new File(site_path, "etc");
     lib_dir = new File(site_path, "lib");
     logs_dir = new File(site_path, "logs");
+    mail_dir = new File(etc_dir, "mail");
     hooks_dir = new File(site_path, "hooks");
     static_dir = new File(site_path, "static");
 
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/mail/ChangeEmail.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/mail/ChangeEmail.java
index e7c463c..fa10784 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/mail/ChangeEmail.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/mail/ChangeEmail.java
@@ -23,10 +23,7 @@
 import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.PatchSetApproval;
 import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.PatchSetInfo;
 import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.StarredChange;
-import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.UserIdentity;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.IdentifiedUser;
-import com.google.gerrit.server.account.AccountState;
-import com.google.gerrit.server.mail.EmailHeader.AddressList;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.patch.PatchList;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.patch.PatchListEntry;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.patch.PatchSetInfoNotAvailableException;
@@ -37,22 +34,11 @@
 import com.google.gerrit.server.query.change.ChangeQueryBuilder;
 import com.google.gwtorm.client.OrmException;
 
-import org.eclipse.jgit.util.SystemReader;
-import org.slf4j.Logger;
-import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
-
-import java.net.MalformedURLException;
-import java.net.URL;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.HashSet;
-import java.util.Iterator;
-import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
 import java.util.List;
-import java.util.Map;
-import java.util.Random;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.TreeSet;
 
@@ -88,7 +74,7 @@
   }
 
   /** Format the message body by calling {@link #appendText(String)}. */
-  protected void format() {
+  protected void format() throws EmailException {
     formatChange();
     if (getChangeUrl() != null) {
       openFooter();
@@ -133,11 +119,10 @@
   }
 
   /** Format the message body by calling {@link #appendText(String)}. */
-  protected abstract void formatChange();
+  protected abstract void formatChange() throws EmailException;
 
   /** Setup the message headers and envelope (TO, CC, BCC). */
   protected void init() {
-    super.init();
     if (args.projectCache != null) {
       projectState = args.projectCache.get(change.getProject());
       projectName =
@@ -163,6 +148,8 @@
       }
     }
 
+    super.init();
+
     if (changeMessage != null && changeMessage.getWrittenOn() != null) {
       setHeader("Date", new Date(changeMessage.getWrittenOn().getTime()));
     }
@@ -442,4 +429,14 @@
         || projectState.controlFor(args.identifiedUserFactory.create(to))
             .controlFor(change).isVisible();
   }
+
+  @Override
+  protected void setupVelocityContext() {
+    super.setupVelocityContext();
+    velocityContext.put("change", change);
+    velocityContext.put("branch", change.getDest());
+    velocityContext.put("projectName", projectName);
+    velocityContext.put("patchSet", patchSet);
+    velocityContext.put("patchSetInfo", patchSetInfo);
+  }
 }
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/mail/EmailArguments.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/mail/EmailArguments.java
index 8a7ffd6..f2ab9fa 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/mail/EmailArguments.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/mail/EmailArguments.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 import com.google.gerrit.server.IdentifiedUser.GenericFactory;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.account.AccountCache;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.config.CanonicalWebUrl;
+import com.google.gerrit.server.config.SitePaths;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.config.WildProjectName;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.git.GitRepositoryManager;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.patch.PatchListCache;
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@
   final ChangeQueryBuilder.Factory queryBuilder;
   final Provider<ChangeQueryRewriter> queryRewriter;
   final Provider<ReviewDb> db;
+  final SitePaths site;
 
   @Inject
   EmailArguments(GitRepositoryManager server, ProjectCache projectCache,
@@ -57,7 +59,8 @@
       @CanonicalWebUrl @Nullable Provider<String> urlProvider,
       @WildProjectName Project.NameKey wildProject,
       ChangeQueryBuilder.Factory queryBuilder,
-      Provider<ChangeQueryRewriter> queryRewriter, Provider<ReviewDb> db) {
+      Provider<ChangeQueryRewriter> queryRewriter, Provider<ReviewDb> db,
+      SitePaths site) {
     this.server = server;
     this.projectCache = projectCache;
     this.accountCache = accountCache;
@@ -71,5 +74,6 @@
     this.queryBuilder = queryBuilder;
     this.queryRewriter = queryRewriter;
     this.db = db;
+    this.site = site;
   }
 }
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/mail/OutgoingEmail.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/mail/OutgoingEmail.java
index 451d097..6703856 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/mail/OutgoingEmail.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/mail/OutgoingEmail.java
@@ -15,45 +15,31 @@
 package com.google.gerrit.server.mail;
 
 import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.Account;
-import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.AccountGroup;
-import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.AccountProjectWatch;
-import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.Change;
-import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.ChangeMessage;
-import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.PatchSet;
-import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.PatchSetApproval;
-import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.PatchSetInfo;
-import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.StarredChange;
 import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.UserIdentity;
-import com.google.gerrit.server.IdentifiedUser;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.account.AccountState;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.mail.EmailHeader.AddressList;
-import com.google.gerrit.server.patch.PatchList;
-import com.google.gerrit.server.patch.PatchListEntry;
-import com.google.gerrit.server.patch.PatchSetInfoNotAvailableException;
-import com.google.gerrit.server.project.ProjectState;
-import com.google.gerrit.server.query.Predicate;
-import com.google.gerrit.server.query.QueryParseException;
-import com.google.gerrit.server.query.change.ChangeData;
-import com.google.gerrit.server.query.change.ChangeQueryBuilder;
-import com.google.gwtorm.client.OrmException;
+
+import org.apache.commons.lang.StringUtils;
+import org.apache.velocity.app.Velocity;
+import org.apache.velocity.exception.ResourceNotFoundException;
+import org.apache.velocity.VelocityContext;
 
 import org.eclipse.jgit.util.SystemReader;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
+import java.io.StringWriter;
 import java.net.MalformedURLException;
 import java.net.URL;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
-import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
-import java.util.Set;
-import java.util.TreeSet;
+
 
 /** Sends an email to one or more interested parties. */
 public abstract class OutgoingEmail {
@@ -68,6 +54,7 @@
   private final List<Address> smtpRcptTo = new ArrayList<Address>();
   private Address smtpFromAddress;
   private StringBuilder body;
+  protected VelocityContext velocityContext;
 
   protected final EmailArguments args;
   protected Account.Id fromId;
@@ -134,10 +121,12 @@
   }
 
   /** Format the message body by calling {@link #appendText(String)}. */
-  protected abstract void format();
+  protected abstract void format() throws EmailException;
 
   /** Setup the message headers and envelope (TO, CC, BCC). */
   protected void init() {
+    setupVelocityContext();
+
     smtpFromAddress = args.fromAddressGenerator.from(fromId);
     setHeader("Date", new Date());
     headers.put("From", new EmailHeader.AddressList(smtpFromAddress));
@@ -209,6 +198,12 @@
     return args.urlProvider.get();
   }
 
+  /** Set a header in the outgoing message using a template. */
+  protected void setVHeader(final String name, final String value) throws
+      EmailException {
+    setHeader(name, velocify(value));
+  }
+
   /** Set a header in the outgoing message. */
   protected void setHeader(final String name, final String value) {
     headers.put(name, new EmailHeader.String(value));
@@ -336,4 +331,41 @@
     }
     return new Address(a.getFullName(), e);
   }
+
+  protected void setupVelocityContext() {
+    velocityContext = new VelocityContext();
+
+    velocityContext.put("email", this);
+    velocityContext.put("messageClass", messageClass);
+    velocityContext.put("StringUtils", StringUtils.class);
+  }
+
+  protected String velocify(String tpl) throws EmailException {
+    try {
+      StringWriter w = new StringWriter();
+      Velocity.evaluate(velocityContext, w, "OutgoingEmail", tpl);
+      return w.toString();
+    } catch(Exception e) {
+      throw new EmailException("Velocity template "+ tpl.toString(), e);
+    }
+  }
+
+  protected String velocifyFile(String name) throws EmailException {
+    try {
+      StringWriter w = new StringWriter();
+      Velocity.mergeTemplate(name, velocityContext, w);
+      return w.toString();
+    } catch(ResourceNotFoundException e) {
+      try {
+        StringWriter w = new StringWriter();
+        String pkg = "com/google/gerrit/server/mail/";
+        Velocity.mergeTemplate(pkg + name, velocityContext, w);
+        return w.toString();
+      } catch(Exception e2) {
+        throw new EmailException("Velocity WAR template" + name + ".\n", e2);
+      }
+    } catch(Exception e) {
+      throw new EmailException("Velocity template " + name + ".\n", e);
+    }
+  }
 }
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index beab043..13ffb8b 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -482,6 +482,12 @@
       </dependency>
 
       <dependency>
+        <groupId>org.apache.velocity</groupId>
+        <artifactId>velocity</artifactId>
+        <version>1.6.4</version>
+      </dependency>
+
+      <dependency>
         <groupId>net.sf.ehcache</groupId>
         <artifactId>ehcache-core</artifactId>
         <version>1.7.2</version>