diff --git a/backend/src/middleware/helpers/email/templateBuilder.spec.ts b/backend/src/middleware/helpers/email/templateBuilder.spec.ts
index cb516c0a9..a24bac419 100644
--- a/backend/src/middleware/helpers/email/templateBuilder.spec.ts
+++ b/backend/src/middleware/helpers/email/templateBuilder.spec.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {
   resetPasswordTemplate,
   wrongAccountTemplate,
   notificationTemplate,
+  chatMessageTemplate,
 } from './templateBuilder'
 
 const englishHint = 'English version below!'
@@ -34,6 +35,12 @@ const resetPasswordTemplateData = () => ({
     name: 'Mr Example',
   },
 })
+const chatMessageTemplateData = {
+  email: 'test@example.org',
+  variables: {
+    name: 'Mr Example',
+  },
+}
 const wrongAccountTemplateData = () => ({
   email: 'test@example.org',
   variables: {},
@@ -163,6 +170,31 @@ describe('templateBuilder', () => {
     })
   })
 
+  describe('chatMessageTemplate', () => {
+    describe('multi language', () => {
+      it('e-mail is build with all data', () => {
+        const subject = 'Neue Chatnachricht | New chat message'
+        const actionUrl = new URL('/chat', CONFIG.CLIENT_URI).toString()
+        const enContent = 'You have received a new chat message. Click here to read:'
+        const deContent = 'Du hast eine neue Chatnachricht erhalten. Klicke hier, um sie zu lesen:'
+        testEmailData(null, chatMessageTemplate, chatMessageTemplateData, [
+          ...textsStandard,
+          {
+            templPropName: 'subject',
+            isContaining: false,
+            text: subject,
+          },
+          englishHint,
+          actionUrl,
+          chatMessageTemplateData.variables.name,
+          enContent,
+          deContent,
+          supportUrl,
+        ])
+      })
+    })
+  })
+
   describe('wrongAccountTemplate', () => {
     describe('multi language', () => {
       it('e-mail is build with all data', () => {
diff --git a/backend/src/middleware/helpers/isUserOnline.spec.ts b/backend/src/middleware/helpers/isUserOnline.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bf2cb8d17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/src/middleware/helpers/isUserOnline.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+import { isUserOnline } from './isUserOnline'
+
+let user
+
+describe('isUserOnline', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    user = {
+      properties: {
+        lastActiveAt: null,
+        awaySince: null,
+        lastOnlineStatus: null,
+      },
+    }
+  })
+  describe('user has lastOnlineStatus `online`', () => {
+    it('returns true if he was active within the last 90 seconds', () => {
+      user.properties.lastOnlineStatus = 'online'
+      user.properties.lastActiveAt = new Date()
+      expect(isUserOnline(user)).toBe(true)
+    })
+    it('returns false if he was not active within the last 90 seconds', () => {
+      user.properties.lastOnlineStatus = 'online'
+      user.properties.lastActiveAt = new Date().getTime() - 90001
+      expect(isUserOnline(user)).toBe(false)
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe('user has lastOnlineStatus `away`', () => {
+    it('returns true if he went away less then 180 seconds ago', () => {
+      user.properties.lastOnlineStatus = 'away'
+      user.properties.awaySince = new Date()
+      expect(isUserOnline(user)).toBe(true)
+    })
+    it('returns false if he went away more then 180 seconds ago', () => {
+      user.properties.lastOnlineStatus = 'away'
+      user.properties.awaySince = new Date().getTime() - 180001
+      expect(isUserOnline(user)).toBe(false)
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe('user is freshly created and has never logged in', () => {
+    it('returns false', () => {
+      expect(isUserOnline(user)).toBe(false)
+    })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/backend/src/middleware/notifications/notificationsMiddleware.spec.ts b/backend/src/middleware/notifications/notificationsMiddleware.spec.ts
index 6cec5c940..8b3123458 100644
--- a/backend/src/middleware/notifications/notificationsMiddleware.spec.ts
+++ b/backend/src/middleware/notifications/notificationsMiddleware.spec.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import gql from 'graphql-tag'
-import { cleanDatabase } from '../../db/factories'
+import Factory, { cleanDatabase } from '../../db/factories'
 import { createTestClient } from 'apollo-server-testing'
 import { getNeode, getDriver } from '../../db/neo4j'
 import createServer, { pubsub } from '../../server'
@@ -10,6 +10,23 @@ import {
   changeGroupMemberRoleMutation,
   removeUserFromGroupMutation,
 } from '../../graphql/groups'
+import { createMessageMutation } from '../../graphql/messages'
+import { createRoomMutation } from '../../graphql/rooms'
+
+const sendMailMock = jest.fn()
+jest.mock('../helpers/email/sendMail', () => ({
+  sendMail: () => sendMailMock(),
+}))
+
+const chatMessageTemplateMock = jest.fn()
+jest.mock('../helpers/email/templateBuilder', () => ({
+  chatMessageTemplate: () => chatMessageTemplateMock(),
+}))
+
+let isUserOnlineMock = jest.fn()
+jest.mock('../helpers/isUserOnline', () => ({
+  isUserOnline: () => isUserOnlineMock(),
+}))
 
 let server, query, mutate, notifiedUser, authenticatedUser
 let publishSpy
@@ -634,6 +651,115 @@ describe('notifications', () => {
     })
   })
 
+  describe('chat email notifications', () => {
+    let chatSender
+    let chatReceiver
+    let roomId
+
+    beforeEach(async () => {
+      jest.clearAllMocks()
+
+      chatSender = await neode.create(
+        'User',
+        {
+          id: 'chatSender',
+          name: 'chatSender',
+          slug: 'chatSender',
+        },
+        {
+          email: 'chatSender@example.org',
+          password: '1234',
+        },
+      )
+
+      chatReceiver = await Factory.build(
+        'user',
+        { id: 'chatReceiver', name: 'chatReceiver', slug: 'chatReceiver' },
+        { email: 'user@example.org' },
+      )
+
+      authenticatedUser = await chatSender.toJson()
+
+      const room = await mutate({
+        mutation: createRoomMutation(),
+        variables: {
+          userId: 'chatReceiver',
+        },
+      })
+      roomId = room.data.CreateRoom.id
+    })
+
+    describe('chatReceiver is online', () => {
+      it('sends no email', async () => {
+        isUserOnlineMock = jest.fn().mockReturnValue(true)
+
+        await mutate({
+          mutation: createMessageMutation(),
+          variables: {
+            roomId,
+            content: 'Some nice message to chatReceiver',
+          },
+        })
+
+        expect(sendMailMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+        expect(chatMessageTemplateMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+      })
+    })
+
+    describe('chatReceiver is offline', () => {
+      it('sends an email', async () => {
+        isUserOnlineMock = jest.fn().mockReturnValue(false)
+
+        await mutate({
+          mutation: createMessageMutation(),
+          variables: {
+            roomId,
+            content: 'Some nice message to chatReceiver',
+          },
+        })
+
+        expect(sendMailMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+        expect(chatMessageTemplateMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+      })
+    })
+
+    describe('chatReceiver has blocked chatSender', () => {
+      it('sends no email', async () => {
+        isUserOnlineMock = jest.fn().mockReturnValue(false)
+        await chatReceiver.relateTo(chatSender, 'blocked')
+
+        await mutate({
+          mutation: createMessageMutation(),
+          variables: {
+            roomId,
+            content: 'Some nice message to chatReceiver',
+          },
+        })
+
+        expect(sendMailMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+        expect(chatMessageTemplateMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+      })
+    })
+
+    describe('chatReceiver has disabled email notifications', () => {
+      it('sends no email', async () => {
+        isUserOnlineMock = jest.fn().mockReturnValue(false)
+        await chatReceiver.update({ sendNotificationEmails: false })
+
+        await mutate({
+          mutation: createMessageMutation(),
+          variables: {
+            roomId,
+            content: 'Some nice message to chatReceiver',
+          },
+        })
+
+        expect(sendMailMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+        expect(chatMessageTemplateMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+      })
+    })
+  })
+
   describe('group notifications', () => {
     let groupOwner