diff --git a/deps/mail.py b/deps/mail.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fc10085
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deps/mail.py
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python -u
+
+import sys
+import smtplib
+
+job_id = sys.argv[1]
+sender = sys.argv[2]
+password = sys.argv[3]
+receivers = sys.argv[4::]
+
+recips = ""
+for guy in receivers:
+	recips = recips + guy + ","
+
+message = "From: Instrument Control <" + sender + ">" + "\n"
+message = message + "To: " + recips + "\n"
+message = message + "Subject: Sweep job " + job_id + "\n"
+
+msg = sys.stdin.readline()
+while msg:
+	message = message + msg
+	msg = sys.stdin.readline()
+
+smtpObj = smtplib.SMTP_SSL("smtp.gmail.com", 465)
+smtpObj.ehlo(sender)
+smtpObj.starttls()
+smtpObj.ehlo(sender)
+smtpObj.login(sender, password)
+failed = smtpObj.sendmail(sender, receivers, message)
+if failed:
+	smtpObj.close()
+	exit(-1)
+else:
+	smtpObj.close()
+	exit(0)
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/ICDataServer.jl b/src/ICDataServer.jl
index 4ccc856..5266d3a 100644
--- a/src/ICDataServer.jl
+++ b/src/ICDataServer.jl
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 module ICDataServer
 
 using ICCommon
-using Plots
+# using Plots
 using JSON
 import ZMQ
 import ODBC
@@ -15,30 +15,33 @@ export newjob, updatejob
 const ctx = ZMQ.Context()
 const jobsock = ZMQ.Socket(ctx, ZMQ.REP)
 
-confpath = joinpath(Pkg.dir("ICDataServer"), "deps", "config.json")
+confpath = joinpath(dirname(dirname(@__FILE__)), "deps", "config.json")
 if isfile(confpath)
-    confd = JSON.parsefile(confpath)
-    if reduce(&, k in keys(confd) for k in
-        ("jobsock", "dsn", "username", "password"))
-
-        ZMQ.bind(jobsock, confd["jobsock"])
-        const dsn = ODBC.DSN(confd["dsn"], confd["username"], confd["password"])
-    else
-        if !"jobsock" in keys(confd)
-            error("set `jobsock` key in $(confpath) to have a valid ",
-                "ZeroMQ connection string.")
-        elseif !"dsn" in keys(confd)
-            error("set `dsn` key in $(confpath) to have a valid DSN identifier.")
-        elseif !"username" in keys(confd)
-            error("set `username` key in $(confpath) to a valid username.")
-        else
-            error("set `password` key in $(confpath) for the given user.")
-        end
+    const confd = JSON.parsefile(confpath)
+    if !haskey(confd, "jobsock")
+        error("set `jobsock` key in $(confpath) to have a valid ",
+            "ZeroMQ connection string.")
+    elseif !haskey(confd, "dsn")
+        error("set `dsn` key in $(confpath) to the name of a valid ODBC DSN.")
+    end
+
+    if haskey(confd, "password") && !haskey(confd, "username")
+        error("set `username` key in $(confpath) if providing a `password` key.")
+    end
+
+    if !haskey(confd, "username")
+        confd["username"] = ""
+    end
+    if !haskey(confd, "password")
+        confd["password"] = ""
     end
 else
-    error("config file not found at $(confpath).")
+    error("configuration file not found at $(confpath).")
 end
 
+const dsn = ODBC.DSN(confd["dsn"], confd["username"], confd["password"])
+ZMQ.bind(jobsock, confd["jobsock"])
+
 function serve(;debug=false)
     while true
         msg = ZMQ.recv(jobsock)