diff --git a/apps/api/.env.dev.example b/apps/api/.env.dev.example
index 08eedf35..d4933254 100644
--- a/apps/api/.env.dev.example
+++ b/apps/api/.env.dev.example
@@ -27,4 +27,14 @@ CLIENT_URL=http://localhost:5173
 
 # For monitoring
 GRAFANA_URL=http://grafana:3000
-MONITORING_DISCORD_WEBHOOK=
\ No newline at end of file
+MONITORING_DISCORD_WEBHOOK=
+
+# AWS SES (email sending)
+AWS_ACCESS_KEY=
+AWS_ACCESS_KEY_SECRET=
+AWS_REGION=us-east-1
+EMAIL_TEMPLATE_DIRECTORY="../../internal/emailutils/templates/"
+
+# Optional: route SES at the local LocalStack emulator instead of real AWS,
+# for end-to-end email testing. Requires: docker compose up localstack
+# AWS_ENDPOINT_URL=http://localstack:4566
diff --git a/apps/api/internal/domains/email/campaign_service.go b/apps/api/internal/domains/email/campaign_service.go
index e6bd8633..0a827c48 100644
--- a/apps/api/internal/domains/email/campaign_service.go
+++ b/apps/api/internal/domains/email/campaign_service.go
@@ -171,6 +171,14 @@ func (s *EmailCampaignService) UpdateCampaignStatus(
 		return nil, ErrEmailCampaignSentAtRequired
 	}
 
+	// A draft has no send time, so unscheduling clears it. The handler cannot do
+	// this itself: ScheduledAt is a *time.Time, so an omitted field and an explicit
+	// null both arrive as nil and it has to assume "leave it alone".
+	if params.Status == sqlc.EmailCampaignStatusDraft {
+		params.ScheduledAtDoUpdate = true
+		params.ScheduledAt = nil
+	}
+
 	return s.emailCampaignRepo.UpdateEmailCampaignStatus(ctx, params)
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/api/internal/domains/email/service.go b/apps/api/internal/domains/email/service.go
index bda2bed4..128689f0 100644
--- a/apps/api/internal/domains/email/service.go
+++ b/apps/api/internal/domains/email/service.go
@@ -206,12 +206,14 @@ func (s *EmailService) SendHtmlEmail(recipient string, subject string, templateD
 
 	template, err := template.ParseFiles(templateFilePath)
 	if err != nil {
-		s.logger.Err(err).Msg("Failed to parse email template for recipient")
+		s.logger.Err(err).Str("Template", templateFilePath).Msg("Failed to parse email template for recipient")
+		return err
 	}
 
 	err = template.Execute(&body, templateData)
 	if err != nil {
-		s.logger.Err(err).Msg("Failed to inject template variables for recipient '%s'.")
+		s.logger.Err(err).Str("Template", templateFilePath).Msg("Failed to inject template variables for recipient")
+		return err
 	}
 
 	err = s.SESClient.SendHTMLEmail([]string{recipient}, "SwampHacks <contact@swamphacks.com>", subject, body.String())
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 916e8dd5..bfb9628d 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -87,6 +87,16 @@ services:
       retries: 5
       start_period: 5s
 
+  # Local SES emulator for end-to-end email testing.
+  # Set AWS_ENDPOINT_URL=http://localstack:4566 in apps/api/.env.dev to use it.
+  localstack:
+    image: localstack/localstack:3.8
+    container_name: localstack
+    ports:
+      - "4566:4566"
+    environment:
+      - SERVICES=ses
+
   # loki:
   #   image: grafana/loki:3.7.1
   #   container_name: loki