diff --git a/framework/quota/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/quota/QuotaAlertManagerImpl.java b/framework/quota/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/quota/QuotaAlertManagerImpl.java
index 189a097ebf4..019420c8a09 100644
--- a/framework/quota/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/quota/QuotaAlertManagerImpl.java
+++ b/framework/quota/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/quota/QuotaAlertManagerImpl.java
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ import com.sun.mail.smtp.SMTPMessage;
 import com.sun.mail.smtp.SMTPSSLTransport;
 import com.sun.mail.smtp.SMTPTransport;
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
+import org.apache.commons.lang.BooleanUtils;
 
 @Component
 public class QuotaAlertManagerImpl extends ManagerBase implements QuotaAlertManager {
@@ -116,9 +117,11 @@ public class QuotaAlertManagerImpl extends ManagerBase implements QuotaAlertMana
         String smtpPassword = configs.get(QuotaConfig.QuotaSmtpPassword.key());
         String emailSender = configs.get(QuotaConfig.QuotaSmtpSender.key());
         String smtpEnabledSecurityProtocols = configs.get(QuotaConfig.QuotaSmtpEnabledSecurityProtocols.key());
+        String useStartTLSStr = configs.get(QuotaConfig.QuotaSmtpUseStartTLS.key());
+        boolean useStartTLS = BooleanUtils.toBoolean(useStartTLSStr);
         _lockAccountEnforcement = "true".equalsIgnoreCase(configs.get(QuotaConfig.QuotaEnableEnforcement.key()));
-        _emailQuotaAlert = new EmailQuotaAlert(smtpHost, smtpPort, useAuth, smtpUsername, smtpPassword, emailSender, smtpEnabledSecurityProtocols, _smtpDebug);
 
+        _emailQuotaAlert = new EmailQuotaAlert(smtpHost, smtpPort, useAuth, smtpUsername, smtpPassword, emailSender, smtpEnabledSecurityProtocols, useStartTLS, _smtpDebug);
         return true;
     }
 
@@ -342,14 +345,16 @@ public class QuotaAlertManagerImpl extends ManagerBase implements QuotaAlertMana
         private final String _smtpUsername;
         private final String _smtpPassword;
         private final String _emailSender;
+        private final boolean smtpUseStartTLS;
 
-        public EmailQuotaAlert(String smtpHost, int smtpPort, boolean smtpUseAuth, final String smtpUsername, final String smtpPassword, String emailSender, String smtpEnabledSecurityProtocols, boolean smtpDebug) {
+        public EmailQuotaAlert(String smtpHost, int smtpPort, boolean smtpUseAuth, final String smtpUsername, final String smtpPassword, String emailSender, String smtpEnabledSecurityProtocols, boolean smtpUseStartTLS, boolean smtpDebug) {
             _smtpHost = smtpHost;
             _smtpPort = smtpPort;
             _smtpUseAuth = smtpUseAuth;
             _smtpUsername = smtpUsername;
             _smtpPassword = smtpPassword;
             _emailSender = emailSender;
+            this.smtpUseStartTLS = smtpUseStartTLS;
 
             if (!Strings.isNullOrEmpty(_smtpHost)) {
                 Properties smtpProps = new Properties();
@@ -371,6 +376,10 @@ public class QuotaAlertManagerImpl extends ManagerBase implements QuotaAlertMana
                     smtpProps.put("mail.smtp.ssl.protocols", smtpEnabledSecurityProtocols);
                 }
 
+                if (smtpUseAuth) {
+                    smtpProps.put("mail.smtp.starttls.enable", smtpUseStartTLS);
+                }
+
                 if (!Strings.isNullOrEmpty(smtpUsername) && !Strings.isNullOrEmpty(smtpPassword)) {
                     _smtpSession = Session.getInstance(smtpProps, new Authenticator() {
                         @Override
@@ -413,7 +422,7 @@ public class QuotaAlertManagerImpl extends ManagerBase implements QuotaAlertMana
             msg.saveChanges();
 
             SMTPTransport smtpTrans = null;
-            if (_smtpUseAuth) {
+            if (_smtpUseAuth && !this.smtpUseStartTLS) {
                 smtpTrans = new SMTPSSLTransport(_smtpSession, new URLName("smtp", _smtpHost, _smtpPort, null, _smtpUsername, _smtpPassword));
             } else {
                 smtpTrans = new SMTPTransport(_smtpSession, new URLName("smtp", _smtpHost, _smtpPort, null, _smtpUsername, _smtpPassword));
diff --git a/framework/quota/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/quota/constant/QuotaConfig.java b/framework/quota/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/quota/constant/QuotaConfig.java
index 14de1ce6b8c..4cb855f4fac 100644
--- a/framework/quota/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/quota/constant/QuotaConfig.java
+++ b/framework/quota/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/quota/constant/QuotaConfig.java
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ public interface QuotaConfig {
     public static final ConfigKey<String> QuotaSmtpEnabledSecurityProtocols = new ConfigKey<String>("Advanced", String.class, "quota.usage.smtp.enabledSecurityProtocols", "",
             "White-space separated security protocols; ex: \"TLSv1 TLSv1.1\". Supported protocols: SSLv2Hello, SSLv3, TLSv1, TLSv1.1 and TLSv1.2", true);
 
+    public static final ConfigKey<String> QuotaSmtpUseStartTLS = new ConfigKey<String>("Advanced", String.class, "quota.usage.smtp.useStartTLS", "false",
+            "If set to true and if we enable security via quota.usage.smtp.useAuth, this will enable StartTLS to secure the conection.", true);
+
     enum QuotaEmailTemplateTypes {
         QUOTA_LOW, QUOTA_EMPTY, QUOTA_UNLOCK_ACCOUNT, QUOTA_STATEMENT
     }
diff --git a/plugins/database/quota/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/quota/QuotaServiceImpl.java b/plugins/database/quota/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/quota/QuotaServiceImpl.java
index 80d69b9a533..a8c28a53fe1 100644
--- a/plugins/database/quota/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/quota/QuotaServiceImpl.java
+++ b/plugins/database/quota/src/main/java/org/apache/cloudstack/quota/QuotaServiceImpl.java
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ public class QuotaServiceImpl extends ManagerBase implements QuotaService, Confi
     @Override
     public ConfigKey<?>[] getConfigKeys() {
         return new ConfigKey<?>[] {QuotaPluginEnabled, QuotaEnableEnforcement, QuotaCurrencySymbol, QuotaStatementPeriod, QuotaSmtpHost, QuotaSmtpPort, QuotaSmtpTimeout,
-                QuotaSmtpUser, QuotaSmtpPassword, QuotaSmtpAuthType, QuotaSmtpSender, QuotaSmtpEnabledSecurityProtocols};
+                QuotaSmtpUser, QuotaSmtpPassword, QuotaSmtpAuthType, QuotaSmtpSender, QuotaSmtpEnabledSecurityProtocols, QuotaSmtpUseStartTLS};
     }
 
     @Override