diff --git a/applications/email.nix b/applications/email.nix
index c91f4da..5275bd7 100644
--- a/applications/email.nix
+++ b/applications/email.nix
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ in {
       {
         record = "${cfg.domain}.";
         r_type = "TXT";
-        value = ''"v=spf1 a:${cfg.sub}.${cfg.domain} -all"'';
+        value = ''"v=spf1 a:${cfg.sub}.${cfg.domain} a:gitlab.skynet.ie -all"'';
       }
 
       # DKIM keys
diff --git a/applications/gitlab.nix b/applications/gitlab.nix
index 0840614..3342607 100644
--- a/applications/gitlab.nix
+++ b/applications/gitlab.nix
@@ -174,11 +174,10 @@ in {
           */
         };
       };
-      #smtp = {
-      #  enable = true;
-      #  address = "localhost";
-      #  port = 25;
-      #};
+
+      # use the local email client
+      smtp.enable = true;
+
       secrets = {
         dbFile = config.age.secrets.gitlab_secrets_db.path;
         secretFile = config.age.secrets.gitlab_secrets_secret.path;