diff --git a/src/socket.io/admin.js b/src/socket.io/admin.js
index 3aa389802a..26e0c23690 100644
--- a/src/socket.io/admin.js
+++ b/src/socket.io/admin.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ var plugins = require('../plugins');
 var widgets = require('../widgets');
 var user = require('../user');
 var userDigest = require('../user/digest');
+var userEmail = require('../user/email');
 var logger = require('../logger');
 var events = require('../events');
 var emailer = require('../emailer');
@@ -230,6 +231,12 @@ SocketAdmin.email.test = function (socket, data, callback) {
 		emailer.send(data.template, socket.uid, payload, callback);
 		break;
 
+	case 'welcome':
+		userEmail.sendValidationEmail(socket.uid, {
+			force: 1,
+		});
+		break;
+
 	default:
 		emailer.send(data.template, socket.uid, payload, callback);
 		break;
diff --git a/src/socket.io/admin/user.js b/src/socket.io/admin/user.js
index de2ccfc299..3fb4dfb9ff 100644
--- a/src/socket.io/admin/user.js
+++ b/src/socket.io/admin/user.js
@@ -101,20 +101,9 @@ User.sendValidationEmail = function (socket, uids, callback) {
 		return callback(new Error('[[error:email-confirmations-are-disabled]]'));
 	}
 
-	async.waterfall([
-		function (next) {
-			user.getUsersFields(uids, ['uid', 'email'], next);
-		},
-		function (usersData, next) {
-			async.eachLimit(usersData, 50, function (userData, next) {
-				if (userData.email && userData.uid) {
-					user.email.sendValidationEmail(userData.uid, userData.email, next);
-				} else {
-					next();
-				}
-			}, next);
-		},
-	], callback);
+	async.eachLimit(uids, 50, function (uid, next) {
+		user.email.sendValidationEmail(uid, next);
+	}, callback);
 };
 
 User.sendPasswordResetEmail = function (socket, uids, callback) {
diff --git a/src/socket.io/user.js b/src/socket.io/user.js
index f14e0c0c89..b9cd70552b 100644
--- a/src/socket.io/user.js
+++ b/src/socket.io/user.js
@@ -75,18 +75,7 @@ SocketUser.emailConfirm = function (socket, data, callback) {
 		return callback(new Error('[[error:email-confirmations-are-disabled]]'));
 	}
 
-	async.waterfall([
-		function (next) {
-			user.getUserField(socket.uid, 'email', next);
-		},
-		function (email, next) {
-			if (!email) {
-				return callback();
-			}
-
-			user.email.sendValidationEmail(socket.uid, email, next);
-		},
-	], callback);
+	user.email.sendValidationEmail(socket.uid, next);
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/user/create.js b/src/user/create.js
index 812e3c0a4a..8b684cdacb 100644
--- a/src/user/create.js
+++ b/src/user/create.js
@@ -103,7 +103,9 @@ module.exports = function (User) {
 							], next);
 
 							if (parseInt(userData.uid, 10) !== 1 && parseInt(meta.config.requireEmailConfirmation, 10) === 1) {
-								User.email.sendValidationEmail(userData.uid, userData.email);
+								User.email.sendValidationEmail(userData.uid, {
+									email: userData.email,
+								});
 							}
 						} else {
 							next();
diff --git a/src/user/email.js b/src/user/email.js
index 30d8340e8a..9dafee3fa7 100644
--- a/src/user/email.js
+++ b/src/user/email.js
@@ -26,7 +26,26 @@ UserEmail.available = function (email, callback) {
 	});
 };
 
-UserEmail.sendValidationEmail = function (uid, email, callback) {
+UserEmail.sendValidationEmail = function (uid, options, callback) {
+	/*
+	 * 	Options:
+	 * 		- email, overrides email retrieval
+	 * 		- force, sends email even if it is too soon to send another
+	 */
+
+	// Handling for 2 arguments
+	if (arguments.length === 2 && typeof options === 'function') {
+		callback = options;
+		options = {};
+	}
+
+	// Fallback behaviour (email passed in as second argument)
+	if (typeof options === 'string') {
+		options = {
+			email: options,
+		};
+	}
+
 	callback = callback || function () {};
 	var confirm_code = utils.generateUUID();
 	var confirm_link = nconf.get('url') + '/confirm/' + confirm_code;
@@ -35,6 +54,25 @@ UserEmail.sendValidationEmail = function (uid, email, callback) {
 
 	async.waterfall([
 		function (next) {
+			// If no email passed in (default), retrieve email from uid
+			if (options.email && options.email.length) {
+				return setImmediate(next);
+			}
+
+			user.getUserField(uid, 'email', function (err, email) {
+				if (err) {
+					return next(err);
+				}
+
+				options.email = email;
+				next();
+			});
+		},
+		function (next) {
+			if (options.force) {
+				return setImmediate(next, null, false);
+			}
+
 			db.get('uid:' + uid + ':confirm:email:sent', next);
 		},
 		function (sent, next) {
@@ -52,7 +90,7 @@ UserEmail.sendValidationEmail = function (uid, email, callback) {
 		function (_confirm_code, next) {
 			confirm_code = _confirm_code;
 			db.setObject('confirm:' + confirm_code, {
-				email: email.toLowerCase(),
+				email: options.email.toLowerCase(),
 				uid: uid,
 			}, next);
 		},
diff --git a/src/user/profile.js b/src/user/profile.js
index 91956e9bf4..d6f7ac5a4b 100644
--- a/src/user/profile.js
+++ b/src/user/profile.js
@@ -176,7 +176,9 @@ module.exports = function (User) {
 					},
 					function (next) {
 						if (parseInt(meta.config.requireEmailConfirmation, 10) === 1 && newEmail) {
-							User.email.sendValidationEmail(uid, newEmail);
+							User.email.sendValidationEmail(uid, {
+								email: newEmail,
+							});
 						}
 						User.setUserField(uid, 'email:confirmed', 0, next);
 					},