diff --git a/WHATSNEW b/WHATSNEW
index 5c541f6ae..e6398ed94 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW
+++ b/WHATSNEW
@@ -240,6 +240,10 @@ Fixed bugs:
    breaks.
    Bugzilla Report 43342.
 
+ * encoding="auto" has been broken in <mail> since Ant 1.7.0 and only
+   worked if JavaMail was available.
+   Bugzilla Report 42389.
+
 Other changes:
 --------------
 
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/email/EmailTask.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/email/EmailTask.java
index 0a5c70ca1..ef6962aa7 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/email/EmailTask.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/email/EmailTask.java
@@ -430,7 +430,6 @@ public class EmailTask extends Task {
                     log("Using MIME mail", Project.MSG_VERBOSE);
                 } catch (BuildException e) {
                     logBuildException("Failed to initialise MIME mail: ", e);
-                    return;
                 }
             }
             // SMTP auth only allowed with MIME mail
@@ -454,7 +453,6 @@ public class EmailTask extends Task {
                     log("Using UU mail", Project.MSG_VERBOSE);
                 } catch (BuildException e) {
                     logBuildException("Failed to initialise UU mail: ", e);
-                    return;
                 }
             }
             // try plain format