SMTP config overwritten by wpIdentity

Start by reproducing the SMTP configuration with and without a wordpress block, then read sendmail.js and wpidentity.js around mail.start() and startMail(). Verify that the second startup does not replace an existing SMTP transport or force SES when wpIdentity has no SMTP settings, while preserving the documented behavior for both packages.

This was noted in a pull request in the wpcomvip/feedland private repo. I investigated and found the following.

When there's a wordpress block in config, mail.start() gets called twice: once during core startup (using the complete merged config), and once by wpIdentity.startMail() (using only config.wordpress).

How to reproduce:

1. Set up any FeedLand instance with working top-level SMTP settings (smtpHost, smtpPort, smtpUsername, smtpPassword) — email works fine at this point.
2. Add a wordpress block to config (client ID/secret, etc.) to enable WordPress login, without putting smtp fields inside that block.
3. Start the server. The logs show mail.start() called once with flUseSes: false (FeedLand's own startup), then again moments later with flUseSes: true (from wpidentity.start()).
4. Trigger any email send (signup, login confirmation) — it now goes through SES instead of SMTP, and fails if SES isn't authorized.

I tried this out in in a local install.
Test 1: SMTP configured, no wordpress block: Mail delivered via SMTP
Test 2: SMTP configured, wordpress block added without smtp fields inside it: Mail routed to SES, failed
Test 3: SMTP configured, wordpress block added with smtp fields inside it: Mail delivered via SMTP

This bug involves several packages... wordland calls daveappserver which calls davemail, then wpIdentity calls davemail again. The solution I found involves two packages:

1. in davemail (sendmail.js, start ()) don't overwrite the settings with SES if mailTransport is already defined
2. in wpIdentity ( wpidentity.js, startMail ()) don't call mail.start() with "flUseSes: true" when wpIdentity itself has no SMTP settings, just use the mail config the host app already set up

I put the diffs below. The fix works for me with wordland locally, but can't say if it's the best or the correct fix. I'm unsure what happens in a different app where wpIdentity is not used together with daveappserver.

mail — sendmail.js

 function start (options) { //1/23/23 by DW
      var flUseSes = (options.flUseSes === undefined) ? true : utils.getBoolean (options.flUseSes);
+     if (flUseSes && (mailTransport !== undefined)) {
+             return;
+             }
      config.flUseSes = flUseSes; //so davemail routines know whether to use SMTP or SES
      if (!flUseSes) { //using SMTP
              const nodemailerOptions = {

wpIdentity — wpidentity.js

      function startMail () { //12/2/25 by DW
-             var options;
-             if (config.smtpHost === undefined) {
-                     options = {
-                             flUseSes: true
-                             };
-                     }
-             else {
-                     options = {
+             if (config.smtpHost !== undefined) {
+                     mail.start ({
                              flUseSes: false,
                              smtpHost: config.smtpHost,
                              port: config.smtpPort,
                              username: config.smtpUsername,
                              password: config.smtpPassword
-                             };
+                             });
                      }
-             mail.start (options);
              }