diff --git a/app/auth/views.py b/app/auth/views.py
index 7353ebf95f9bef6ea664f53b3a88282fc00e8c97..d9111ff1a86bd94cfc8042159051ca9e2cdd6702 100644
--- a/app/auth/views.py
+++ b/app/auth/views.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from . import auth
 from .forms import (LoginForm, ResetPasswordForm, ResetPasswordRequestForm,
                     RegistrationForm)
 from .. import db
-from ..email import send_email
+from ..email import create_message, send_async
 from ..models import User
 import os
 import shutil
@@ -17,8 +17,7 @@ def before_request():
     Checks if a user is unconfirmed when visiting specific sites. Redirects to
     unconfirmed view if user is unconfirmed.
     """
-    if (current_user.is_authenticated
-            and not current_user.confirmed
+    if (current_user.is_authenticated and not current_user.confirmed
             and request.blueprint != 'auth'
             and request.endpoint != 'static'):
         return redirect(url_for('auth.unconfirmed'))
@@ -69,8 +68,9 @@ def register():
             shutil.rmtree(user_dir)
         os.mkdir(user_dir)
         token = user.generate_confirmation_token()
-        send_email(user.email, 'Confirm Your Account',
-                   'auth/email/confirm', token=token, user=user)
+        msg = create_message(user.email, 'Confirm Your Account',
+                             'auth/email/confirm', token=token, user=user)
+        send_async(msg)
         flash('A confirmation email has been sent to you by email.')
         return redirect(url_for('auth.login'))
     return render_template('auth/register.html.j2',
@@ -105,8 +105,9 @@ def unconfirmed():
 @login_required
 def resend_confirmation():
     token = current_user.generate_confirmation_token()
-    send_email(current_user.email, 'Confirm Your Account',
-               'auth/email/confirm', token=token, user=current_user)
+    msg = create_message(current_user.email, 'Confirm Your Account',
+                         'auth/email/confirm', token=token, user=current_user)
+    send_async(msg)
     flash('A new confirmation email has been sent to you by email.')
     return redirect(url_for('auth.unconfirmed'))
 
@@ -116,23 +117,23 @@ def reset_password_request():
     if current_user.is_authenticated:
         return redirect(url_for('main.dashboard'))
     reset_password_request_form = ResetPasswordRequestForm(
-        prefix='reset-password-request-form'
-    )
+        prefix='reset-password-request-form')
     if reset_password_request_form.validate_on_submit():
         submitted_email = reset_password_request_form.email.data
         user = User.query.filter_by(email=submitted_email.lower()).first()
         if user:
             token = user.generate_reset_token()
-            send_email(user.email, 'Reset Your Password',
-                       'auth/email/reset_password', token=token, user=user)
+            msg = create_message(user.email, 'Reset Your Password',
+                                 'auth/email/reset_password', token=token,
+                                 user=user)
+            send_async(msg)
         flash('An email with instructions to reset your password has been '
               'sent to you.')
         return redirect(url_for('auth.login'))
     return render_template(
         'auth/reset_password_request.html.j2',
         reset_password_request_form=reset_password_request_form,
-        title='Password Reset'
-    )
+        title='Password Reset')
 
 
 @auth.route('/reset/<token>', methods=['GET', 'POST'])
diff --git a/app/email.py b/app/email.py
index 0c7889326a7651e1babc3f2a1e61eba2325509a3..ab24c7642bb001426c452790d00f4b9b8e92575d 100644
--- a/app/email.py
+++ b/app/email.py
@@ -4,18 +4,24 @@ from threading import Thread
 from . import mail
 
 
-def send_async_email(app, msg):
+def create_message(recipient, subject, template, **kwargs):
+    app = current_app._get_current_object()
+    sender = app.config['NOPAQUE_MAIL_SENDER']
+    subject_prefix = app.config['NOPAQUE_MAIL_SUBJECT_PREFIX']
+    msg = Message('{} {}'.format(subject_prefix, subject),
+                  recipients=[recipient], sender=sender)
+    msg.body = render_template('{}.txt.j2'.format(template), **kwargs)
+    msg.html = render_template('{}.html.j2'.format(template), **kwargs)
+    return msg
+
+
+def send(app, msg):
     with app.app_context():
         mail.send(msg)
 
 
-def send_email(to, subject, template, **kwargs):
+def send_async(msg):
     app = current_app._get_current_object()
-    msg = Message(
-        '{} {}'.format(app.config['NOPAQUE_MAIL_SUBJECT_PREFIX'], subject),
-        recipients=[to], sender=app.config['NOPAQUE_MAIL_SENDER'])
-    msg.body = render_template('{}.txt.j2'.format(template), **kwargs)
-    msg.html = render_template('{}.html.j2'.format(template), **kwargs)
-    thread = Thread(target=send_async_email, args=(app, msg))
+    thread = Thread(target=send, args=(app, msg))
     thread.start()
     return thread