diff --git a/hacking/templates/rst.j2 b/hacking/templates/rst.j2
index e83b4e9652..a619f6a298 100644
--- a/hacking/templates/rst.j2
+++ b/hacking/templates/rst.j2
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
     {% if example['description'] %}<p>@{ example['description'] | html_ify }@</p>{% endif %}
     <p>
     <pre>
-@{ example['code'] | indent(4, True) }@
+@{ example['code'] | escape | indent(4, True) }@
     </pre>
     </p>
 {% endfor %}
diff --git a/library/mail b/library/mail
index 5228080490..db8bf19d38 100644
--- a/library/mail
+++ b/library/mail
@@ -40,24 +40,24 @@ version_added: "0.8"
 options:
   from:
     description:
-      - The email-address the mail is sent from.
+      - The email-address the mail is sent from. May contain address and phrase.
     default: root
     required: false
   to:
     description:
       - The email-address(es) the mail is being sent to. This is
-        a comma-separated list.
+        a comma-separated list, which may contain address and phrase portions.
     default: root
     required: false
   cc:
     description:
       - The email-address(es) the mail is being copied to. This is
-        a comma-separated list.
+        a comma-separated list, which may contain address and phrase portions.
     required: false
   bcc:
     description:
       - The email-address(es) the mail is being 'blind' copied to. This is
-        a comma-separated list.
+        a comma-separated list, which may contain address and phrase portions.
     required: false
   subject:
     description:
@@ -69,61 +69,169 @@ options:
       - The body of the email being sent.
     default: $subject
     required: false
+  host:
+    description:
+      - The mail server
+    default: 'localhost'
+    required: false
+  port:
+    description:
+      - The mail server port
+    default: '25'
+    required: false
+    version_added: "1.0"
+  attach:
+    description:
+      - A space-separated list of pathnames of files to attach to the message.
+        Attached files will have their content-type set to C(application/octet-stream).
+    default: null
+    required: false
+    version_added: "1.0"
+  headers:
+    description:
+      - A vertical-bar-separated list of headers which should be added to the message.
+        Each individual header is specified as C(header=value) (see example below).
+    default: null
+    required: false
+    version_added: "1.0"
 examples:
     - description: "Example playbook sending mail to root"
       code: "local_action: mail msg='System ${ansible_hostname} has been sucessfully provisioned.'"
+    - description: Send e-mail to a bunch of users, attaching files
+      code: |
+           - local_action: mail
+                 host='127.0.0.1'
+                 port=2025
+                 subject="Ansible-report"
+                 body="Hello, this is an e-mail. I hope you like it ;-)"
+                 from="jane@example.net (Jane Jolie)"
+                 to="John Doe <j.d@example.org>, Suzie Something <sue@example.com>"
+                 cc="Charlie Root <root@localhost>"
+                 attach="/etc/group /tmp/pavatar2.png"
+                 headers=Reply-To=john@example.com|X-Special="Something or other"
 """
 
+import os
+import sys
 import smtplib
 
+try:
+    from email import encoders
+    import email.utils
+    from email.utils import parseaddr, formataddr
+    from email.mime.base import MIMEBase
+    from mail.mime.multipart import MIMEMultipart
+    from email.mime.text import MIMEText
+except ImportError:
+    from email import Encoders as encoders
+    import email.Utils
+    from email.Utils import parseaddr, formataddr
+    from email.MIMEBase import MIMEBase
+    from email.MIMEMultipart import MIMEMultipart
+    from email.MIMEText import MIMEText
+
 def main():
 
     module = AnsibleModule(
         argument_spec = dict(
             host = dict(default='localhost'),
+            port = dict(default='25'),
             sender = dict(default='root', aliases=['from']),
             to = dict(default='root', aliases=['recipients']),
             cc = dict(default=None),
             bcc = dict(default=None),
             subject = dict(required=True, aliases=['msg']),
             body = dict(default=None),
+            attach = dict(default=None),
+            headers = dict(default=None),
         )
     )
 
     host = module.params.get('host')
+    port = module.params.get('port')
     sender = module.params.get('sender')
     recipients = module.params.get('to')
     copies = module.params.get('cc')
     blindcopies = module.params.get('bcc')
     subject = module.params.get('subject')
     body = module.params.get('body')
+    attach_files = module.params.get('attach')
+    headers = module.params.get('headers')
+
+    sender_phrase, sender_addr = parseaddr(sender)
 
     if not body:
         body = subject
 
     try:
-        smtp = smtplib.SMTP(host)
+        smtp = smtplib.SMTP(host, port=int(port))
     except Exception, e:
-        module.fail_json(rc=1, msg='Failed to send mail to server %s: %s' % (host, e))
+        module.fail_json(rc=1, msg='Failed to send mail to server %s on port %s: %s' % (host, port, e))
 
-    content = 'From: %s\n' % sender
-    content += 'To: %s\n' % recipients
-    if copies:
-        content += 'Cc: %s\n' % copies
-    content += 'Subject: %s\n\n' % subject
-    content += body
 
-    addresses = recipients.split(',')
-    if copies:
-        addresses += copies.split(',')
-    if blindcopies:
-        addresses += blindcopies.split(',')
+    msg = MIMEMultipart()
+    msg['Subject'] = subject
+    msg['From'] = formataddr((sender_phrase, sender_addr))
+    msg.preamble = "Multipart message"
 
-    for address in addresses:
-        try:
-            smtp.sendmail(sender, address, content)
-        except Exception, e:
-            module.fail_json(rc=1, msg='Failed to send mail to address %s: %s' % (address, e))
+    if headers is not None:
+        for hdr in [x.strip() for x in headers.split('|')]:
+            try:
+                h_key, h_val = hdr.split('=')
+                msg.add_header(h_key, h_val)
+            except:
+                pass
+
+    if 'X-Mailer' not in msg:
+        msg.add_header('X-Mailer', "Ansible")
+
+    to_list = []
+    cc_list = []
+    addr_list = []
+
+    if recipients is not None:
+        for addr in [x.strip() for x in recipients.split(',')]:
+            to_list.append( formataddr( parseaddr(addr)) )
+            addr_list.append( parseaddr(addr)[1] )    # address only, w/o phrase
+    if copies is not None:
+        for addr in [x.strip() for x in copies.split(',')]:
+            cc_list.append( formataddr( parseaddr(addr)) )
+            addr_list.append( parseaddr(addr)[1] )    # address only, w/o phrase
+    if blindcopies is not None:
+        for addr in [x.strip() for x in blindcopies.split(',')]:
+            addr_list.append( parseaddr(addr)[1] )
+
+    if len(to_list) > 0:
+        msg['To'] = ", ".join(to_list)
+    if len(cc_list) > 0:
+        msg['Cc'] = ", ".join(cc_list)
+
+    part = MIMEText(body + "\n\n")
+    msg.attach(part)
+
+    if attach_files is not None:
+        for file in attach_files.split():
+            try:
+                fp = open(file, 'rb')
+
+                part = MIMEBase('application', 'octet-stream')
+                part.set_payload(fp.read())
+                fp.close()
+
+                encoders.encode_base64(part)
+
+                part.add_header('Content-disposition', 'attachment', filename=os.path.basename(file))
+                msg.attach(part)
+            except Exception, e:
+                module.fail_json(rc=1, msg="Failed to send mail: can't attach file %s: %s" % (file, e))
+                sys.exit()
+
+    composed = msg.as_string()
+
+    try:
+        smtp.sendmail(sender_addr, set(addr_list), composed)
+    except Exception, e:
+        module.fail_json(rc=1, msg='Failed to send mail to %s: %s' % (", ".join(addr_list), e))
 
     smtp.quit()