diff --git a/doc/haproxy-en.txt b/doc/haproxy-en.txt
index 76d54c463..1341aea53 100644
--- a/doc/haproxy-en.txt
+++ b/doc/haproxy-en.txt
@@ -1034,6 +1034,13 @@ the response is considered as valid. Note that Apache does not generate a log
 when it receives only an HELLO message, which makes this type of message
 perfectly suit this need.
 
+Version 1.3.10 introduced the SMTP health check. By default, it sends
+"HELO localhost" to the servers, and waits for the 250 message. Note that it
+can also send a specific request :
+
+  - option smtpchk                         -> sends "HELO localhost"
+  - option smtpchk EHLO mail.mydomain.com  -> sends this ESMTP greeting
+
 See examples below.
 
 Since version 1.1.17, it is possible to specify backup servers. These servers
diff --git a/doc/haproxy-fr.txt b/doc/haproxy-fr.txt
index 8e83eab09..795b67b3c 100644
--- a/doc/haproxy-fr.txt
+++ b/doc/haproxy-fr.txt
@@ -1044,6 +1044,14 @@ r
 lorsqu'il reçoit des messages HELLO, ce qui en fait un type de message
 parfaitement adapté à ce besoin.
 
+La version 1.3.10 est accompagnée d'un nouveau test d'état pour le SMTP. Par
+défaut, il consiste à envoyer "HELO localhost" aux serveurs, et à attendre le
+message "250" en retour. Notez qu'il peut aussi envoyer une requête plus
+spécifique :
+
+  - option smtpchk                         -> envoie "HELO localhost"
+  - option smtpchk EHLO mail.mydomain.com  -> envoie ce message ESMTP
+
 Voir les exemples ci-après.        
 
 Depuis la version 1.1.17, il est possible de définir des serveurs de secours,
diff --git a/include/common/defaults.h b/include/common/defaults.h
index c99aafe4f..cfe60e8f9 100644
--- a/include/common/defaults.h
+++ b/include/common/defaults.h
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@
 #define DEF_FALLTIME    3
 #define DEF_RISETIME    2
 #define DEF_CHECK_REQ   "OPTIONS / HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n"
+#define DEF_SMTP_CHECK_REQ   "HELO localhost\r\n"
 
 /* Default connections limit.
  *
diff --git a/include/types/backend.h b/include/types/backend.h
index e2d4efc6f..57a8cb053 100644
--- a/include/types/backend.h
+++ b/include/types/backend.h
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@
 #define	PR_O_TCPSPLICE	0x08000000      /* delegate data transfer to linux kernel's tcp_splice */
 #define PR_O_BALANCE_UH 0x10000000      /* balance on URI hash */
 #define PR_O_BALANCE    (PR_O_BALANCE_RR | PR_O_BALANCE_SH | PR_O_BALANCE_UH)
+#define PR_O_SMTP_CHK   0x20000000      /* use SMTP EHLO check for server health - pvandijk@vision6.com.au */
 
 
 #endif /* _TYPES_BACKEND_H */
diff --git a/src/cfgparse.c b/src/cfgparse.c
index 41d706611..b2e76b310 100644
--- a/src/cfgparse.c
+++ b/src/cfgparse.c
@@ -1029,13 +1029,14 @@ int cfg_parse_listen(const char *file, int linenum, char **args)
 			if (curproxy->check_req != NULL) {
 				free(curproxy->check_req);
 			}
-			curproxy->options |= PR_O_HTTP_CHK;
 			curproxy->options &= ~PR_O_SSL3_CHK;
+			curproxy->options &= ~PR_O_SMTP_CHK;
+			curproxy->options |= PR_O_HTTP_CHK;
 			if (!*args[2]) { /* no argument */
 				curproxy->check_req = strdup(DEF_CHECK_REQ); /* default request */
 				curproxy->check_len = strlen(DEF_CHECK_REQ);
 			} else if (!*args[3]) { /* one argument : URI */
-				int reqlen = strlen(args[2]) + strlen("OPTIONS / HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n");
+				int reqlen = strlen(args[2]) + strlen("OPTIONS  HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n") + 1;
 				curproxy->check_req = (char *)malloc(reqlen);
 				curproxy->check_len = snprintf(curproxy->check_req, reqlen,
 							       "OPTIONS %s HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n", args[2]); /* URI to use */
@@ -1060,8 +1061,35 @@ int cfg_parse_listen(const char *file, int linenum, char **args)
 				free(curproxy->check_req);
 			}
 			curproxy->options &= ~PR_O_HTTP_CHK;
+			curproxy->options &= ~PR_O_SMTP_CHK;
 			curproxy->options |= PR_O_SSL3_CHK;
 		}
+		else if (!strcmp(args[1], "smtpchk")) {
+			/* use SMTP request to check servers' health */
+			if (curproxy->check_req != NULL) {
+				free(curproxy->check_req);
+			}
+			curproxy->options &= ~PR_O_HTTP_CHK;
+			curproxy->options &= ~PR_O_SSL3_CHK;
+			curproxy->options |= PR_O_SMTP_CHK;
+
+			if (!*args[2] || !*args[3]) { /* no argument or incomplete EHLO host */
+				curproxy->check_req = strdup(DEF_SMTP_CHECK_REQ); /* default request */
+				curproxy->check_len = strlen(DEF_SMTP_CHECK_REQ);
+			} else { /* ESMTP EHLO, or SMTP HELO, and a hostname */
+				if (!strcmp(args[2], "EHLO") || !strcmp(args[2], "HELO")) {
+					int reqlen = strlen(args[2]) + strlen(args[3]) + strlen(" \r\n") + 1;
+					curproxy->check_req = (char *)malloc(reqlen);
+					curproxy->check_len = snprintf(curproxy->check_req, reqlen,
+								       "%s %s\r\n", args[2], args[3]); /* HELO hostname */
+				} else {
+					/* this just hits the default for now, but you could potentially expand it to allow for other stuff
+					   though, it's unlikely you'd want to send anything other than an EHLO or HELO */
+					curproxy->check_req = strdup(DEF_SMTP_CHECK_REQ); /* default request */
+					curproxy->check_len = strlen(DEF_SMTP_CHECK_REQ);
+				}
+			}
+		}
 		else if (!strcmp(args[1], "forwardfor")) {
 			/* insert x-forwarded-for field, but not for the
 			 * IP address listed as an except.
diff --git a/src/checks.c b/src/checks.c
index 14f0c8cc8..ec56453a5 100644
--- a/src/checks.c
+++ b/src/checks.c
@@ -122,7 +122,8 @@ static int event_srv_chk_w(int fd)
 	if (s->result != -1) {
 		/* we don't want to mark 'UP' a server on which we detected an error earlier */
 		if ((s->proxy->options & PR_O_HTTP_CHK) ||
-		    (s->proxy->options & PR_O_SSL3_CHK)) {
+		    (s->proxy->options & PR_O_SSL3_CHK) ||
+		    (s->proxy->options & PR_O_SMTP_CHK)) {
 			int ret;
 			/* we want to check if this host replies to HTTP or SSLv3 requests
 			 * so we'll send the request, and won't wake the checker up now.
@@ -252,6 +253,10 @@ static int event_srv_chk_r(int fd)
 		/* SSLv3 alert or handshake */
 		result = 1;
 	}
+	else if ((s->proxy->options & PR_O_SMTP_CHK) && (len >= 3) &&
+		   (reply[0] == '2')) /* 2xx (should be 250) */ {
+		result = 1;
+	}
 
 	if (result == -1)
 		fdtab[fd].state = FD_STERROR;