diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index 5f968a9c..735f7e41 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@ PATH
     foodsoft_messages (0.0.1)
       base32
       deface (~> 1.0.0)
+      gserver
       mail
+      mini-smtp-server
       rails
 
 PATH
@@ -162,6 +164,7 @@ GEM
     git-version-bump (0.15.1)
     globalid (0.3.6)
       activesupport (>= 4.1.0)
+    gserver (0.0.1)
     haml (4.0.7)
       tilt
     haml-rails (0.9.0)
@@ -230,6 +233,7 @@ GEM
     mime-types (3.1)
       mime-types-data (~> 3.2015)
     mime-types-data (3.2016.0521)
+    mini-smtp-server (0.0.2)
     mini_portile2 (2.1.0)
     minitest (5.9.0)
     mono_logger (1.1.0)
diff --git a/plugins/messages/README.md b/plugins/messages/README.md
index fd289467..15078891 100644
--- a/plugins/messages/README.md
+++ b/plugins/messages/README.md
@@ -14,9 +14,14 @@ gem 'foodsoft_messages', path: 'lib/foodsoft_messages'
 This plugin introduces the foodcoop config option `use_messages`, which can be
 set to `false` to disable messages. May be useful in multicoop deployments.
 
-To allow members to respond to messages via email, see the config option
-`reply_email_domain` and the rake task `foodsoft:parse_reply_email`. We need to
-add some documentation on setting it up, though.
+To allow members to respond to messages via email, you need the set the config
+option `reply_email_domain` and handle incoming mails via one of the following
+rake tasks. `foodsoft:reply_email_smtp_server` starts an SMTP server on the
+port given via the environment variable `PORT` and listens until a shutdown
+signal is received. If there is already a SMTP server for handling incoming
+mails you can also feed every mail via a call to `foodsoft:parse_reply_email`
+into foodsoft. It expects the address given in the `MAIL FROM` command via
+SMTP in the environment variable `RECIPIENT` and the mail body as `STDIN`.
 
 This plugin is part of the foodsoft package and uses the GPL-3 license (see
 foodsoft's LICENSE for the full license text).
diff --git a/plugins/messages/foodsoft_messages.gemspec b/plugins/messages/foodsoft_messages.gemspec
index 1cad6bd7..05626f94 100644
--- a/plugins/messages/foodsoft_messages.gemspec
+++ b/plugins/messages/foodsoft_messages.gemspec
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |s|
   s.add_dependency "base32"
   s.add_dependency "deface", "~> 1.0.0"
   s.add_dependency "mail"
+  s.add_dependency "mini-smtp-server"
+  s.add_dependency "gserver"
 
   s.add_development_dependency "sqlite3"
 end
diff --git a/plugins/messages/lib/tasks/foodsoft.rake b/plugins/messages/lib/tasks/foodsoft.rake
index 69a0d7b7..c753ab6c 100644
--- a/plugins/messages/lib/tasks/foodsoft.rake
+++ b/plugins/messages/lib/tasks/foodsoft.rake
@@ -1,57 +1,83 @@
 require "mail"
+require "mini-smtp-server"
+
+class ReplyEmailSmtpServer < MiniSmtpServer
+
+  def new_message_event(message_hash)
+    m = /<(?<recipient>[^<>]+)>/.match(message_hash[:to])
+    raise "invalid format for RCPT TO" if m.nil?
+    hande_mail(m[:recipient], message_hash[:data])
+  rescue => error
+    rake_say error.message
+  end
+
+end
 
 namespace :foodsoft do
   desc "Parse incoming email on stdin (options: RECIPIENT=f.1.2.a1b2c3d3e5)"
   task :parse_reply_email => :environment do
-    m = /(?<foodcoop>[^@]*)\.(?<message_id>\d+)\.(?<user_id>\d+)\.(?<hash>\w+)(@(?<hostname>.*))?/.match(ENV['RECIPIENT'])
-
-    raise "RECIPIENT is missing or has an invalid format" if m.nil?
-    raise "Foodcoop '#{m[:foodcoop]}' could not be found" unless FoodsoftConfig.foodcoops.include? m[:foodcoop]
-
-    FoodsoftConfig.select_multifoodcoop m[:foodcoop]
-    original_message = Message.find_by_id(m[:message_id])
-    user = User.find_by_id(m[:user_id])
-
-    raise "Message could not be found" if original_message.nil?
-    raise "User could not be found" if user.nil?
-
-    hash = original_message.mail_hash_for_user user
-    raise "Hash does not match expectations" unless hash.casecmp(m[:hash]) == 0
-
-    received_email = STDIN.read
-    mail = Mail.new received_email
-
-    mail_part = nil
-    if mail.multipart?
-      for part in mail.parts
-        mail_part = part if MIME::Type.simplified(part.content_type) == "text/plain"
-      end
-    else
-      mail_part = mail
-    end
-
-    body = mail_part.body.decoded
-    unless mail_part.content_type_parameters.nil?
-      body = body.force_encoding mail_part.content_type_parameters[:charset]
-    end
-
-    message = user.send_messages.new body: body,
-      group: original_message.group,
-      private: original_message.private,
-      received_email: received_email,
-      subject: mail.subject
-    if original_message.reply_to
-      message.reply_to_message = original_message.reply_to_message
-    else
-      message.reply_to_message = original_message
-    end
-    message.add_recipients original_message.recipients
-    message.add_recipients [original_message.sender]
-
-    message.save!
-    Resque.enqueue(MessageNotifier, FoodsoftConfig.scope, "message_deliver", message.id)
-    rake_say "Handled reply email from #{user.display}."
+    hande_mail(ENV['RECIPIENT'], STDIN.read)
   end
+
+  desc "Start STMP server for incoming email (options: PORT=25, HOST=0.0.0.0)"
+  task :reply_email_smtp_server => :environment do
+    port = ENV['PORT'].to_i
+    host = ENV['HOST']
+    rake_say "Started SMTP server for incomming email on port #{port}."
+    server = ReplyEmailSmtpServer.new(port, host)
+    server.start
+    server.join
+  end
+end
+
+def hande_mail(recipient, received_email)
+  m = /(?<foodcoop>[^@]*)\.(?<message_id>\d+)\.(?<user_id>\d+)\.(?<hash>\w+)(@(?<hostname>.*))?/.match(recipient)
+
+  raise "RECIPIENT is missing or has an invalid format" if m.nil?
+  raise "Foodcoop '#{m[:foodcoop]}' could not be found" unless FoodsoftConfig.foodcoops.include? m[:foodcoop]
+
+  FoodsoftConfig.select_multifoodcoop m[:foodcoop]
+  original_message = Message.find_by_id(m[:message_id])
+  user = User.find_by_id(m[:user_id])
+
+  raise "Message could not be found" if original_message.nil?
+  raise "User could not be found" if user.nil?
+
+  hash = original_message.mail_hash_for_user user
+  raise "Hash does not match expectations" unless hash.casecmp(m[:hash]) == 0
+
+  mail = Mail.new received_email
+
+  mail_part = nil
+  if mail.multipart?
+    for part in mail.parts
+      mail_part = part if MIME::Type.simplified(part.content_type) == "text/plain"
+    end
+  else
+    mail_part = mail
+  end
+
+  body = mail_part.body.decoded
+  unless mail_part.content_type_parameters.nil?
+    body = body.force_encoding mail_part.content_type_parameters[:charset]
+  end
+
+  message = user.send_messages.new body: body,
+    group: original_message.group,
+    private: original_message.private,
+    received_email: received_email,
+    subject: mail.subject
+  if original_message.reply_to
+    message.reply_to_message = original_message.reply_to_message
+  else
+    message.reply_to_message = original_message
+  end
+  message.add_recipients original_message.recipients
+  message.add_recipients [original_message.sender]
+
+  message.save!
+  Resque.enqueue(MessageNotifier, FoodsoftConfig.scope, "message_deliver", message.id)
+  rake_say "Handled reply email from #{user.display}."
 end
 
 # Helper