diff --git a/bin/bsauto b/bin/bsauto
index 266a8ccb99bc6e159eaa66881d6f4740b8af35cd..5d9c8cfafedc44ec1228456028db7cbc1d8fdd68 100755
--- a/bin/bsauto
+++ b/bin/bsauto
@@ -44,9 +44,13 @@ function do_execute {
     eval $1
     if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
       touch "$BIN/.freeze"
-      echo "Encountered error running $1"
-      echo "A $BIN/.freeze file has been created"
-      echo "Manual intervention is now required to continue the release process"
+      FREEZE_MESSAGE="An error was encountered whilst running:\n\n'$1'\n\nA $BIN/.freeze file has been created.\nManual intervention is required to continue."
+      if [ ! -z $NOMAD_ALLOC_ID ]; then
+        WARNING="******************************\n*** Manual action required ***\n******************************\n\n"
+        do_admin_email "C7X: Release error: automation stopped" "$WARNING$FREEZE_MESSAGE"
+      else
+        echo -e $FREEZE_MESSAGE
+      fi
       exit
     fi
   fi
@@ -54,6 +58,29 @@ function do_execute {
   echo -e $NORMAL "Completed"
 }
 
+function do_admin_email {
+  SUBJECT=$1
+  BODY=$2
+
+  MAILTMP=`/bin/mktemp /tmp/$DIST$$.XXXXXXXX`
+  echo "To: lxsoft-admins@cern.ch" >> $MAILTMP
+  echo "From: linux.support@cern.ch" >> $MAILTMP
+  echo "Reply-To: noreply.Linux.Support@cern.ch" >> $MAILTMP
+  echo "Return-Path: lxsoft-admins@cern.ch" >> $MAILTMP
+  echo "Subject: $SUBJECT" >> $MAILTMP
+
+  echo -e "Dear admins,\n" >> $MAILTMP
+  # ensure shell globbing doesn't mess up our email
+  set -f
+  echo -e $BODY >> $MAILTMP
+  set +f
+  echo -e "\n---\nBest regards,\nCERN Linux Droid,\n(on behalf of the friendly humans of Linux Support" >> $MAILTMP
+
+  /usr/sbin/sendmail -t < $MAILTMP
+  rm -f $MAILTMP
+
+}
+
 function do_testing {
   INTERNAL_PACKAGES=`find /mnt/data2/home/build/packages/incoming/$DIST -type f -name *rpm`
   if [ "$INTERNAL_PACKAGES" != "" ]; then
@@ -73,9 +100,14 @@ function do_testing {
   do_execute "/mnt/data2/home/build/bin/bscentos2test -d $DIST -r all"
   REPOLIST=`find /mnt/data2/home/build/packages/logs/build2test -size +0c -name $DIST*$DATE* | /usr/bin/cut -d. -f2`
   if [ "$REPOLIST" == "" ]; then
-    echo "No new packages today, exiting"
+    if [ ! -z $NOMAD_ALLOC_ID ]; then
+      do_admin_email "C7X: Informative: No new packages today" "Just a quick message to let you know that there were no new upstream CentOS7 packages today.\n\nHave a nice day."
+    else
+      echo "No new packages today, exiting"
+    fi
     exit
   fi
+  exit
   for REPO in $REPOLIST; do
     for PACKAGE in $DANGEROUS_PACKAGES; do
       /bin/grep "$PACKAGE" /mnt/data2/home/build/packages/logs/build2test/$DIST.$REPO.$DATE.log  &> /dev/null