diff --git a/doc/configuration.txt b/doc/configuration.txt
index 5054e9827..966bfbad0 100644
--- a/doc/configuration.txt
+++ b/doc/configuration.txt
@@ -4600,7 +4600,8 @@ table <tablename> type {ip | integer | string [len <length>] | binary [len <leng
 ------------
 It is possible to send email alerts when the state of servers changes.
 If configured email alerts are sent to each mailer that is configured
-in a mailers section. Email is sent to mailers using SMTP.
+in a mailers section. Email is sent to mailers through Lua (see
+examples/lua/mailers.lua).
 
 mailers <mailersect>
   Creates a new mailer list with the name <mailersect>. It is an
@@ -4610,6 +4611,11 @@ mailer <mailername> <ip>:<port>
   Defines a mailer inside a mailers section.
 
   Example:
+    global
+        # mailers.lua file as provided in the git repository
+        # adjust path as needed
+        lua-load examples/lua/mailers.lua
+
     mailers mymailers
         mailer smtp1 192.168.0.1:587
         mailer smtp2 192.168.0.2:587
diff --git a/src/mailers.c b/src/mailers.c
index 905bb6745..50f1e76d3 100644
--- a/src/mailers.c
+++ b/src/mailers.c
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 #include <haproxy/list.h>
 #include <haproxy/mailers.h>
 #include <haproxy/pool.h>
-#include <haproxy/proxy-t.h>
+#include <haproxy/proxy.h>
 #include <haproxy/server-t.h>
 #include <haproxy/task.h>
 #include <haproxy/tcpcheck.h>
@@ -113,6 +113,10 @@ int init_email_alert(struct mailers *mls, struct proxy *p, char **err)
 	const char          *err_str;
 	int                  i = 0;
 
+	if (!send_email_disabled)
+		ha_warning("Legacy mailers used by %s '%s' will not be supported anymore in version 3.3. You should use Lua to send email-alerts, see 'examples/lua/mailers.lua' file.\n",
+			   proxy_type_str(p), p->id);
+
 	if ((queues = calloc(mls->count, sizeof(*queues))) == NULL) {
 		memprintf(err, "out of memory while allocating mailer alerts queues");
 		goto fail_no_queue;