diff --git a/lib/setup.php b/lib/setup.php
index 598ad10c514..8358f99e240 100644
--- a/lib/setup.php
+++ b/lib/setup.php
@@ -158,9 +158,23 @@ global $HTTPSPAGEREQUIRED;
         error_log('ADODB Error: '.$db->ErrorMsg()); // see MDL-14628
 
         if (empty($CFG->noemailever) and !empty($CFG->emailconnectionerrorsto)) {
-            mail($CFG->emailconnectionerrorsto, 
-                 'WARNING: Database connection error: '.$CFG->wwwroot, 
-                 'Connection error: '.$CFG->wwwroot);
+            if (file_exists($CFG->dataroot.'/emailcount')){
+                $fp = fopen($CFG->dataroot.'/emailcount', 'r');
+                $content = fread($fp, 24);
+                if((time() - (int)$content) > 600){
+                    mail($CFG->emailconnectionerrorsto, 
+                        'WARNING: Database connection error: '.$CFG->wwwroot, 
+                        'Connection error: '.$CFG->wwwroot);
+                    $fp = fopen($CFG->dataroot.'/emailcount', 'w');
+                    fwrite($fp, time());
+                }
+            } else {
+               mail($CFG->emailconnectionerrorsto, 
+                    'WARNING: Database connection error: '.$CFG->wwwroot, 
+                    'Connection error: '.$CFG->wwwroot);
+               $fp = fopen($CFG->dataroot.'/emailcount', 'w');
+               fwrite($fp, time());
+            }
         }
         die;
     }