diff --git a/app/jobs/regular/user_email.rb b/app/jobs/regular/user_email.rb
index 28bb418a30f..be2a5de02c1 100644
--- a/app/jobs/regular/user_email.rb
+++ b/app/jobs/regular/user_email.rb
@@ -45,6 +45,12 @@ module Jobs
 
       if message
         Email::Sender.new(message, type, user).send
+        if (b = user.user_stat.bounce_score) > SiteSetting.bounce_score_erode_on_send
+          # erode bounce score each time we send an email
+          # this means that we are punished a lot less for bounces
+          # and we can recover more quickly
+          user.user_stat.update(bounce_score: b - SiteSetting.bounce_score_erode_on_send)
+        end
       else
         skip_reason_type
       end
diff --git a/config/site_settings.yml b/config/site_settings.yml
index 6f4a14d3181..f3fb4494ab3 100644
--- a/config/site_settings.yml
+++ b/config/site_settings.yml
@@ -841,6 +841,9 @@ email:
     default: 4
     min: 1
   bounce_score_threshold_deactivate: 30
+  bounce_score_erode_on_send:
+    default: 0.1
+    hidden: true
   soft_bounce_score:
     default: 1
     min: 1
diff --git a/db/migrate/20180828065005_change_bounce_score_to_float.rb b/db/migrate/20180828065005_change_bounce_score_to_float.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b2cd5a4a71f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20180828065005_change_bounce_score_to_float.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+class ChangeBounceScoreToFloat < ActiveRecord::Migration[5.2]
+  def change
+    change_column :user_stats, :bounce_score, :float
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/jobs/user_email_spec.rb b/spec/jobs/user_email_spec.rb
index 25dd02807c5..202d2df331d 100644
--- a/spec/jobs/user_email_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/jobs/user_email_spec.rb
@@ -291,6 +291,34 @@ describe Jobs::UserEmail do
         end
       end
 
+      it "erodes bounce score each time an email is sent" do
+        SiteSetting.bounce_score_erode_on_send = 0.2
+
+        user.user_stat.update(bounce_score: 2.7)
+
+        Jobs::UserEmail.new.execute(
+          type: :user_mentioned,
+          user_id: user.id,
+          notification_id: notification.id,
+          post_id: post.id
+        )
+
+        user.user_stat.reload
+        expect(user.user_stat.bounce_score).to eq(2.5)
+
+        user.user_stat.update(bounce_score: 0)
+
+        Jobs::UserEmail.new.execute(
+          type: :user_mentioned,
+          user_id: user.id,
+          notification_id: notification.id,
+          post_id: post.id
+        )
+
+        user.user_stat.reload
+        expect(user.user_stat.bounce_score).to eq(0)
+      end
+
       it "does not send notification if bounce threshold is reached" do
         user.user_stat.update(bounce_score: SiteSetting.bounce_score_threshold)