diff --git a/app/controllers/invites_controller.rb b/app/controllers/invites_controller.rb
index 87d66fd66d9..ed4844c3573 100644
--- a/app/controllers/invites_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/invites_controller.rb
@@ -211,12 +211,21 @@ class InvitesController < ApplicationController
 
   def post_process_invite(user)
     user.enqueue_welcome_message('welcome_invite') if user.send_welcome_message
+
     if user.has_password?
-      email_token = user.email_tokens.create(email: user.email)
-      Jobs.enqueue(:critical_user_email, type: :signup, user_id: user.id, email_token: email_token.token)
+      send_activation_email(user) unless user.active
     elsif !SiteSetting.enable_sso && SiteSetting.enable_local_logins
       Jobs.enqueue(:invite_password_instructions_email, username: user.username)
     end
   end
 
+  def send_activation_email(user)
+    email_token = user.email_tokens.create(email: user.email)
+
+    Jobs.enqueue(:critical_user_email,
+                 type: :signup,
+                 user_id: user.id,
+                 email_token: email_token.token
+    )
+  end
 end
diff --git a/app/models/invite.rb b/app/models/invite.rb
index cc44d69151a..2a7f96876aa 100644
--- a/app/models/invite.rb
+++ b/app/models/invite.rb
@@ -107,10 +107,19 @@ class Invite < ActiveRecord::Base
       invite = nil
     end
 
-    invite.update_columns(created_at: Time.zone.now, updated_at: Time.zone.now) if invite
+    if invite
+      invite.update_columns(
+        created_at: Time.zone.now,
+        updated_at: Time.zone.now,
+        via_email: invite.via_email && send_email
+      )
+    else
+      create_args = {
+        invited_by: invited_by,
+        email: lower_email,
+        via_email: send_email
+      }
 
-    if !invite
-      create_args = { invited_by: invited_by, email: lower_email }
       create_args[:moderator] = true if opts[:moderator]
       create_args[:custom_message] = custom_message if custom_message
       invite = Invite.create!(create_args)
@@ -257,6 +266,7 @@ end
 #  invalidated_at :datetime
 #  moderator      :boolean          default(FALSE), not null
 #  custom_message :text
+#  via_email      :boolean          default(FALSE), not null
 #
 # Indexes
 #
diff --git a/app/models/invite_redeemer.rb b/app/models/invite_redeemer.rb
index 0c1702c3641..ffdd84cc837 100644
--- a/app/models/invite_redeemer.rb
+++ b/app/models/invite_redeemer.rb
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ InviteRedeemer = Struct.new(:invite, :username, :name, :password, :user_custom_f
       email: invite.email,
       username: available_username,
       name: available_name,
-      active: true,
+      active: false,
       trust_level: SiteSetting.default_invitee_trust_level
     }
 
@@ -57,6 +57,12 @@ InviteRedeemer = Struct.new(:invite, :username, :name, :password, :user_custom_f
     end
 
     user.save!
+
+    if invite.via_email
+      user.email_tokens.create(email: user.email)
+      user.activate
+    end
+
     User.find(user.id)
   end
 
@@ -82,8 +88,9 @@ InviteRedeemer = Struct.new(:invite, :username, :name, :password, :user_custom_f
   end
 
   def mark_invite_redeemed
-    Invite.where(['id = ? AND redeemed_at IS NULL AND created_at >= ?',
-                       invite.id, SiteSetting.invite_expiry_days.days.ago]).update_all('redeemed_at = CURRENT_TIMESTAMP')
+    Invite.where('id = ? AND redeemed_at IS NULL AND created_at >= ?',
+                 invite.id, SiteSetting.invite_expiry_days.days.ago)
+      .update_all('redeemed_at = CURRENT_TIMESTAMP')
   end
 
   def get_invited_user
@@ -119,7 +126,7 @@ InviteRedeemer = Struct.new(:invite, :username, :name, :password, :user_custom_f
   end
 
   def send_welcome_message
-    if Invite.where(['email = ?', invite.email]).update_all(['user_id = ?', invited_user.id]) == 1
+    if Invite.where('email = ?', invite.email).update_all(['user_id = ?', invited_user.id]) == 1
       invited_user.send_welcome_message = true
     end
   end
diff --git a/db/migrate/20181005144357_add_via_email_to_invites.rb b/db/migrate/20181005144357_add_via_email_to_invites.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..144987cff1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20181005144357_add_via_email_to_invites.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+class AddViaEmailToInvites < ActiveRecord::Migration[5.2]
+  def change
+    add_column :invites, :via_email, :boolean, default: false, null: false
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/fabricators/invite_fabricator.rb b/spec/fabricators/invite_fabricator.rb
index ecb9133f45c..d092cf73703 100644
--- a/spec/fabricators/invite_fabricator.rb
+++ b/spec/fabricators/invite_fabricator.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 Fabricator(:invite) do
   invited_by(fabricator: :user)
   email 'iceking@ADVENTURETIME.ooo'
+  via_email true
 end
diff --git a/spec/models/invite_redeemer_spec.rb b/spec/models/invite_redeemer_spec.rb
index ac31409b522..870d2b13a20 100644
--- a/spec/models/invite_redeemer_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/invite_redeemer_spec.rb
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ describe InviteRedeemer do
       expect(user.id).to eq(staged_user.id)
       expect(user.username).to eq('walter')
       expect(user.name).to eq('Walter White')
-      expect(user.active).to eq(false)
+      expect(user.staged).to eq(false)
       expect(user.email).to eq('staged@account.com')
       expect(user.approved).to eq(true)
     end
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@ describe InviteRedeemer do
     end
 
     it "can set password" do
-      inviter = invite.invited_by
       user = InviteRedeemer.new(invite, username, name, password).redeem
       expect(user).to have_password
       expect(user.confirm_password?(password)).to eq(true)
diff --git a/spec/models/invite_spec.rb b/spec/models/invite_spec.rb
index 33a49cb1f4e..6ed73ee5383 100644
--- a/spec/models/invite_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/invite_spec.rb
@@ -142,6 +142,27 @@ describe Invite do
             expect(invite.topics).to match_array([topic, another_topic])
           end
         end
+
+        it 'correctly marks invite as sent via email' do
+          expect(invite.via_email).to eq(true)
+
+          Invite.invite_by_email(iceking, inviter, topic)
+          expect(invite.reload.via_email).to eq(true)
+        end
+
+        it 'does not mark invite as sent via email after generating invite link' do
+          expect(invite.via_email).to eq(true)
+
+          Invite.generate_invite_link(iceking, inviter, topic)
+          expect(invite.reload.via_email).to eq(false)
+
+          Invite.invite_by_email(iceking, inviter, topic)
+          expect(invite.reload.via_email).to eq(false)
+
+          Invite.generate_invite_link(iceking, inviter, topic)
+          expect(invite.reload.via_email).to eq(false)
+        end
+
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/requests/invites_controller_spec.rb b/spec/requests/invites_controller_spec.rb
index 9663b889e9d..37b2c7ec900 100644
--- a/spec/requests/invites_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/invites_controller_spec.rb
@@ -296,33 +296,68 @@ describe InvitesController do
             expect(Jobs::SendSystemMessage.jobs.size).to eq(1)
           end
 
-          it "sends password reset email if password is not set" do
-            put "/invites/show/#{invite.invite_key}.json"
-            expect(response.status).to eq(200)
-            expect(Jobs::InvitePasswordInstructionsEmail.jobs.size).to eq(1)
+          context "without password" do
+            it "sends password reset email" do
+              put "/invites/show/#{invite.invite_key}.json"
+              expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+              expect(Jobs::InvitePasswordInstructionsEmail.jobs.size).to eq(1)
+              expect(Jobs::CriticalUserEmail.jobs.size).to eq(0)
+            end
+
+            it "does not send password reset email if sso is enabled" do
+              SiteSetting.sso_url = "https://www.example.com/sso"
+              SiteSetting.enable_sso = true
+              put "/invites/show/#{invite.invite_key}.json"
+              expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+              expect(Jobs::InvitePasswordInstructionsEmail.jobs.size).to eq(0)
+              expect(Jobs::CriticalUserEmail.jobs.size).to eq(0)
+            end
+
+            it "does not send password reset email if local login is disabled" do
+              SiteSetting.enable_local_logins = false
+              put "/invites/show/#{invite.invite_key}.json"
+              expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+              expect(Jobs::InvitePasswordInstructionsEmail.jobs.size).to eq(0)
+              expect(Jobs::CriticalUserEmail.jobs.size).to eq(0)
+            end
           end
 
-          it "does not send password reset email if sso is enabled" do
-            SiteSetting.sso_url = "https://www.example.com/sso"
-            SiteSetting.enable_sso = true
-            put "/invites/show/#{invite.invite_key}.json"
-            expect(response.status).to eq(200)
-            expect(Jobs::InvitePasswordInstructionsEmail.jobs.size).to eq(0)
+          context "with password" do
+            context "user was invited via email" do
+              before { invite.update_column(:via_email, true) }
+
+              it "doesn't send an activation email and activates the user" do
+                put "/invites/show/#{invite.invite_key}.json", params: { password: "verystrongpassword" }
+                expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+
+                expect(Jobs::InvitePasswordInstructionsEmail.jobs.size).to eq(0)
+                expect(Jobs::CriticalUserEmail.jobs.size).to eq(0)
+
+                invited_user = User.find_by_email(invite.email)
+                expect(invited_user.active).to eq(true)
+                expect(invited_user.email_confirmed?).to eq(true)
+              end
+            end
+
+            context "user was invited via link" do
+              before { invite.update_column(:via_email, false) }
+
+              it "sends an activation email and doesn't activate the user" do
+                put "/invites/show/#{invite.invite_key}.json", params: { password: "verystrongpassword" }
+                expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+
+                expect(Jobs::InvitePasswordInstructionsEmail.jobs.size).to eq(0)
+                expect(Jobs::CriticalUserEmail.jobs.size).to eq(1)
+                expect(Jobs::CriticalUserEmail.jobs.first["args"].first["type"]).to eq("signup")
+
+                invited_user = User.find_by_email(invite.email)
+                expect(invited_user.active).to eq(false)
+                expect(invited_user.email_confirmed?).to eq(false)
+              end
+            end
+
           end
 
-          it "does not send password reset email if local login is disabled" do
-            SiteSetting.enable_local_logins = false
-            put "/invites/show/#{invite.invite_key}.json"
-            expect(response.status).to eq(200)
-            expect(Jobs::InvitePasswordInstructionsEmail.jobs.size).to eq(0)
-          end
-
-          it 'sends an activation email if password is set' do
-            put "/invites/show/#{invite.invite_key}.json", params: { password: "verystrongpassword" }
-            expect(response.status).to eq(200)
-            expect(Jobs::InvitePasswordInstructionsEmail.jobs.size).to eq(0)
-            expect(Jobs::CriticalUserEmail.jobs.size).to eq(1)
-          end
         end
       end
     end