diff --git a/admin/database_updates.php b/admin/database_updates.php
index 688a9daa..a8e044d0 100644
--- a/admin/database_updates.php
+++ b/admin/database_updates.php
@@ -4027,10 +4027,16 @@ if (LATEST_DATABASE_VERSION > CURRENT_DATABASE_VERSION) {
         mysqli_query($mysqli, "UPDATE `settings` SET `config_current_database_version` = '2.3.5'");
     }
     
-    // if (CURRENT_DATABASE_VERSION == '2.3.4') {
-    //     // Insert queries here required to update to DB version 2.3.4
+    if (CURRENT_DATABASE_VERSION == '2.3.5') {
+        mysqli_query($mysqli, "ALTER TABLE `settings` CHANGE `config_smtp_provider` `config_smtp_provider` VARCHAR(200) DEFAULT NULL");
+        mysqli_query($mysqli, "ALTER TABLE `settings` CHANGE `config_imap_provider` `config_imap_provider` VARCHAR(200) DEFAULT NULL");
+        mysqli_query($mysqli, "UPDATE `settings` SET `config_current_database_version` = '2.3.6'");
+    }
+
+    // if (CURRENT_DATABASE_VERSION == '2.3.5') {
+    //     // Insert queries here required to update to DB version 2.3.5
     //     // Then, update the database to the next sequential version
-    //     mysqli_query($mysqli, "UPDATE `settings` SET `config_current_database_version` = '2.3.5'");
+    //     mysqli_query($mysqli, "UPDATE `settings` SET `config_current_database_version` = '2.3.6'");
     // }
 
 } else {
diff --git a/admin/post/settings_mail.php b/admin/post/settings_mail.php
index daf479e3..d7b2e6a7 100644
--- a/admin/post/settings_mail.php
+++ b/admin/post/settings_mail.php
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ if (isset($_POST['edit_mail_smtp_settings'])) {
     
     validateCSRFToken($_POST['csrf_token']);
 
-    $config_smtp_provider            = sanitizeInput($_POST['config_smtp_provider'] ?? 'standard_smtp');
+    $config_smtp_provider            = sanitizeInput($_POST['config_smtp_provider']);
     $config_smtp_host                = sanitizeInput($_POST['config_smtp_host']);
     $config_smtp_port                = intval($_POST['config_smtp_port'] ?? 0);
     $config_smtp_encryption          = sanitizeInput($_POST['config_smtp_encryption']);
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ if (isset($_POST['edit_mail_smtp_settings'])) {
 
     mysqli_query($mysqli, "
         UPDATE settings SET
-            config_smtp_provider              = " . ($config_smtp_provider === 'none' ? "NULL" : "'$config_smtp_provider'") . ",
+            config_smtp_provider              = '$config_smtp_provider',
             config_smtp_host                  = '$config_smtp_host',
             config_smtp_port                  = $config_smtp_port,
             config_smtp_encryption            = '$config_smtp_encryption',
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ if (isset($_POST['edit_mail_imap_settings'])) {
     
     validateCSRFToken($_POST['csrf_token']);
 
-    $config_imap_provider            = sanitizeInput($_POST['config_imap_provider'] ?? 'standard_imap');
+    $config_imap_provider            = sanitizeInput($_POST['config_imap_provider']);
     $config_imap_host                = sanitizeInput($_POST['config_imap_host']);
     $config_imap_port                = intval($_POST['config_imap_port'] ?? 0);
     $config_imap_encryption          = sanitizeInput($_POST['config_imap_encryption']);
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ if (isset($_POST['edit_mail_imap_settings'])) {
 
     mysqli_query($mysqli, "
         UPDATE settings SET
-            config_imap_provider              = " . ($config_imap_provider === 'none' ? "NULL" : "'$config_imap_provider'") . ",
+            config_imap_provider              = '$config_imap_provider',
             config_imap_host                  = '$config_imap_host',
             config_imap_port                  = $config_imap_port,
             config_imap_encryption            = '$config_imap_encryption',
diff --git a/admin/settings_mail.php b/admin/settings_mail.php
index 1b6acea1..eb0dee02 100644
--- a/admin/settings_mail.php
+++ b/admin/settings_mail.php
@@ -18,10 +18,10 @@ require_once "includes/inc_all_admin.php";
                             <span class="input-group-text"><i class="fa fa-fw fa-cloud"></i></span>
                         </div>
                         <select class="form-control" name="config_smtp_provider" id="config_smtp_provider">
-                            <option value="none" <?php if(($config_smtp_provider ?? '')==='none' || ($config_smtp_provider ?? '')==='') echo 'selected'; ?>>None (Disabled)</option>
-                            <option value="standard_smtp" <?php if(($config_smtp_provider ?? 'standard_smtp')==='standard_smtp') echo 'selected'; ?>>Standard SMTP (Username/Password)</option>
-                            <option value="google_oauth" <?php if(($config_smtp_provider ?? '')==='google_oauth') echo 'selected'; ?>>Google Workspace (OAuth)</option>
-                            <option value="microsoft_oauth" <?php if(($config_smtp_provider ?? '')==='microsoft_oauth') echo 'selected'; ?>>Microsoft 365 (OAuth)</option>
+                            <option value="" <?php if(empty($config_smtp_provider)) { echo 'selected'; } ?>>None (Disabled)</option>
+                            <option value="standard_smtp" <?php if($config_smtp_provider === 'standard_smtp') { echo 'selected'; } ?>>Standard SMTP (Username/Password)</option>
+                            <option value="google_oauth" <?php if($config_smtp_provider === 'google_oauth') { echo 'selected'; } ?>>Google Workspace (OAuth)</option>
+                            <option value="microsoft_oauth" <?php if($config_smtp_provider === 'microsoft_oauth') { echo 'selected'; } ?>>Microsoft 365 (OAuth)</option>
                         </select>
                     </div>
                     <small class="text-secondary d-block mt-1" id="smtp_provider_hint">
@@ -116,10 +116,10 @@ require_once "includes/inc_all_admin.php";
                             <span class="input-group-text"><i class="fa fa-fw fa-cloud"></i></span>
                         </div>
                         <select class="form-control" name="config_imap_provider" id="config_imap_provider">
-                            <option value="none" <?php if($config_imap_provider ==='') echo 'selected'; ?>>None (Disabled)</option>
-                            <option value="standard_imap" <?php if(($config_imap_provider ?? 'standard_imap')==='standard_imap') echo 'selected'; ?>>Standard IMAP (Username/Password)</option>
-                            <option value="google_oauth" <?php if(($config_imap_provider ?? '')==='google_oauth') echo 'selected'; ?>>Google Workspace (OAuth)</option>
-                            <option value="microsoft_oauth" <?php if(($config_imap_provider ?? '')==='microsoft_oauth') echo 'selected'; ?>>Microsoft 365 (OAuth)</option>
+                            <option value="" <?php if(empty($config_imap_provider)) { echo 'selected'; } ?>>None (Disabled)</option>
+                            <option value="standard_imap" <?php if($config_imap_provider === 'standard_imap') { echo 'selected'; } ?>>Standard IMAP (Username/Password)</option>
+                            <option value="google_oauth" <?php if($config_imap_provider === 'google_oauth') { echo 'selected'; } ?>>Google Workspace (OAuth)</option>
+                            <option value="microsoft_oauth" <?php if($config_imap_provider === 'microsoft_oauth') { echo 'selected'; } ?>>Microsoft 365 (OAuth)</option>
                         </select>
                     </div>
                     <small class="text-secondary d-block mt-1" id="imap_provider_hint">
diff --git a/cron/mail_queue.php b/cron/mail_queue.php
index 11993ef7..f77fdb1e 100644
--- a/cron/mail_queue.php
+++ b/cron/mail_queue.php
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ $config_smtp_port        = intval($row['config_smtp_port']);
 $config_smtp_encryption  = $row['config_smtp_encryption'];
 
 // SMTP provider + shared OAuth fields
-$config_smtp_provider                      = $row['config_smtp_provider'] ?? 'standard_smtp'; // 'standard_smtp' | 'google_oauth' | 'microsoft_oauth'
+$config_smtp_provider                      = $row['config_smtp_provider']; // 'standard_smtp' | 'google_oauth' | 'microsoft_oauth'
 $config_mail_oauth_client_id               = $row['config_mail_oauth_client_id'] ?? '';
 $config_mail_oauth_client_secret           = $row['config_mail_oauth_client_secret'] ?? '';
 $config_mail_oauth_tenant_id               = $row['config_mail_oauth_tenant_id'] ?? '';
@@ -68,6 +68,11 @@ if ($config_enable_cron == 0) {
     exit("Cron: is not enabled -- Quitting..");
 }
 
+if (empty($config_smtp_provider)) {
+    logApp("Cron-Mail-Queue", "info", "SMTP sending skipped: provider not configured.");
+    exit(0);
+}
+
 /** =======================================================================
  *  Lock file
  * ======================================================================= */
diff --git a/db.sql b/db.sql
index 8f3e0946..dad15b41 100644
--- a/db.sql
+++ b/db.sql
@@ -1981,7 +1981,7 @@ CREATE TABLE `settings` (
   `company_id` int(11) NOT NULL,
   `config_current_database_version` varchar(10) NOT NULL,
   `config_start_page` varchar(200) DEFAULT 'clients.php',
-  `config_smtp_provider` enum('standard_smtp','google_oauth','microsoft_oauth') DEFAULT NULL,
+  `config_smtp_provider` varchar(200) DEFAULT NULL,
   `config_smtp_host` varchar(200) DEFAULT NULL,
   `config_smtp_port` int(5) DEFAULT NULL,
   `config_smtp_encryption` varchar(200) DEFAULT NULL,
@@ -1989,7 +1989,7 @@ CREATE TABLE `settings` (
   `config_smtp_password` varchar(200) DEFAULT NULL,
   `config_mail_from_email` varchar(200) DEFAULT NULL,
   `config_mail_from_name` varchar(200) DEFAULT NULL,
-  `config_imap_provider` enum('standard_imap','google_oauth','microsoft_oauth') DEFAULT NULL,
+  `config_imap_provider` varchar(200) DEFAULT NULL,
   `config_mail_oauth_client_id` varchar(255) DEFAULT NULL,
   `config_mail_oauth_client_secret` varchar(255) DEFAULT NULL,
   `config_mail_oauth_tenant_id` varchar(255) DEFAULT NULL,
@@ -2819,4 +2819,4 @@ CREATE TABLE `vendors` (
 /*!40101 SET COLLATION_CONNECTION=@OLD_COLLATION_CONNECTION */;
 /*!40111 SET SQL_NOTES=@OLD_SQL_NOTES */;
 
--- Dump completed on 2025-09-25 17:24:06
+-- Dump completed on 2025-10-02 14:27:24
diff --git a/includes/database_version.php b/includes/database_version.php
index d83815ec..a2c67fc8 100644
--- a/includes/database_version.php
+++ b/includes/database_version.php
@@ -5,4 +5,4 @@
  * It is used in conjunction with database_updates.php
  */
 
-DEFINE("LATEST_DATABASE_VERSION", "2.3.5");
+DEFINE("LATEST_DATABASE_VERSION", "2.3.6");