diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 86e579e..9670368 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## Latest
+
+- [Feature] Configurable and pluggable data storage backends (#114)
+
 ## 3.2.1 (2019-03-19)
 
 - [Feature] Enable grade downloads by default (#143)
diff --git a/cloud/aws.sh b/cloud/aws.sh
index 48395a7..54f0705 100755
--- a/cloud/aws.sh
+++ b/cloud/aws.sh
@@ -41,16 +41,16 @@ tutor images pull elasticsearch
 tutor images pull memcached
 tutor images pull mongodb
 tutor images pull mysql
-tutor images pull namshi
 tutor images pull nginx
 tutor images pull rabbitmq
+tutor images pull smtp
 
 echo "=============== Tagging vendor docker images"
 docker tag $(tutor config printvalue DOCKER_IMAGE_ELASTICSEARCH) localhost:5000/$(tutor config printvalue DOCKER_IMAGE_ELASTICSEARCH)
 docker tag $(tutor config printvalue DOCKER_IMAGE_MEMCACHED) localhost:5000/$(tutor config printvalue DOCKER_IMAGE_MEMCACHED)
 docker tag $(tutor config printvalue DOCKER_IMAGE_MONGODB) localhost:5000/$(tutor config printvalue DOCKER_IMAGE_MONGODB)
 docker tag $(tutor config printvalue DOCKER_IMAGE_MYSQL) localhost:5000/$(tutor config printvalue DOCKER_IMAGE_MYSQL)
-docker tag $(tutor config printvalue DOCKER_IMAGE_NAMSHI) localhost:5000/$(tutor config printvalue DOCKER_IMAGE_NAMSHI)
+docker tag $(tutor config printvalue DOCKER_IMAGE_SMTP) localhost:5000/$(tutor config printvalue DOCKER_IMAGE_SMTP)
 docker tag $(tutor config printvalue DOCKER_IMAGE_NGINX) localhost:5000/$(tutor config printvalue DOCKER_IMAGE_NGINX)
 docker tag $(tutor config printvalue DOCKER_IMAGE_RABBITMQ) localhost:5000/$(tutor config printvalue DOCKER_IMAGE_RABBITMQ)
 
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ docker push localhost:5000/$(tutor config printvalue DOCKER_IMAGE_ELASTICSEARCH)
 docker push localhost:5000/$(tutor config printvalue DOCKER_IMAGE_MEMCACHED)
 docker push localhost:5000/$(tutor config printvalue DOCKER_IMAGE_MONGODB)
 docker push localhost:5000/$(tutor config printvalue DOCKER_IMAGE_MYSQL)
-docker push localhost:5000/$(tutor config printvalue DOCKER_IMAGE_NAMSHI)
+docker push localhost:5000/$(tutor config printvalue DOCKER_IMAGE_SMTP)
 docker push localhost:5000/$(tutor config printvalue DOCKER_IMAGE_NGINX)
 docker push localhost:5000/$(tutor config printvalue DOCKER_IMAGE_RABBITMQ)
 
diff --git a/docs/configuration.rst b/docs/configuration.rst
index 8ba5d1d..0c977b0 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.rst
+++ b/docs/configuration.rst
@@ -95,6 +95,12 @@ Rabbitmq
 
 - ``RABBITMQ_HOST`` (default: ``"rabbitmq"``)
 
+SMTP
+~~~~
+
+- ``SMTP_HOST`` (default: ``"smtp"``)
+- ``SMTP_PORT`` (default: ``25``)
+
 Optional features
 -----------------
 
diff --git a/tutor/images.py b/tutor/images.py
index 8ea6bc0..5808e43 100644
--- a/tutor/images.py
+++ b/tutor/images.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ def images():
     pass
 
 OPENEDX_IMAGES = ["openedx", "forum", "notes", "xqueue", "android"]
-VENDOR_IMAGES = ["elasticsearch", "memcached", "mongodb", "mysql", "namshi", "nginx", "rabbitmq"]
+VENDOR_IMAGES = ["elasticsearch", "memcached", "mongodb", "mysql", "nginx", "rabbitmq", "smtp"]
 argument_openedx_image = click.argument(
     "image", type=click.Choice(["all"] + OPENEDX_IMAGES),
 )
diff --git a/tutor/templates/apps/openedx/config/cms.env.json b/tutor/templates/apps/openedx/config/cms.env.json
index 46a3d4d..7d8d983 100644
--- a/tutor/templates/apps/openedx/config/cms.env.json
+++ b/tutor/templates/apps/openedx/config/cms.env.json
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@
     "port": {{ ELASTICSEARCH_PORT }}
   }],
   "EMAIL_BACKEND": "django.core.mail.backends.smtp.EmailBackend",
-  "EMAIL_HOST": "smtp",
+  "EMAIL_HOST": "{{ SMTP_HOST }}",
+  "EMAIL_PORT": {{ SMTP_PORT }},
   "LANGUAGE_CODE": "{{ LANGUAGE_CODE }}",
   "CACHES": {
     "default": {
diff --git a/tutor/templates/apps/openedx/config/lms.env.json b/tutor/templates/apps/openedx/config/lms.env.json
index 00fd717..4ef3746 100644
--- a/tutor/templates/apps/openedx/config/lms.env.json
+++ b/tutor/templates/apps/openedx/config/lms.env.json
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@
     "port": {{ ELASTICSEARCH_PORT }}
   }],
   "EMAIL_BACKEND": "django.core.mail.backends.smtp.EmailBackend",
-  "EMAIL_HOST": "smtp",
+  "EMAIL_HOST": "{{ SMTP_HOST }}",
+  "EMAIL_PORT": {{ SMTP_PORT }},
   {% if ACTIVATE_NOTES %}
   "EDXNOTES_PUBLIC_API": "{{ "https" if ACTIVATE_HTTPS else "http" }}://notes.{{ LMS_HOST }}/api/v1",
   "EDXNOTES_INTERNAL_API": "http://notes.openedx:8000/api/v1",
diff --git a/tutor/templates/config-defaults.yml b/tutor/templates/config-defaults.yml
index ca8179a..78d0a9f 100644
--- a/tutor/templates/config-defaults.yml
+++ b/tutor/templates/config-defaults.yml
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ ACTIVATE_MEMCACHED: true
 ACTIVATE_MONGODB: true
 ACTIVATE_MYSQL: true
 ACTIVATE_RABBITMQ: true
+ACTIVATE_SMTP: true
 ANDROID_RELEASE_STORE_PASSWORD: "android store password"
 ANDROID_RELEASE_KEY_PASSWORD: "android release key password"
 ANDROID_RELEASE_KEY_ALIAS: "android release key alias"
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@ DOCKER_IMAGE_MYSQL: "mysql:5.6.36"
 DOCKER_IMAGE_ELASTICSEARCH: "elasticsearch:1.5.2"
 DOCKER_IMAGE_NGINX: "nginx:1.13"
 DOCKER_IMAGE_RABBITMQ: "rabbitmq:3.6.10"
-DOCKER_IMAGE_NAMSHI: "namshi/smtp:latest"
+DOCKER_IMAGE_SMTP: "namshi/smtp:latest"
 DOCKER_REGISTRY: ""
 ELASTICSEARCH_HOST: "elasticsearch"
 ELASTICSEARCH_PORT: 9200
@@ -35,6 +36,8 @@ NGINX_HTTPS_PORT: 443
 NOTES_MYSQL_DATABASE: "notes"
 NOTES_MYSQL_USERNAME: "notes"
 RABBITMQ_HOST: "rabbitmq"
+SMTP_HOST: "smtp"
+SMTP_PORT: 25
 XQUEUE_AUTH_USERNAME: "lms"
 XQUEUE_MYSQL_DATABASE: "xqueue"
 XQUEUE_MYSQL_USERNAME: "xqueue"
diff --git a/tutor/templates/k8s/deployments.yml b/tutor/templates/k8s/deployments.yml
index 6bf5951..be46f93 100644
--- a/tutor/templates/k8s/deployments.yml
+++ b/tutor/templates/k8s/deployments.yml
@@ -242,6 +242,7 @@ spec:
             claimName: mysql
 {% endif %}
 
+{% if ACTIVATE_SMTP %}
 ---
 apiVersion: apps/v1
 kind: Deployment
@@ -262,6 +263,7 @@ spec:
           image: {{ DOCKER_REGISTRY }}{{ DOCKER_IMAGE_SMTP }}
           ports:
             - containerPort: 25
+{% endif %}
 
 ---
 apiVersion: apps/v1
diff --git a/tutor/templates/k8s/services.yml b/tutor/templates/k8s/services.yml
index a9cb39a..f582702 100644
--- a/tutor/templates/k8s/services.yml
+++ b/tutor/templates/k8s/services.yml
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ spec:
     app: rabbitmq
 {% endif %}
 
+{% if ACTIVATE_SMTP %}
 ---
 apiVersion: v1
 kind: Service
@@ -143,3 +144,4 @@ spec:
       protocol: TCP
   selector:
     app: smtp
+{% endif %}
diff --git a/tutor/templates/local/docker-compose.yml b/tutor/templates/local/docker-compose.yml
index 5c3a7be..9092ac9 100644
--- a/tutor/templates/local/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/tutor/templates/local/docker-compose.yml
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ services:
 
   # Simple SMTP server
   smtp:
-    image: {{ DOCKER_REGISTRY }}{{ DOCKER_IMAGE_NAMSHI }}
+    image: {{ DOCKER_REGISTRY }}{{ DOCKER_IMAGE_SMTP }}
     restart: unless-stopped
 
   ############# Forum