diff --git a/project_defaults.sh b/project_defaults.sh
index 326e43c..1ee4e99 100755
--- a/project_defaults.sh
+++ b/project_defaults.sh
@@ -7,8 +7,10 @@ export DEPLOY_CLAMS=false
 export DEPLOY_NOSTR=false
 export DEPLOY_NEXTCLOUD=false
 export DEPLOY_GITEA=false
-
-
+export GHOST_DEPLOY_SMTP=false
+export MAILGUN_FROM_ADDRESS=
+export MAILGUN_SMTP_USERNAME=
+export MAILGUN_SMTP_PASSWORD=
 
 export SITE_LANGUAGE_CODES="en"
 export LANGUAGE_CODE="en"
@@ -33,7 +35,7 @@ DEFAULT_DB_IMAGE="mariadb:10.11.2-jammy"
 
 
 # run the docker stack.
-export GHOST_IMAGE="ghost:5.42.0"
+export GHOST_IMAGE="ghost:5.53.3"
 
 # TODO switch to mysql. May require intricate export work for existing sites. 
 # THIS MUST BE COMPLETED BEFORE v1 RELEASE
@@ -41,7 +43,7 @@ export GHOST_IMAGE="ghost:5.42.0"
 export GHOST_DB_IMAGE="mysql:8.0.32"
 
 
-export NGINX_IMAGE="nginx:1.23.3"
+export NGINX_IMAGE="nginx:1.25.1"
 
 # version of backup is 24.0.3
 export NEXTCLOUD_IMAGE="nextcloud:25.0.4"
diff --git a/www/stub/ghost_yml.sh b/www/stub/ghost_yml.sh
index 9403263..790d790 100755
--- a/www/stub/ghost_yml.sh
+++ b/www/stub/ghost_yml.sh
@@ -70,6 +70,21 @@ EOL
       - database__connection__database=ghost
       - database__pool__min=0
       - privacy__useStructuredData=true
+EOL
+
+            # INSERT EMAIL OPTIONS HERE
+            if [ "$GHOST_DEPLOY_SMTP" = true ]; then
+                cat >>"$DOCKER_YAML_PATH" <<EOL
+      - mail__transport=SMTP
+      - mail__from=${MAILGUN_FROM_ADDRESS}
+      - mail__options__auth__user=${MAILGUN_SMTP_USERNAME}
+      - mail__options__auth__pass=${MAILGUN_SMTP_PASSWORD}
+      - mail__options__host=smtp.mailgun.org
+      - mail__options__port=587
+EOL
+            fi
+
+            cat >>"$DOCKER_YAML_PATH" <<EOL
     deploy:
       restart_policy:
         condition: on-failure