diff --git a/ttadmin/users/admin.py b/ttadmin/users/admin.py
index 3212471..899e6a0 100644
--- a/ttadmin/users/admin.py
+++ b/ttadmin/users/admin.py
@@ -10,8 +10,16 @@ admin.site.unregister(Group)
 class PubkeyInline(admin.TabularInline):
     model = Pubkey
 
+def bulk_review(madmin, req, qs):
+    for townie in qs:
+        townie.reviewed = True
+        townie.save()
+
+bulk_review.short_description = 'mark selected townies as reviewed'
+
 @admin.register(Townie)
 class TownieAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
     inlines = [PubkeyInline]
     list_display = ('reviewed', 'username', 'email')
     ordering = ('reviewed',)
+    actions = (bulk_review,)
diff --git a/ttadmin/users/models.py b/ttadmin/users/models.py
index 3bf5aeb..af1b6cc 100644
--- a/ttadmin/users/models.py
+++ b/ttadmin/users/models.py
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 import re
 
 from django.db.models import Model
-from django.db.models.signals import post_save
+from django.db.models.signals import pre_save
 from django.dispatch import receiver
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
 from django.db.models import TextField, BooleanField, CharField, ForeignKey
+from django.template.loader import get_template
 
+from common.mailing import send_email
+from help.models import Ticket
 
 SSH_TYPE_CHOICES = (
     ('ssh-rsa', 'ssh-rsa',),
@@ -24,14 +27,22 @@ class Townie(User):
     reasons = TextField(blank=True, null=False, default='')
     displayname = CharField(max_length=100, blank=False, null=False)
 
-    # TODO consider a generic ensure method that syncs this model with the
-    # system. there will likely be things besides shell that we want to keep
-    # track of in the DB.
-    def ensure_shell(self):
-        """Runs chsh for the user to set their shell to whatever self.shell
-        is."""
-        raise NotImplementedError()
-
+    def send_welcome_email(self, admin_name='vilmibm'):
+        welcome_tmpl = get_template('users/welcome_email.txt')
+        context = {
+            'username': self.username,
+            'admin_name': admin_name,
+        }
+        text = welcome_tmpl.render(context)
+        from_address = '{}@tilde.town'.format(admin_name)
+        success = send_email(self.email, text, subject='tilde.town!', frum=from_address)
+        if not success:
+            Ticket.objects.create(name='system',
+                                  email='root@tilde.town',
+                                  issue_type='other',
+                                  issue_text='was not able to send welcome email to {} ({})'.format(
+                                      self.username,
+                                  self.email))
 
 class Pubkey(Model):
     key_type = CharField(max_length=50,
@@ -43,11 +54,11 @@ class Pubkey(Model):
     townie = ForeignKey(Townie)
 
 
-@receiver(post_save, sender=Townie)
-def sync_system_state(sender, instance, created, **kwargs):
-    if created:
-        print('TODO would create new user on system')
-    else:
-        print('TODO would update existing user on system')
+@receiver(pre_save, sender=Townie)
+def on_townie_pre_save(sender, instance, **kwargs):
+    existing = Townie.objects.filter(username=instance.username)
+    if not existing: # we're making a new user
+        return
 
-    return
+    if not existing[0].reviewed and instance.reviewed == True:
+        instance.send_welcome_email()
diff --git a/ttadmin/users/templates/users/welcome_email.txt b/ttadmin/users/templates/users/welcome_email.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b782a20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ttadmin/users/templates/users/welcome_email.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+Welcome to tilde.town, ~{{username}}!
+
+Please take a moment to review our code of conduct: https://tilde.town/~wiki/conduct.html
+
+and login with:
+
+ssh -i /path/to/private/key {{username}}@tilde.town
+
+File a help ticket if you have problems logging in (or other issues): https://cgi.tilde.town/help/tickets
+
+See you on the server!!
+
+~{{admin_name}}