diff --git a/packages/pds/src/api/com/atproto/admin/sendEmail.ts b/packages/pds/src/api/com/atproto/admin/sendEmail.ts
index d0073265551..56d83e6958f 100644
--- a/packages/pds/src/api/com/atproto/admin/sendEmail.ts
+++ b/packages/pds/src/api/com/atproto/admin/sendEmail.ts
@@ -5,9 +5,15 @@ import { authPassthru } from './util'
 
 export default function (server: Server, ctx: AppContext) {
   server.com.atproto.admin.sendEmail({
-    auth: ctx.authVerifier.role,
+    auth: ctx.authVerifier.roleOrAccountService,
     handler: async ({ req, input, auth }) => {
-      if (!auth.credentials.admin && !auth.credentials.moderator) {
+      if (auth.credentials.type === 'role' && !auth.credentials.moderator) {
+        throw new AuthRequiredError('Insufficient privileges')
+      }
+      if (
+        auth.credentials.type === 'account_service' &&
+        auth.credentials.did !== input.body.recipientDid
+      ) {
         throw new AuthRequiredError('Insufficient privileges')
       }
 
@@ -32,21 +38,26 @@ export default function (server: Server, ctx: AppContext) {
         { content },
         { subject, to: userInfo.email },
       )
-      await ctx.moderationAgent.api.com.atproto.admin.emitModerationEvent(
-        {
-          event: {
-            $type: 'com.atproto.admin.defs#modEventEmail',
-            subjectLine: subject,
-            comment,
-          },
-          subject: {
-            $type: 'com.atproto.admin.defs#repoRef',
-            did: recipientDid,
+
+      if (auth.credentials.type === 'role') {
+        // @TODO this behavior is deprecated, remove after service auth takes effect
+        await ctx.moderationAgent.api.com.atproto.admin.emitModerationEvent(
+          {
+            event: {
+              $type: 'com.atproto.admin.defs#modEventEmail',
+              subjectLine: subject,
+              comment,
+            },
+            subject: {
+              $type: 'com.atproto.admin.defs#repoRef',
+              did: recipientDid,
+            },
+            createdBy: senderDid,
           },
-          createdBy: senderDid,
-        },
-        { ...authPassthru(req), encoding: 'application/json' },
-      )
+          { ...authPassthru(req), encoding: 'application/json' },
+        )
+      }
+
       return {
         encoding: 'application/json',
         body: { sent: true },
diff --git a/packages/pds/src/auth-verifier.ts b/packages/pds/src/auth-verifier.ts
index 3d43e66cbd8..3a001733025 100644
--- a/packages/pds/src/auth-verifier.ts
+++ b/packages/pds/src/auth-verifier.ts
@@ -71,6 +71,14 @@ type AccessOutput = {
   artifacts: string
 }
 
+type AccountServiceOutput = {
+  credentials: {
+    type: 'account_service'
+    did: string
+  }
+  artifacts: string
+}
+
 type AccessCheckedOutput = AccessOutput & {
   credentials: {
     pdsDid: string | null
@@ -271,6 +279,34 @@ export class AuthVerifier {
     }
   }
 
+  accountService = async (reqCtx: ReqCtx): Promise<AccountServiceOutput> => {
+    const token = bearerTokenFromReq(reqCtx.req)
+    if (!token) {
+      throw new AuthRequiredError('missing jwt', 'MissingJwt')
+    }
+    const payload = await verifyServiceJwt(
+      token,
+      this._pdsServiceDid,
+      (did, forceRefresh) =>
+        this.idResolver.did.resolveAtprotoKey(did, forceRefresh),
+    )
+    const found = await this.db.db
+      .selectFrom('user_account')
+      .where('did', '=', payload.iss)
+      .select('did')
+      .executeTakeFirst()
+    if (!found) {
+      throw new AuthRequiredError('Unknown account', 'UntrustedIss')
+    }
+    return {
+      credentials: {
+        type: 'account_service',
+        did: payload.iss,
+      },
+      artifacts: token,
+    }
+  }
+
   roleOrAdminService = async (
     reqCtx: ReqCtx,
   ): Promise<RoleOutput | AdminServiceOutput> => {
@@ -281,6 +317,16 @@ export class AuthVerifier {
     }
   }
 
+  roleOrAccountService = async (
+    reqCtx: ReqCtx,
+  ): Promise<RoleOutput | AccountServiceOutput> => {
+    if (isBearerToken(reqCtx.req)) {
+      return this.accountService(reqCtx)
+    } else {
+      return this.role(reqCtx)
+    }
+  }
+
   async validateBearerToken(
     req: express.Request,
     scopes: AuthScope[],
diff --git a/packages/pds/tests/admin-auth.test.ts b/packages/pds/tests/admin-auth.test.ts
index 4cf7d5c26a5..548c9af3c94 100644
--- a/packages/pds/tests/admin-auth.test.ts
+++ b/packages/pds/tests/admin-auth.test.ts
@@ -29,14 +29,14 @@ describe('admin auth', () => {
 
     modServiceKey = await Secp256k1Keypair.create()
     const origResolve = network.pds.ctx.idResolver.did.resolveAtprotoKey
-    network.pds.ctx.idResolver.did.resolveAtprotoKey = async (
+    network.pds.ctx.idResolver.did.resolveAtprotoKey = async function (
       did: string,
       forceRefresh?: boolean,
-    ) => {
+    ) {
       if (did === modServiceDid || did === altModDid) {
         return modServiceKey.did()
       }
-      return origResolve(did, forceRefresh)
+      return origResolve.call(this, did, forceRefresh)
     }
 
     agent = network.pds.getClient()
@@ -142,4 +142,76 @@ describe('admin auth', () => {
       'jwt audience does not match service did',
     )
   })
+
+  describe('account service auth', () => {
+    it('succeeds when account exists', async () => {
+      const headers = await network.pds.ctx.serviceAuthHeaders(
+        sc.dids.alice,
+        network.pds.ctx.cfg.service.did,
+      )
+      const attempt = agent.api.com.atproto.admin.sendEmail(
+        {
+          subject: 'Subject',
+          content: 'Content',
+          recipientDid: sc.dids.alice,
+          senderDid: sc.dids.alice,
+        },
+        {
+          ...headers,
+          encoding: 'application/json',
+        },
+      )
+      await expect(attempt).resolves.toBeDefined()
+    })
+
+    it("fails on account that doesn't exist", async () => {
+      await agent.api.com.atproto.admin.deleteAccount(
+        { did: sc.dids.dan },
+        {
+          encoding: 'application/json',
+          headers: network.pds.adminAuthHeaders(),
+        },
+      )
+      await network.pds.processAll()
+      const headers = await network.pds.ctx.serviceAuthHeaders(
+        sc.dids.dan,
+        network.pds.ctx.cfg.service.did,
+      )
+      const attempt = agent.api.com.atproto.admin.sendEmail(
+        {
+          subject: 'Subject',
+          content: 'Content',
+          recipientDid: sc.dids.dan,
+          senderDid: sc.dids.dan,
+        },
+        {
+          ...headers,
+          encoding: 'application/json',
+        },
+      )
+      await expect(attempt).rejects.toThrow('Unknown account')
+    })
+
+    it('fails on bad audience', async () => {
+      const headers = await network.pds.ctx.serviceAuthHeaders(
+        sc.dids.alice,
+        sc.dids.bob,
+      )
+      const attempt = agent.api.com.atproto.admin.sendEmail(
+        {
+          subject: 'Subject',
+          content: 'Content',
+          recipientDid: sc.dids.alice,
+          senderDid: sc.dids.alice,
+        },
+        {
+          ...headers,
+          encoding: 'application/json',
+        },
+      )
+      await expect(attempt).rejects.toThrow(
+        'jwt audience does not match service did',
+      )
+    })
+  })
 })