diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6487137c2..10f77c042 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -16,9 +16,6 @@ Social reading and reviewing, decentralized with ActivityPub
 ## Joining BookWyrm
 BookWyrm is still a young piece of software, and isn't at the level of stability and feature-richness that you'd find in a production-ready application. But it does what it says on the box! If you'd like to join an instance, you can check out the [instances](https://github.com/mouse-reeve/bookwyrm/blob/main/instances.md) list.
 
-You can request an invite to https://bookwyrm.social by [email](mailto:mousereeve@riseup.net), [Mastodon direct message](https://friend.camp/@tripofmice), or [Twitter direct message](https://twitter.com/tripofmice).
-
-
 ## Contributing
 There are many ways you can contribute to this project, regardless of your level of technical expertise.
 
diff --git a/bookwyrm/emailing.py b/bookwyrm/emailing.py
index c7536876d..47ac59df5 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/emailing.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/emailing.py
@@ -1,27 +1,64 @@
 """ send emails """
-from django.core.mail import send_mail
+from django.core.mail import EmailMultiAlternatives
+from django.template.loader import get_template
 
 from bookwyrm import models
 from bookwyrm.tasks import app
+from bookwyrm.settings import DOMAIN
+
+
+def email_data():
+    """ fields every email needs """
+    site = models.SiteSettings.objects.get()
+    if site.logo_small:
+        logo_path = "/images/{}".format(site.logo_small.url)
+    else:
+        logo_path = "/static/images/logo-small.png"
+
+    return {
+        "site_name": site.name,
+        "logo": logo_path,
+        "domain": DOMAIN,
+        "user": None,
+    }
+
+
+def invite_email(invite_request):
+    """ send out an invite code """
+    data = email_data()
+    data["invite_link"] = invite_request.invite.link
+    send_email.delay(invite_request.email, *format_email("invite", data))
 
 
 def password_reset_email(reset_code):
     """ generate a password reset email """
-    site = models.SiteSettings.get()
-    send_email.delay(
-        reset_code.user.email,
-        "Reset your password on %s" % site.name,
-        "Your password reset link: %s" % reset_code.link,
+    data = email_data()
+    data["reset_link"] = reset_code.link
+    data["user"] = reset_code.user.display_name
+    send_email.delay(reset_code.user.email, *format_email("password_reset", data))
+
+
+def format_email(email_name, data):
+    """ render the email templates """
+    subject = (
+        get_template("email/{}/subject.html".format(email_name)).render(data).strip()
     )
+    html_content = (
+        get_template("email/{}/html_content.html".format(email_name))
+        .render(data)
+        .strip()
+    )
+    text_content = (
+        get_template("email/{}/text_content.html".format(email_name))
+        .render(data)
+        .strip()
+    )
+    return (subject, html_content, text_content)
 
 
 @app.task
-def send_email(recipient, subject, message):
+def send_email(recipient, subject, html_content, text_content):
     """ use a task to send the email """
-    send_mail(
-        subject,
-        message,
-        None,  # sender will be the config default
-        [recipient],
-        fail_silently=False,
-    )
+    email = EmailMultiAlternatives(subject, text_content, None, [recipient])
+    email.attach_alternative(html_content, "text/html")
+    email.send()
diff --git a/bookwyrm/forms.py b/bookwyrm/forms.py
index d723ebdbf..d330211c1 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/forms.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/forms.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import datetime
 from collections import defaultdict
 
 from django import forms
+from django.core.exceptions import ValidationError
 from django.forms import ModelForm, PasswordInput, widgets
 from django.forms.widgets import Textarea
 from django.utils import timezone
@@ -202,6 +203,19 @@ class ExpiryWidget(widgets.Select):
         return timezone.now() + interval
 
 
+class InviteRequestForm(CustomForm):
+    def clean(self):
+        """ make sure the email isn't in use by a registered user """
+        cleaned_data = super().clean()
+        email = cleaned_data.get("email")
+        if email and models.User.objects.filter(email=email).exists():
+            self.add_error("email", _("A user with this email already exists."))
+
+    class Meta:
+        model = models.InviteRequest
+        fields = ["email"]
+
+
 class CreateInviteForm(CustomForm):
     class Meta:
         model = models.SiteInvite
diff --git a/bookwyrm/migrations/0056_auto_20210321_0303.py b/bookwyrm/migrations/0056_auto_20210321_0303.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..aa475e033
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bookwyrm/migrations/0056_auto_20210321_0303.py
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+# Generated by Django 3.1.6 on 2021-03-21 03:03
+
+import bookwyrm.models.fields
+from django.db import migrations, models
+import django.db.models.deletion
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ("bookwyrm", "0055_auto_20210321_0101"),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AddField(
+            model_name="sitesettings",
+            name="allow_invite_requests",
+            field=models.BooleanField(default=True),
+        ),
+        migrations.CreateModel(
+            name="InviteRequest",
+            fields=[
+                (
+                    "id",
+                    models.AutoField(
+                        auto_created=True,
+                        primary_key=True,
+                        serialize=False,
+                        verbose_name="ID",
+                    ),
+                ),
+                ("created_date", models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)),
+                ("updated_date", models.DateTimeField(auto_now=True)),
+                (
+                    "remote_id",
+                    bookwyrm.models.fields.RemoteIdField(
+                        max_length=255,
+                        null=True,
+                        validators=[bookwyrm.models.fields.validate_remote_id],
+                    ),
+                ),
+                ("email", models.EmailField(max_length=255, unique=True)),
+                ("invite_sent", models.BooleanField(default=False)),
+                ("ignored", models.BooleanField(default=False)),
+                (
+                    "invite",
+                    models.ForeignKey(
+                        blank=True,
+                        null=True,
+                        on_delete=django.db.models.deletion.SET_NULL,
+                        to="bookwyrm.siteinvite",
+                    ),
+                ),
+            ],
+            options={
+                "abstract": False,
+            },
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/bookwyrm/models/__init__.py b/bookwyrm/models/__init__.py
index 326a673e1..35e32c2cf 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/models/__init__.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/models/__init__.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ from .federated_server import FederatedServer
 
 from .import_job import ImportJob, ImportItem
 
-from .site import SiteSettings, SiteInvite, PasswordReset
+from .site import SiteSettings, SiteInvite, PasswordReset, InviteRequest
 
 cls_members = inspect.getmembers(sys.modules[__name__], inspect.isclass)
 activity_models = {
diff --git a/bookwyrm/models/site.py b/bookwyrm/models/site.py
index 7fde6781e..2c8d25539 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/models/site.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/models/site.py
@@ -3,10 +3,11 @@ import base64
 import datetime
 
 from Crypto import Random
-from django.db import models
+from django.db import models, IntegrityError
 from django.utils import timezone
 
 from bookwyrm.settings import DOMAIN
+from .base_model import BookWyrmModel
 from .user import User
 
 
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ class SiteSettings(models.Model):
     code_of_conduct = models.TextField(default="Add a code of conduct here.")
     privacy_policy = models.TextField(default="Add a privacy policy here.")
     allow_registration = models.BooleanField(default=True)
+    allow_invite_requests = models.BooleanField(default=True)
     logo = models.ImageField(upload_to="logos/", null=True, blank=True)
     logo_small = models.ImageField(upload_to="logos/", null=True, blank=True)
     favicon = models.ImageField(upload_to="logos/", null=True, blank=True)
@@ -69,6 +71,23 @@ class SiteInvite(models.Model):
         return "https://{}/invite/{}".format(DOMAIN, self.code)
 
 
+class InviteRequest(BookWyrmModel):
+    """ prospective users can request an invite """
+
+    email = models.EmailField(max_length=255, unique=True)
+    invite = models.ForeignKey(
+        SiteInvite, on_delete=models.SET_NULL, null=True, blank=True
+    )
+    invite_sent = models.BooleanField(default=False)
+    ignored = models.BooleanField(default=False)
+
+    def save(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        """ don't create a request for a registered email """
+        if User.objects.filter(email=self.email).exists():
+            raise IntegrityError()
+        super().save(*args, **kwargs)
+
+
 def get_passowrd_reset_expiry():
     """ give people a limited time to use the link """
     now = timezone.now()
diff --git a/bookwyrm/static/images/logo-small.png b/bookwyrm/static/images/logo-small.png
index 10ea7a38f..72f49ef78 100644
Binary files a/bookwyrm/static/images/logo-small.png and b/bookwyrm/static/images/logo-small.png differ
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/discover/landing_layout.html b/bookwyrm/templates/discover/landing_layout.html
index 5cfa1fd39..8e507531e 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/discover/landing_layout.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/discover/landing_layout.html
@@ -45,9 +45,33 @@
             <form name="register" method="post" action="/register">
                 {% include 'snippets/register_form.html' %}
             </form>
+
             {% else %}
+
             <h2 class="title">{% trans "This instance is closed" %}</h2>
             <p>{{ site.registration_closed_text | safe}}</p>
+
+            {% if site.allow_invite_requests %}
+            {% if request_received %}
+            <p>
+                {% trans "Thank you! Your request has been received." %}
+            </p>
+            {% else %}
+            <h3>{% trans "Request an Invitation" %}</h3>
+            <form name="invite-request" action="{% url 'invite-request' %}" method="post">
+                {% csrf_token %}
+                <div class="block">
+                    <label for="id_request_email" class="label">{% trans "Email address:" %}</label>
+                    <input type="email" name="email" maxlength="255" class="input" required="" id="id_request_email">
+                    {% for error in request_form.email.errors %}
+                    <p class="help is-danger">{{ error | escape }}</p>
+                    {% endfor %}
+                </div>
+                <button type="submit" class="button is-link">{% trans "Submit" %}</button>
+            </form>
+            {% endif %}
+            {% endif %}
+
             {% endif %}
         </div>
         {% else %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/email/html_layout.html b/bookwyrm/templates/email/html_layout.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..02527ff52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/email/html_layout.html
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+{% load i18n %}
+<div style="font-family: BlinkMacSystemFont,-apple-system,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Oxygen,Ubuntu,Cantarell,'Fira Sans','Droid Sans','Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; border-radius: 6px; background-color: #efefef; max-width: 632px;">
+    <div style="padding: 1rem; overflow: auto;">
+        <div style="float: left; margin-right: 1rem;">
+            <a style="color: #3273dc;" href="https://{{ domain }}" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://{{ domain }}/{{ logo }}" alt="logo"></a>
+        </div>
+        <div>
+            <a style="color: black; text-decoration: none" href="https://{{ domain }}" style="text-decoration: none;"><strong>{{ site_name }}</strong><br>
+            {{ domain }}</a>
+        </div>
+    </div>
+
+    <div style="padding: 1rem; background-color: white;">
+        <p>
+            {% if user %}{{ user }},{% else %}{% trans "Hi there," %}{% endif %}
+        </p>
+        {% block content %}{% endblock %}
+    </div>
+
+    <div style="padding: 1rem; font-size: 0.8rem;">
+        <p style="margin: 0; color: #333;">{% blocktrans %}BookWyrm hosted on <a style="color: #3273dc;" href="https://{{ domain }}">{{ site_name }}</a>{% endblocktrans %}</p>
+        {% if user %}
+        <p style="margin: 0; color: #333;"><a style="color: #3273dc;" href="https://{{ domain }}{% url 'prefs-profile' %}">{% trans "Email preference" %}</a></p>
+        {% endif %}
+    </div>
+</div>
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/email/invite/html_content.html b/bookwyrm/templates/email/invite/html_content.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..358e23dc1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/email/invite/html_content.html
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+{% extends 'email/html_layout.html' %}
+{% load i18n %}
+
+{% block content %}
+<p>
+    {% blocktrans %}You're invited to join {{ site_name }}!{% endblocktrans %}
+</p>
+
+{% trans "Join Now" as text %}
+{% include 'email/snippets/action.html' with path=invite_link text=text %}
+
+<p>
+    {% url 'code-of-conduct' as coc_path %}
+    {% url 'about' as about_path %}
+    {% blocktrans %}Learn more <a href="https://{{ domain }}{{ about_path }}">about this instance</a>.{% endblocktrans %}
+</p>
+{% endblock %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/email/invite/subject.html b/bookwyrm/templates/email/invite/subject.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..efb8be5ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/email/invite/subject.html
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+{% load i18n %}
+{% blocktrans %}You're invited to join {{ site_name }}!{% endblocktrans %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/email/invite/text_content.html b/bookwyrm/templates/email/invite/text_content.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c3fcdc04e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/email/invite/text_content.html
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{% extends 'email/text_layout.html' %}
+{% load i18n %}
+{% block content %}
+{% blocktrans %}You're invited to join {{ site_name }}! Click the link below to create an account.{% endblocktrans %}
+
+{{ invite_link }}
+
+{% trans "Learn more about this instance:" %} https://{{ domain }}{% url 'about' %}
+
+{% endblock %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/email/password_reset/html_content.html b/bookwyrm/templates/email/password_reset/html_content.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..eef0e5e59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/email/password_reset/html_content.html
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+{% extends 'email/html_layout.html' %}
+{% load i18n %}
+
+{% block content %}
+<p>
+    {% blocktrans %}You requested to reset your {{ site_name }} password. Click the link below to set a new password and log in to your account.{% endblocktrans %}
+</p>
+
+{% trans "Reset Password" as text %}
+{% include 'email/snippets/action.html' with path=reset_link text=text %}
+
+<p>
+    {% trans "If you didn't request to reset your password, you can ignore this email." %}
+</p>
+{% endblock %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/email/password_reset/subject.html b/bookwyrm/templates/email/password_reset/subject.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..886801402
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/email/password_reset/subject.html
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+{% load i18n %}
+{% blocktrans %}Reset your {{ site_name }} password{% endblocktrans %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/email/password_reset/text_content.html b/bookwyrm/templates/email/password_reset/text_content.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b5cf754ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/email/password_reset/text_content.html
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{% extends 'email/text_layout.html' %}
+{% load i18n %}
+{% block content %}
+{% blocktrans %}You requested to reset your {{ site_name }} password. Click the link below to set a new password and log in to your account.{% endblocktrans %}
+
+{{ reset_link }}
+
+{% trans "If you didn't request to reset your password, you can ignore this email." %}
+{% endblock %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/email/preview.html b/bookwyrm/templates/email/preview.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..66d856c08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/email/preview.html
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+<html>
+<body>
+    <div>
+        <strong>Subject:</strong> {% include subject_path %}
+    </div>
+    <hr>
+
+    <strong>Html email:</strong>
+    <div style="border: 1px solid #c0c0c0; margin: 2em; padding: 1em;">
+        {% include html_content_path %}
+    </div>
+    <hr>
+
+    <strong>Text email:</strong>
+    <div style="border: 1px solid #c0c0c0; margin: 2em; padding: 1em; white-space: pre;">
+        {% include text_content_path %}
+    </div>
+</body>
+</html>
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/email/snippets/action.html b/bookwyrm/templates/email/snippets/action.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..56feb9efd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/email/snippets/action.html
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+<p style="text-align: center; margin: 2rem;">
+    <a href="{{ path }}" style="background-color: #3273dc; color: #fff; border-radius: 4px; padding: 0.5rem 1rem; text-decoration: none;">
+        {{ text }} 
+    </a>
+</p>
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/email/text_layout.html b/bookwyrm/templates/email/text_layout.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cd0444f16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/email/text_layout.html
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{% load i18n %}
+{% if user %}{{ user.display_name }},{% else %}{% trans "Hi there," %}{% endif %}
+{% block content %}{% endblock %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/password_reset_request.html b/bookwyrm/templates/password_reset_request.html
index 97191afa4..5d877442f 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/password_reset_request.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/password_reset_request.html
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@
     <div class="column is-half">
         <div class="block">
             <h1 class="title">{% trans "Reset Password" %}</h1>
-            {% if message %}<p>{{ message }}</p>{% endif %}
+
+            {% if message %}<p class="notification is-primary">{{ message }}</p>{% endif %}
+
             <p>{% trans "A link to reset your password will be sent to your email address" %}</p>
             <form name="password-reset" method="post" action="/password-reset">
                 {% csrf_token %}
@@ -16,6 +18,9 @@
                     <label class="label" for="id_email_register">{% trans "Email address:" %}</label>
                     <div class="control">
                         <input type="email" name="email" maxlength="254" class="input" id="id_email_register">
+                        {% if error %}
+                        <p class="help is-danger">{{ error }}</p>
+                        {% endif %}
                     </div>
                 </div>
                 <div class="field is-grouped">
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/settings/admin_layout.html b/bookwyrm/templates/settings/admin_layout.html
index a34fe6389..cfc7a92a8 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/settings/admin_layout.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/settings/admin_layout.html
@@ -15,8 +15,9 @@
         <h2 class="menu-label">{% trans "Manage Users" %}</h2>
         <ul class="menu-list">
             <li>
-                {% url 'settings-invites' as url %}
-                <a href="{{ url }}"{% if url in request.path %} class="is-active" aria-selected="true"{% endif %}>{% trans "Invites" %}</a>
+                {% url 'settings-invite-requests' as url %}
+                {% url 'settings-invites' as alt_url %}
+                <a href="{{ url }}"{% if url in request.path or request.path in alt_url %} class="is-active" aria-selected="true"{% endif %}>{% trans "Invites" %}</a>
             </li>
             <li>
                 {% url 'settings-reports' as url %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/settings/manage_invite_requests.html b/bookwyrm/templates/settings/manage_invite_requests.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a7648a7f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/settings/manage_invite_requests.html
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+{% extends 'settings/admin_layout.html' %}
+{% load i18n %}
+{% load humanize %}
+{% block header %}{% trans "Invite Requests" %}{% endblock %}
+{% block panel %}
+
+<div class="tabs">
+    <ul>
+        {% url 'settings-invite-requests' as url %}
+        <li {% if url in request.path %}class="is-active" aria-current="page"{% endif %}>
+            <a href="{{ url }}">{% trans "Invite Requests" %}</a>
+        </li>
+        {% url 'settings-invites' as url %}
+        <li {% if url in request.path %}class="is-active" aria-current="page"{% endif %}>
+            <a href="{{ url }}">{% trans "Invites" %}</a>
+        </li>
+    </ul>
+</div>
+
+<section class="block">
+    <h2 class="title is-4">
+        {% if ignored %}
+        {% trans "Ignored Invite Requests" %}
+        {% else %}
+        {% trans "Invite Requests" %}
+        {% endif %}
+    </h2>
+
+    <table class="table is-striped">
+        <tr>
+            <th>{% trans "Date" %}</th>
+            <th>{% trans "Email" %}</th>
+            <th>{% trans "Status" %}</th>
+            <th>{% trans "Action" %}</th>
+        </tr>
+        {% if not requests %}
+        <tr><td colspan="4">{% trans "No requests" %}</td></tr>
+        {% endif %}
+        {% for req in requests %}
+        <tr>
+            <td>{{ req.created_date | naturaltime }}</td>
+            <td>{{ req.email }}</td>
+            <td>
+                {% if req.invite.times_used %}
+                {% trans "Accepted" %}
+                {% elif req.invite %}
+                {% trans "Sent" %}
+                {% else %}
+                {% trans "Requested" %}
+                {% endif %}
+            </td>
+            <td class="field is-grouped">
+                <form name="send-invite" method="post" action="{% url 'settings-invite-requests' %}">
+                    {% csrf_token %}
+                    <input type="hidden" name="invite-request" value="{{ req.id }}">
+                    {% if not req.invite %}
+                    <button type="submit" class="button is-link is-light is-small">{% trans "Send invite" %}</button>
+                    {% else %}
+                    <button type="submit" class="button is-link is-light is-small">{% trans "Re-send invite" %}</button>
+                    {% endif %}
+                </form>
+
+                {% if req.invite and not req.invite.times_used %}
+                {# <button class="button is-danger is-light is-small">{% trans "Revoke invite" %}</button> #}
+                {% else %}
+                <form name="ignore-request" method="post" action="{% url 'settings-invite-requests-ignore' %}">
+                    {% csrf_token %}
+                    <input type="hidden" name="invite-request" value="{{ req.id }}">
+                    {% if not req.ignored %}
+                    <button type="submit" class="button is-danger is-light is-small">{% trans "Ignore" %}</button>
+                    {% else %}
+                    <button type="submit" class="button is-danger is-light is-small">{% trans "Un-gnore" %}</button>
+                    {% endif %}
+                </form>
+                {% endif %}
+            </td>
+        </tr>
+        {% endfor %}
+    </table>
+    {% include 'snippets/pagination.html' with page=requests path=request.path %}
+
+    {% if ignored %}
+    <p><a href="{% url 'settings-invite-requests' %}">{% trans "Back to pending requests" %}</a></p>
+    {% else %}
+    <p><a href="{% url 'settings-invite-requests' %}?ignored=True">{% trans "View ignored requests" %}</a></p>
+    {% endif %}
+</section>
+{% endblock %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/settings/manage_invites.html b/bookwyrm/templates/settings/manage_invites.html
index 6bc7469b3..5b075114e 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/settings/manage_invites.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/settings/manage_invites.html
@@ -3,6 +3,20 @@
 {% block header %}{% trans "Invites" %}{% endblock %}
 {% load humanize %}
 {% block panel %}
+
+<div class="tabs">
+    <ul>
+        {% url 'settings-invite-requests' as url %}
+        <li {% if url in request.path %}class="is-active" aria-current="page"{% endif %}>
+            <a href="{{ url }}">{% trans "Invite Requests" %}</a>
+        </li>
+        {% url 'settings-invites' as url %}
+        <li {% if url in request.path %}class="is-active" aria-current="page"{% endif %}>
+            <a href="{{ url }}">{% trans "Invites" %}</a>
+        </li>
+    </ul>
+</div>
+
 <section class="block">
     <h2 class="title is-4">{% trans "Generate New Invite" %}</h2>
 
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/settings/site.html b/bookwyrm/templates/settings/site.html
index 27be0c9b2..28009e1a8 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/settings/site.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/settings/site.html
@@ -79,6 +79,10 @@
             <label class="label" for="id_allow_registration">{% trans "Allow registration:" %}
             {{ site_form.allow_registration }}
         </div>
+        <div class="control">
+            <label class="label" for="id_allow_invite_requests">{% trans "Allow invite requests:" %}
+            {{ site_form.allow_invite_requests }}
+        </div>
         <div class="control">
             <label class="label" for="id_registration_closed_text">{% trans "Registration closed text:" %}</label>
             {{ site_form.registration_closed_text }}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/tests/test_emailing.py b/bookwyrm/tests/test_emailing.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5d7d4894b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bookwyrm/tests/test_emailing.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+""" test creating emails """
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+from django.test import TestCase
+from django.test.client import RequestFactory
+import responses
+
+from bookwyrm import emailing, models
+
+
+@patch("bookwyrm.emailing.send_email.delay")
+class Emailing(TestCase):
+    """ every response to a get request, html or json """
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        """ we need basic test data and mocks """
+        self.factory = RequestFactory()
+        self.local_user = models.User.objects.create_user(
+            "mouse@local.com",
+            "mouse@mouse.mouse",
+            "password",
+            local=True,
+            localname="mouse",
+        )
+        models.SiteSettings.objects.create()
+
+    def test_invite_email(self, email_mock):
+        """ load the invite email """
+        invite_request = models.InviteRequest.objects.create(
+            email="test@email.com",
+            invite=models.SiteInvite.objects.create(user=self.local_user),
+        )
+
+        emailing.invite_email(invite_request)
+
+        self.assertEqual(email_mock.call_count, 1)
+        args = email_mock.call_args[0]
+        self.assertEqual(args[0], "test@email.com")
+        self.assertEqual(args[1], "You're invited to join BookWyrm!")
+        self.assertEqual(len(args), 4)
+
+    def test_password_reset_email(self, email_mock):
+        """ load the password reset email """
+        reset = models.PasswordReset.objects.create(user=self.local_user)
+        emailing.password_reset_email(reset)
+
+        self.assertEqual(email_mock.call_count, 1)
+        args = email_mock.call_args[0]
+        self.assertEqual(args[0], "mouse@mouse.mouse")
+        self.assertEqual(args[1], "Reset your BookWyrm password")
+        self.assertEqual(len(args), 4)
diff --git a/bookwyrm/tests/test_goodreads_import.py b/bookwyrm/tests/test_goodreads_import.py
index 080ccd15b..a62cfdd28 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/tests/test_goodreads_import.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/tests/test_goodreads_import.py
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import responses
 
 from bookwyrm import models, importer
 from bookwyrm.goodreads_import import GoodreadsImporter
-from bookwyrm import importer
 from bookwyrm.settings import DOMAIN
 
 
@@ -17,8 +16,8 @@ class GoodreadsImport(TestCase):
     """ importing from goodreads csv """
 
     def setUp(self):
-        self.importer = GoodreadsImporter()
         """ use a test csv """
+        self.importer = GoodreadsImporter()
         datafile = pathlib.Path(__file__).parent.joinpath("data/goodreads.csv")
         self.csv = open(datafile, "r", encoding=self.importer.encoding)
         self.user = models.User.objects.create_user(
diff --git a/bookwyrm/tests/views/test_invite.py b/bookwyrm/tests/views/test_invite.py
index cd2276c0d..7bfc8fe53 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/tests/views/test_invite.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/tests/views/test_invite.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from django.template.response import TemplateResponse
 from django.test import TestCase
 from django.test.client import RequestFactory
 
-from bookwyrm import models
+from bookwyrm import forms, models
 from bookwyrm import views
 
 
@@ -50,3 +50,81 @@ class InviteViews(TestCase):
         self.assertIsInstance(result, TemplateResponse)
         result.render()
         self.assertEqual(result.status_code, 200)
+
+    def test_invite_request(self):
+        """ request to join a server """
+        form = forms.InviteRequestForm()
+        form.data["email"] = "new@user.email"
+
+        view = views.InviteRequest.as_view()
+        request = self.factory.post("", form.data)
+
+        result = view(request)
+        result.render()
+
+        req = models.InviteRequest.objects.get()
+        self.assertEqual(req.email, "new@user.email")
+
+    def test_invite_request_email_taken(self):
+        """ request to join a server with an existing user email """
+        form = forms.InviteRequestForm()
+        form.data["email"] = "mouse@mouse.mouse"
+
+        view = views.InviteRequest.as_view()
+        request = self.factory.post("", form.data)
+
+        result = view(request)
+        result.render()
+
+        # no request created
+        self.assertFalse(models.InviteRequest.objects.exists())
+
+    def test_manage_invite_requests(self):
+        """ there are so many views, this just makes sure it LOADS """
+        view = views.ManageInviteRequests.as_view()
+        request = self.factory.get("")
+        request.user = self.local_user
+        request.user.is_superuser = True
+        result = view(request)
+        self.assertIsInstance(result, TemplateResponse)
+        result.render()
+        self.assertEqual(result.status_code, 200)
+
+        # now with data
+        models.InviteRequest.objects.create(email="fish@example.com")
+        result = view(request)
+        self.assertIsInstance(result, TemplateResponse)
+        result.render()
+        self.assertEqual(result.status_code, 200)
+
+    def test_manage_invite_requests_send(self):
+        """ send an invite """
+        req = models.InviteRequest.objects.create(email="fish@example.com")
+
+        view = views.ManageInviteRequests.as_view()
+        request = self.factory.post("", {"invite-request": req.id})
+        request.user = self.local_user
+        request.user.is_superuser = True
+
+        with patch("bookwyrm.emailing.send_email.delay") as mock:
+            view(request)
+            self.assertEqual(mock.call_count, 1)
+        req.refresh_from_db()
+        self.assertIsNotNone(req.invite)
+
+    def test_ignore_invite_request(self):
+        """ don't invite that jerk """
+        req = models.InviteRequest.objects.create(email="fish@example.com")
+
+        view = views.ignore_invite_request
+        request = self.factory.post("", {"invite-request": req.id})
+        request.user = self.local_user
+        request.user.is_superuser = True
+
+        view(request)
+        req.refresh_from_db()
+        self.assertTrue(req.ignored)
+
+        view(request)
+        req.refresh_from_db()
+        self.assertFalse(req.ignored)
diff --git a/bookwyrm/tests/views/test_password.py b/bookwyrm/tests/views/test_password.py
index f67f5538f..53a9bcbdc 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/tests/views/test_password.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/tests/views/test_password.py
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@ class PasswordViews(TestCase):
         request = self.factory.post("", {"email": "aa@bb.ccc"})
         view = views.PasswordResetRequest.as_view()
         resp = view(request)
-        self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, 302)
+        self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, 200)
+        resp.render()
 
         request = self.factory.post("", {"email": "mouse@mouse.com"})
         with patch("bookwyrm.emailing.send_email.delay"):
diff --git a/bookwyrm/urls.py b/bookwyrm/urls.py
index c24b83f70..4aced6fe6 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/urls.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/urls.py
@@ -48,12 +48,30 @@ urlpatterns = [
     ),
     # admin
     re_path(r"^settings/site-settings", views.Site.as_view(), name="settings-site"),
+    re_path(
+        r"^settings/email-preview",
+        views.site.email_preview,
+        name="settings-email-preview",
+    ),
     re_path(
         r"^settings/federation", views.Federation.as_view(), name="settings-federation"
     ),
     re_path(
         r"^settings/invites/?$", views.ManageInvites.as_view(), name="settings-invites"
     ),
+    re_path(
+        r"^settings/requests/?$",
+        views.ManageInviteRequests.as_view(),
+        name="settings-invite-requests",
+    ),
+    re_path(
+        r"^settings/requests/ignore?$",
+        views.ignore_invite_request,
+        name="settings-invite-requests-ignore",
+    ),
+    re_path(
+        r"^invite-request/?$", views.InviteRequest.as_view(), name="invite-request"
+    ),
     re_path(r"^invite/(?P<code>[A-Za-z0-9]+)/?$", views.Invite.as_view()),
     # moderation
     re_path(r"^settings/reports/?$", views.Reports.as_view(), name="settings-reports"),
@@ -74,8 +92,8 @@ urlpatterns = [
     ),
     re_path(r"^report/?$", views.make_report, name="report"),
     # landing pages
-    re_path(r"^about/?$", views.About.as_view()),
-    path("", views.Home.as_view()),
+    re_path(r"^about/?$", views.About.as_view(), name="about"),
+    path("", views.Home.as_view(), name="landing"),
     re_path(r"^discover/?$", views.Discover.as_view()),
     re_path(r"^notifications/?$", views.Notifications.as_view()),
     # feeds
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py b/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py
index e98cb24af..3402e65f7 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ from .goal import Goal, hide_goal
 from .import_data import Import, ImportStatus
 from .inbox import Inbox
 from .interaction import Favorite, Unfavorite, Boost, Unboost
-from .invite import ManageInvites, Invite
+from .invite import ManageInvites, Invite, InviteRequest
+from .invite import ManageInviteRequests, ignore_invite_request
 from .isbn import Isbn
 from .landing import About, Home, Discover
 from .list import Lists, List, Curate, UserLists
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/helpers.py b/bookwyrm/views/helpers.py
index 20332cbda..c62856bab 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/helpers.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/helpers.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 import re
 from requests import HTTPError
 from django.core.exceptions import FieldError
-from django.db.models import Q
+from django.db.models import Max, Q
 
 from bookwyrm import activitypub, models
 from bookwyrm.connectors import ConnectorException, get_data
@@ -216,3 +216,20 @@ def is_blocked(viewer, user):
     if viewer.is_authenticated and viewer in user.blocks.all():
         return True
     return False
+
+
+def get_discover_books():
+    """ list of books for the discover page """
+    return list(
+        set(
+            models.Edition.objects.filter(
+                review__published_date__isnull=False,
+                review__deleted=False,
+                review__user__local=True,
+                review__privacy__in=["public", "unlisted"],
+            )
+            .exclude(cover__exact="")
+            .annotate(Max("review__published_date"))
+            .order_by("-review__published_date__max")[:6]
+        )
+    )
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/invite.py b/bookwyrm/views/invite.py
index 1f1ccaf11..e4b98cba2 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/invite.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/invite.py
@@ -6,9 +6,11 @@ from django.shortcuts import get_object_or_404, redirect
 from django.template.response import TemplateResponse
 from django.utils.decorators import method_decorator
 from django.views import View
+from django.views.decorators.http import require_POST
 
-from bookwyrm import forms, models
+from bookwyrm import emailing, forms, models
 from bookwyrm.settings import PAGE_LENGTH
+from . import helpers
 
 
 # pylint: disable= no-self-use
@@ -77,3 +79,74 @@ class Invite(View):
         return TemplateResponse(request, "invite.html", data)
 
     # post handling is in views.authentication.Register
+
+
+class ManageInviteRequests(View):
+    """ grant invites like the benevolent lord you are """
+
+    def get(self, request):
+        """ view a list of requests """
+        ignored = request.GET.get("ignored", False)
+        try:
+            page = int(request.GET.get("page", 1))
+        except ValueError:
+            page = 1
+
+        paginated = Paginator(
+            models.InviteRequest.objects.filter(ignored=ignored).order_by(
+                "-created_date"
+            ),
+            PAGE_LENGTH,
+        )
+
+        data = {
+            "ignored": ignored,
+            "requests": paginated.page(page),
+        }
+        return TemplateResponse(request, "settings/manage_invite_requests.html", data)
+
+    def post(self, request):
+        """ send out an invite """
+        invite_request = get_object_or_404(
+            models.InviteRequest, id=request.POST.get("invite-request")
+        )
+        # allows re-sending invites
+        invite_request.invite, _ = models.SiteInvite.objects.get_or_create(
+            use_limit=1,
+            user=request.user,
+        )
+
+        invite_request.save()
+        emailing.invite_email(invite_request)
+        return redirect("settings-invite-requests")
+
+
+class InviteRequest(View):
+    """ prospective users sign up here """
+
+    def post(self, request):
+        """ create a request """
+        form = forms.InviteRequestForm(request.POST)
+        received = False
+        if form.is_valid():
+            received = True
+            form.save()
+
+        data = {
+            "request_form": form,
+            "request_received": received,
+            "books": helpers.get_discover_books(),
+        }
+        return TemplateResponse(request, "discover/discover.html", data)
+
+
+@require_POST
+def ignore_invite_request(request):
+    """ hide an invite request """
+    invite_request = get_object_or_404(
+        models.InviteRequest, id=request.POST.get("invite-request")
+    )
+
+    invite_request.ignored = not invite_request.ignored
+    invite_request.save()
+    return redirect("settings-invite-requests")
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/landing.py b/bookwyrm/views/landing.py
index 2c4a51478..86f7d3e9f 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/landing.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/landing.py
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 """ non-interactive pages """
-from django.db.models import Max
 from django.template.response import TemplateResponse
 from django.views import View
 
 from bookwyrm import forms, models
 from .feed import Feed
+from . import helpers
 
 
 # pylint: disable= no-self-use
@@ -33,20 +33,9 @@ class Discover(View):
 
     def get(self, request):
         """ tiled book activity page """
-        books = (
-            models.Edition.objects.filter(
-                review__published_date__isnull=False,
-                review__deleted=False,
-                review__user__local=True,
-                review__privacy__in=["public", "unlisted"],
-            )
-            .exclude(cover__exact="")
-            .annotate(Max("review__published_date"))
-            .order_by("-review__published_date__max")[:6]
-        )
-
         data = {
             "register_form": forms.RegisterForm(),
-            "books": list(set(books)),
+            "request_form": forms.InviteRequestForm(),
+            "books": helpers.get_discover_books(),
         }
         return TemplateResponse(request, "discover/discover.html", data)
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/password.py b/bookwyrm/views/password.py
index e853d16bf..2926b9d76 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/password.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/password.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ from django.core.exceptions import PermissionDenied
 from django.shortcuts import redirect
 from django.template.response import TemplateResponse
 from django.utils.decorators import method_decorator
+from django.utils.translation import gettext as _
 from django.views import View
 
 from bookwyrm import models
@@ -28,7 +29,8 @@ class PasswordResetRequest(View):
         try:
             user = models.User.objects.get(email=email)
         except models.User.DoesNotExist:
-            return redirect("/password-reset")
+            data = {"error": _("No user with that email address was found.")}
+            return TemplateResponse(request, "password_reset_request.html", data)
 
         # remove any existing password reset cods for this user
         models.PasswordReset.objects.filter(user=user).all().delete()
@@ -36,7 +38,7 @@ class PasswordResetRequest(View):
         # create a new reset code
         code = models.PasswordReset.objects.create(user=user)
         password_reset_email(code)
-        data = {"message": "Password reset link sent to %s" % email}
+        data = {"message": _("A password reset link sent to %s" % email)}
         return TemplateResponse(request, "password_reset_request.html", data)
 
 
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/site.py b/bookwyrm/views/site.py
index ce64e6e0f..e58976607 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/site.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/site.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from django.template.response import TemplateResponse
 from django.utils.decorators import method_decorator
 from django.views import View
 
-from bookwyrm import forms, models
+from bookwyrm import emailing, forms, models
 
 
 # pylint: disable= no-self-use
@@ -33,3 +33,17 @@ class Site(View):
         form.save()
 
         return redirect("settings-site")
+
+
+@login_required
+@permission_required("bookwyrm.edit_instance_settings", raise_exception=True)
+def email_preview(request):
+    """ for development, renders and example email template """
+    template = request.GET.get("email")
+    data = emailing.email_data()
+    data["subject_path"] = "email/{}/subject.html".format(template)
+    data["html_content_path"] = "email/{}/html_content.html".format(template)
+    data["text_content_path"] = "email/{}/text_content.html".format(template)
+    data["reset_link"] = "https://example.com/link"
+    data["invite_link"] = "https://example.com/link"
+    return TemplateResponse(request, "email/preview.html", data)