diff --git a/settings/Controller/CheckSetupController.php b/settings/Controller/CheckSetupController.php
index 57766f26724..224c0cb30d3 100644
--- a/settings/Controller/CheckSetupController.php
+++ b/settings/Controller/CheckSetupController.php
@@ -529,7 +529,7 @@ Raw output
 	}
 
 	protected function isPhpMailerUsed(): bool {
-		return $this->config->getSystemValue('mail_smtpmode') === 'php';
+		return $this->config->getSystemValue('mail_smtpmode', 'smtp') === 'php';
 	}
 
 	protected function hasOpcacheLoaded(): bool {
diff --git a/tests/Settings/Controller/CheckSetupControllerTest.php b/tests/Settings/Controller/CheckSetupControllerTest.php
index 8da90b91bfd..20184251d20 100644
--- a/tests/Settings/Controller/CheckSetupControllerTest.php
+++ b/tests/Settings/Controller/CheckSetupControllerTest.php
@@ -533,11 +533,11 @@ class CheckSetupControllerTest extends TestCase {
 
 		$this->config->expects($this->at(0))
 			->method('getSystemValue')
-			->with('mail_smtpmode', null)
+			->with('mail_smtpmode', 'smtp')
 			->will($this->returnValue('php'));
 		$this->config->expects($this->at(1))
 			->method('getSystemValue')
-			->with('mail_smtpmode', null)
+			->with('mail_smtpmode', 'smtp')
 			->will($this->returnValue('not-php'));
 
 		$this->assertTrue($this->invokePrivate($checkSetupController, 'isPhpMailerUsed'));