diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 32f2dec0..f2982a29 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ ver. 1.1.2-dev-1 (20??/??/??) - development nightly edition
 -----------
 
 ### Fixes
+* `action.d/smtp.py` - preserve the ticket's ban time in notification emails instead of replacing it with the jail's default
 * `filter.d/nginx-botsearch.conf` - error-log regex extended with support of journal format (gh-3732)
 * `filter.d/apache-noscript.conf` - match a request for the `cgi-bin` directory itself (no script name after it),
   the `cgi-bin` alternative required a following path segment so `/cgi-bin/` and `/cgi-bin` were not matched (gh-4217)
diff --git a/config/action.d/smtp.py b/config/action.d/smtp.py
index 69e337b6..93561cbc 100644
--- a/config/action.d/smtp.py
+++ b/config/action.d/smtp.py
@@ -126,7 +126,6 @@ class SMTPAction(ActionBase):
 		self.message_values = CallingMap(
 			jailname = self._jail.name,
 			hostname = socket.gethostname,
-			bantime = lambda: self._jail.actions.getBanTime(),
 			)
 
 		# bypass ban/unban for restored tickets
diff --git a/fail2ban/tests/action_d/test_smtp.py b/fail2ban/tests/action_d/test_smtp.py
index 6e4b926d..18f77cbb 100644
--- a/fail2ban/tests/action_d/test_smtp.py
+++ b/fail2ban/tests/action_d/test_smtp.py
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ import importlib
 
 from ..dummyjail import DummyJail
 from ..utils import CONFIG_DIR, asyncserver, Utils, uni_decode
+from ...server.actions import Actions
+from ...server.ticket import BanTicket
 
 
 class _SMTPActionTestCase():
@@ -63,6 +65,7 @@ class _SMTPActionTestCase():
 		aInfo = {
 			'ip': "127.0.0.2",
 			'failures': 3,
+			'bantime': self.jail.actions.getBanTime(),
 			'matches': "Test fail 1\n",
 			'ipjailmatches': "Test fail 1\nTest Fail2\n",
 			'ipmatches': "Test fail 1\nTest Fail2\nTest Fail3\n",
@@ -97,6 +100,17 @@ class _SMTPActionTestCase():
 	def testBan(self):
 		self._testBan()
 
+	def testBanTime(self):
+		self.jail.actions.setBanTime(600)
+		for bantime, expected in ((None, 600), (3600, 3600), (-1, -1)):
+			with self.subTest(bantime=bantime):
+				ticket = BanTicket('127.0.0.2')
+				ticket.setBanTime(bantime)
+				aInfo = Actions.ActionInfo(ticket, self.jail)
+				self._exec_and_wait(lambda: self.action.ban(aInfo))
+				self.assertIn('banned for %i seconds' % expected, self.smtpd.data)
+				self.assertEqual(aInfo['bantime'], expected)
+
 	def testNOPByRestored(self):
 		self._testBan(restored=True)