diff --git a/system/libraries/Email.php b/system/libraries/Email.php
index f3718ae..d23be1a 100644
--- a/system/libraries/Email.php
+++ b/system/libraries/Email.php
@@ -1732,11 +1732,14 @@
 	 */
 	protected function _send_with_sendmail()
 	{
-		$fp = @popen($this->mailpath.' -oi -f '.$this->clean_email($this->_headers['From']).' -t'.' -r '.$this->clean_email($this->_headers['Return-Path']), 'w');
-
-		if ($fp === FALSE OR $fp === NULL)
+		// is popen() enabled?
+		if ( ! function_usable('popen')
+			OR FALSE === ($fp = @popen(
+						$this->mailpath.' -oi -f '.$this->clean_email($this->_headers['From'])
+							.' -t -r '.$this->clean_email($this->_headers['Return-Path'])
+						, 'w'))
+		) // server probably has popen disabled, so nothing we can do to get a verbose error.
 		{
-			// server probably has popen disabled, so nothing we can do to get a verbose error.
 			return FALSE;
 		}