diff --git a/modules/common/src/main/scala/docspell/common/Timestamp.scala b/modules/common/src/main/scala/docspell/common/Timestamp.scala
index bac4bb8f..1f970d41 100644
--- a/modules/common/src/main/scala/docspell/common/Timestamp.scala
+++ b/modules/common/src/main/scala/docspell/common/Timestamp.scala
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import java.time.{Instant, LocalDate, ZoneId}
 
 import cats.effect.Sync
 import io.circe.{Decoder, Encoder}
+import java.time.temporal.ChronoUnit
 import java.time.LocalDateTime
 import java.time.ZonedDateTime
 
@@ -59,6 +60,9 @@ object Timestamp {
   def atUtc(ldt: LocalDateTime): Timestamp =
     from(ldt.atZone(UTC))
 
+  def daysBetween(ts0: Timestamp, ts1: Timestamp): Long =
+    ChronoUnit.DAYS.between(ts0.toUtcDate, ts1.toUtcDate)
+
   implicit val encodeTimestamp: Encoder[Timestamp] =
     BaseJsonCodecs.encodeInstantEpoch.contramap(_.value)
 
diff --git a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/notify/MailContext.scala b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/notify/MailContext.scala
index d00d07a2..de50600e 100644
--- a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/notify/MailContext.scala
+++ b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/notify/MailContext.scala
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ case class MailContext(
     items: List[MailContext.ItemData],
     more: Boolean,
     account: AccountId,
+    username: String,
     itemUri: Option[LenientUri]
 )
 
@@ -20,12 +21,14 @@ object MailContext {
       items: Vector[QItem.ListItem],
       max: Int,
       account: AccountId,
-      itemBaseUri: Option[LenientUri]
+      itemBaseUri: Option[LenientUri],
+      now: Timestamp
   ): MailContext =
     MailContext(
-      items.take(max - 1).map(ItemData.apply).toList.sortBy(_.dueDate),
+      items.take(max - 1).map(ItemData(now)).toList.sortBy(_.dueDate),
       items.sizeCompare(max) >= 0,
       account,
+      account.user.id.capitalize,
       itemBaseUri
     )
 
@@ -34,13 +37,22 @@ object MailContext {
       name: String,
       date: Timestamp,
       dueDate: Option[Timestamp],
-      source: String
+      source: String,
+      overDue: Boolean,
+      dueIn: Option[String]
   )
 
   object ItemData {
 
-    def apply(i: QItem.ListItem): ItemData =
-      ItemData(i.id, i.name, i.date, i.dueDate, i.source)
+    def apply(now: Timestamp)(i: QItem.ListItem): ItemData = {
+      val dueIn = i.dueDate.map(dt => Timestamp.daysBetween(now, dt))
+      val dueInLabel = dueIn.map {
+        case 0 => "**today**"
+        case 1 => "**tomorrow**"
+        case n => s"in $n days"
+      }
+      ItemData(i.id, i.name, i.date, i.dueDate, i.source, dueIn.exists(_ < 0), dueInLabel)
+    }
 
     implicit def yamusca: ValueConverter[ItemData] =
       ValueConverter.deriveConverter[ItemData]
diff --git a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/notify/MailTemplate.scala b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/notify/MailTemplate.scala
index 691867c0..ed167bec 100644
--- a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/notify/MailTemplate.scala
+++ b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/notify/MailTemplate.scala
@@ -5,24 +5,26 @@ import yamusca.implicits._
 object MailTemplate {
 
   val text = mustache"""
-## Hello {{{ account.user }}},
+## Hello {{{ username }}},
 
-this is Docspell informing you about due items coming up.
+this is Docspell informing you about your next due items coming up.
 
 {{#itemUri}}
 {{#items}}
-- [{{name}}]({{itemUri}}/{{id}}), due on *{{dueDate}}*
+- {{#overDue}}**(OVERDUE)** {{/overDue}}[{{name}}]({{itemUri}}/{{id}}),
+  due {{dueIn}} on *{{dueDate}}*
   (received on {{date}} via {{source}})
 {{/items}}
 {{/itemUri}}
 {{^itemUri}}
 {{#items}}
-- *{{name}}*, due on *{{dueDate}}*
+- {{#overDue}}**(OVERDUE)** {{/overDue}}*{{name}}*,
+  due {{dueIn}} on *{{dueDate}}*
   (received on {{date}} via {{source}})
 {{/items}}
 {{/itemUri}}
 {{#more}}
-- (There are more due items, left out for brevity)
+- … more have been left out for brevity
 {{/more}}
 
 
diff --git a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/notify/NotifyDueItemsTask.scala b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/notify/NotifyDueItemsTask.scala
index 9b493654..bca4a017 100644
--- a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/notify/NotifyDueItemsTask.scala
+++ b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/notify/NotifyDueItemsTask.scala
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import docspell.joex.notify.MailContext
 import docspell.joex.notify.MailTemplate
 
 object NotifyDueItemsTask {
-  val maxItems: Long = 5
+  val maxItems: Long = 7
   type Args = NotifyDueItemsArgs
 
   def apply[F[_]: Sync](emil: Emil[F]): Task[F, Args, Unit] =
@@ -83,21 +83,23 @@ object NotifyDueItemsTask {
       cfg: RUserEmail,
       args: Args,
       items: Vector[QItem.ListItem]
-  ): F[Mail[F]] = Sync[F].delay {
-    val templateCtx =
-      MailContext.from(items, maxItems.toInt, args.account, args.itemDetailUrl)
-    val md = MailTemplate.render(templateCtx)
-    val recp = args.recipients
-      .map(MailAddress.parse)
-      .map {
-        case Right(ma) => ma
-        case Left(err) => throw new Exception(s"Unable to parse recipient address: $err")
-      }
-    MailBuilder.build(
-      From(cfg.mailFrom),
-      Tos(recp),
-      Subject("Next due items"),
-      MarkdownBody[F](md)
-    )
-  }
+  ): F[Mail[F]] =
+    Timestamp.current[F].map { now =>
+      val templateCtx =
+        MailContext.from(items, maxItems.toInt, args.account, args.itemDetailUrl, now)
+      val md = MailTemplate.render(templateCtx)
+      val recp = args.recipients
+        .map(MailAddress.parse)
+        .map {
+          case Right(ma) => ma
+          case Left(err) =>
+            throw new Exception(s"Unable to parse recipient address: $err")
+        }
+      MailBuilder.build(
+        From(cfg.mailFrom),
+        Tos(recp),
+        Subject("Next due items"),
+        MarkdownBody[F](md)
+      )
+    }
 }