diff --git a/storyboard/plugin/email/__init__.py b/storyboard/plugin/email/__init__.py
index 94fbeaa6..daa6dafa 100644
--- a/storyboard/plugin/email/__init__.py
+++ b/storyboard/plugin/email/__init__.py
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@
 from oslo.config import cfg
 from oslo_log import log
 
+from storyboard.common.working_dir import get_plugin_directory
+
+
 CONF = cfg.CONF
 LOG = log.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -62,3 +65,11 @@ PLUGIN_OPTS = [
 ]
 
 CONF.register_opts(PLUGIN_OPTS, "plugin_email")
+
+
+def get_email_directory():
+    """A shared utility method that always provides the same working
+    directory. Error handling is explicitly not provided, as the methods used
+    'should' be consistent about the errors they themselves raise.
+    """
+    return get_plugin_directory("email")
diff --git a/storyboard/tests/plugin/email/test_init.py b/storyboard/tests/plugin/email/test_init.py
index db3e6139..d56dcb3c 100644
--- a/storyboard/tests/plugin/email/test_init.py
+++ b/storyboard/tests/plugin/email/test_init.py
@@ -12,15 +12,19 @@
 # implied. See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
+import os
+import stat
+
 from oslo.config import cfg
 
+from storyboard.plugin.email import get_email_directory
 from storyboard.tests import base
 
 
 CONF = cfg.CONF
 
 
-class TestConfiguration(base.TestCase):
+class TestEmailConfiguration(base.TestCase):
     def test_configuration_defaults(self):
         self.assertIsNotNone(CONF.plugin_email)
 
@@ -34,3 +38,35 @@ class TestConfiguration(base.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(None, conf.smtp_ssl_certfile)
         self.assertEqual(None, conf.smtp_user)
         self.assertEqual(None, conf.smtp_password)
+
+
+class TestGetEmailDirectory(base.WorkingDirTestCase):
+    def test_get_email_directory(self):
+        """Can we resolve the email directory? Most of this testing also
+        exists in test_working_dir, however it behooves us to test it here as
+        well.
+        """
+        expected_path = os.path.realpath(os.path.join(CONF.working_directory,
+                                                      'plugin', 'email'))
+        self.assertFalse(os.path.exists(expected_path))
+
+        resolved_path = get_email_directory()
+
+        self.assertEqual(expected_path, resolved_path)
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(CONF.working_directory))
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(expected_path))
+
+        self.assertTrue(os.access(CONF.working_directory, os.W_OK))
+        self.assertTrue(os.access(expected_path, os.W_OK))
+
+    def test_get_email_directory_not_creatable(self):
+        """Assert that the get_email_directory() method raises an error if
+        it cannot be created.
+        """
+
+        # Set the permissions
+        os.chmod(CONF.working_directory,
+                 stat.S_IRUSR + stat.S_IRGRP + stat.S_IROTH)
+
+        # Make sure it raises an exception.
+        self.assertRaises(IOError, get_email_directory)