diff --git a/core/Box.go b/core/Box.go
index e6079d6..b70e3c4 100644
--- a/core/Box.go
+++ b/core/Box.go
@@ -19,10 +19,10 @@ const (
 type checkType = struct{ description string }
 
 var checkTypes = map[string]checkType{
-	eventMeasurementAge:       checkType{"No measurement from %s since %s"},
-	eventMeasurementValMin:    checkType{"Sensor %s reads low value of %s"},
-	eventMeasurementValMax:    checkType{"Sensor %s reads high value of %s"},
-	eventMeasurementValFaulty: checkType{"Sensor %s reads presumably faulty value of %s"},
+	eventMeasurementAge:       checkType{"No measurement from %s (%s) since %s"},
+	eventMeasurementValMin:    checkType{"Sensor %s (%s) reads low value of %s"},
+	eventMeasurementValMax:    checkType{"Sensor %s (%s) reads high value of %s"},
+	eventMeasurementValFaulty: checkType{"Sensor %s (%s) reads presumably faulty value of %s"},
 }
 
 type FaultyValue struct {
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ type Box struct {
 	Name    string `json:"name"`
 	Sensors []struct {
 		Id              string `json:"_id"`
+		Phenomenon      string `json:"title"`
 		Type            string `json:"sensorType"`
 		LastMeasurement *struct {
 			Value string    `json:"value"`
@@ -79,9 +80,10 @@ func (box Box) RunChecks() ([]CheckResult, error) {
 
 			// a validator must set these values
 			var (
-				status = CheckOk
-				target = s.Id
-				value  string
+				status     = CheckOk
+				target     = s.Id
+				targetName = s.Phenomenon
+				value      string
 			)
 
 			if event.Target == eventTargetAll || event.Target == s.Id {
@@ -130,11 +132,12 @@ func (box Box) RunChecks() ([]CheckResult, error) {
 				}
 
 				results = append(results, CheckResult{
-					Threshold: event.Threshold,
-					Event:     event.Type,
-					Target:    target,
-					Value:     value,
-					Status:    status,
+					Threshold:  event.Threshold,
+					Event:      event.Type,
+					Target:     target,
+					TargetName: targetName,
+					Value:      value,
+					Status:     status,
 				})
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/core/BoxCheckResults.go b/core/BoxCheckResults.go
index 41642ae..f2c8c7a 100644
--- a/core/BoxCheckResults.go
+++ b/core/BoxCheckResults.go
@@ -10,11 +10,12 @@ import (
 )
 
 type CheckResult struct {
-	Status    string
-	Event     string
-	Target    string
-	Value     string
-	Threshold string
+	Status     string
+	Event      string
+	Target     string
+	TargetName string
+	Value      string
+	Threshold  string
 }
 
 func (r CheckResult) EventID() string {
@@ -26,9 +27,9 @@ func (r CheckResult) EventID() string {
 
 func (r CheckResult) String() string {
 	if r.Status == CheckOk {
-		return fmt.Sprintf("%s %s (on sensor %s with value %s)\n", r.Event, r.Status, r.Target, r.Value)
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%s %s (on sensor %s (%s) with value %s)\n", r.Event, r.Status, r.TargetName, r.Target, r.Value)
 	} else {
-		return fmt.Sprintf("%s: "+checkTypes[r.Event].description+"\n", r.Status, r.Target, r.Value)
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%s: "+checkTypes[r.Event].description+"\n", r.Status, r.TargetName, r.Target, r.Value)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -69,6 +70,7 @@ func (results BoxCheckResults) Log() {
 }
 
 func (results BoxCheckResults) SendNotifications() error {
+	// FIXME: don't return on errors, process all boxes first!
 	results = results.FilterChangedFromCache(false)
 
 	n := results.Size()
diff --git a/core/notifiers.go b/core/notifiers.go
index f979e0e..3418a4b 100644
--- a/core/notifiers.go
+++ b/core/notifiers.go
@@ -31,14 +31,33 @@ type EmailNotifier struct {
 }
 
 func (n EmailNotifier) New(config interface{}) (AbstractNotifier, error) {
-	res, ok := config.(EmailNotifier)
+	// assign configuration to the notifier after ensuring the correct type.
+	// lesson of this project: golang requires us to fuck around with type
+	// assertions, instead of providing us with proper inheritance.
 
-	if !ok || res.Recipients == nil {
-		return nil, errors.New("Invalid EmailNotifier options")
+	asserted, ok := config.(EmailNotifier)
+	if !ok || asserted.Recipients == nil {
+		// config did not contain valid options.
+		// first try fallback: parse result of viper is a map[string]interface{},
+		// which requires a different assertion change
+		asserted2, ok := config.(map[string]interface{})
+		if ok {
+			asserted3, ok := asserted2["recipients"].([]interface{})
+			if ok {
+				asserted = EmailNotifier{Recipients: []string{}}
+				for _, rec := range asserted3 {
+					asserted.Recipients = append(asserted.Recipients, rec.(string))
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+		if asserted.Recipients == nil {
+			return nil, errors.New("Invalid EmailNotifier options")
+		}
 	}
 
 	return EmailNotifier{
-		Recipients: res.Recipients,
+		Recipients: asserted.Recipients,
 	}, nil
 }