diff --git src/bp-core/classes/class-bp-phpmailer.php src/bp-core/classes/class-bp-phpmailer.php
index 76b24395d..2a238572a 100644
--- src/bp-core/classes/class-bp-phpmailer.php
+++ src/bp-core/classes/class-bp-phpmailer.php
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ class BP_PHPMailer implements BP_Email_Delivery {
 		 * and is now using version 6.0 of PHPMailer.
 		 */
 		if ( file_exists( ABSPATH . WPINC . '/PHPMailer/PHPMailer.php' ) ) {
+			$phpmailer_is_6_0 = true;
+
 			if ( ! ( $phpmailer instanceof PHPMailer\PHPMailer\PHPMailer ) ) {
 				if ( ! class_exists( 'PHPMailer\\PHPMailer\\PHPMailer' ) ) {
 					require_once ABSPATH . WPINC . '/PHPMailer/PHPMailer.php';
@@ -51,8 +53,7 @@ class BP_PHPMailer implements BP_Email_Delivery {
 					require_once ABSPATH . WPINC . '/PHPMailer/Exception.php';
 				}
 
-				$phpmailer        = new PHPMailer\PHPMailer\PHPMailer( true );
-				$phpmailer_is_6_0 = true;
+				$phpmailer = new PHPMailer\PHPMailer\PHPMailer( true );
 			}
 		} else {
 			if ( ! ( $phpmailer instanceof PHPMailer ) ) {