diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/actions/email/EmailAction.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/actions/email/EmailAction.java
index 42d6b90987a..9cd58e8a597 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/actions/email/EmailAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/actions/email/EmailAction.java
@@ -38,15 +38,16 @@ public class EmailAction extends Action<EmailAction.Result> {
     final Authentication auth;
     final Profile profile;
     final String account;
-    final Template subject;
-    final Template textBody;
-    final Template htmlBody;
+    final @Nullable Template subject;
+    final @Nullable Template textBody;
+    final @Nullable Template htmlBody;
     final boolean attachPayload;
 
     final EmailService emailService;
 
-    public EmailAction(ESLogger logger, @Nullable Transform transform, EmailService emailService, Email emailPrototype, Authentication auth, Profile profile,
-                       String account, Template subject, Template textBody, Template htmlBody, boolean attachPayload) {
+    public EmailAction(ESLogger logger, @Nullable Transform transform, EmailService emailService, Email emailPrototype,
+                       Authentication auth, Profile profile, String account, @Nullable Template subject,
+                       @Nullable Template textBody, @Nullable Template htmlBody, boolean attachPayload) {
 
         super(logger, transform);
         this.emailService = emailService;
@@ -74,8 +75,8 @@ public class EmailAction extends Action<EmailAction.Result> {
                 .copyFrom(emailPrototype);
 
         email.id(ctx.id());
-        email.subject(subject.render(model));
-        email.textBody(textBody.render(model));
+        email.subject(subject != null ? subject.render(model) : "");
+        email.textBody(textBody != null ? textBody.render(model) : "");
 
         if (htmlBody != null) {
             email.htmlBody(htmlBody.render(model));
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/actions/email/EmailActionTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/actions/email/EmailActionTests.java
index e84ee138c39..fcdcf17f655 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/actions/email/EmailActionTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/actions/email/EmailActionTests.java
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ public class EmailActionTests extends ElasticsearchTestCase {
         Authentication auth = new Authentication("user", "passwd");
         Profile profile = randomFrom(Profile.values());
 
-        Template subject = mock(Template.class);
-        Template textBody = mock(Template.class);
+        Template subject = randomBoolean() ? null : mock(Template.class);
+        Template textBody = randomBoolean() ? null : mock(Template.class);
         Template htmlBody = randomBoolean() ? null : mock(Template.class);
         boolean attachPayload = randomBoolean();
         Transform transform = randomBoolean() ? null : mock(Transform.class);
@@ -98,8 +98,12 @@ public class EmailActionTests extends ElasticsearchTestCase {
                     .put("scheduled_fire_time", now).build())
                 .build();
 
-        when(subject.render(expectedModel)).thenReturn("_subject");
-        when(textBody.render(expectedModel)).thenReturn("_text_body");
+        if (subject != null) {
+            when(subject.render(expectedModel)).thenReturn("_subject");
+        }
+        if (textBody != null) {
+            when(textBody.render(expectedModel)).thenReturn("_text_body");
+        }
         if (htmlBody != null) {
             when (htmlBody.render(expectedModel)).thenReturn("_html_body");
         }
@@ -112,8 +116,8 @@ public class EmailActionTests extends ElasticsearchTestCase {
         Email actualEmail = ((EmailAction.Result.Success) result).email();
         assertThat(actualEmail.id(), is(ctxId));
         assertThat(actualEmail, notNullValue());
-        assertThat(actualEmail.subject(), is("_subject"));
-        assertThat(actualEmail.textBody(), is("_text_body"));
+        assertThat(actualEmail.subject(), is(subject == null ? "" : "_subject"));
+        assertThat(actualEmail.textBody(), is(textBody == null ? "" : "_text_body"));
         if (htmlBody != null) {
             assertThat(actualEmail.htmlBody(), is("_html_body"));
         }