diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/actions/email/service/Account.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/actions/email/service/Account.java
index 25a92c67a9d..90d099209d8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/actions/email/service/Account.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/actions/email/service/Account.java
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public class Account {
         return config.name;
     }
 
-    public void send(Email email, Authentication auth, Profile profile) throws MessagingException {
+    public Email send(Email email, Authentication auth, Profile profile) throws MessagingException {
 
         // applying the defaults on missing emails fields
         email = config.defaults.apply(email);
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ public class Account {
                 }
             }
         }
+        return email;
     }
 
     static class Config {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/actions/email/service/Email.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/actions/email/service/Email.java
index dcf42acdbcb..b587a2f7ec4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/actions/email/service/Email.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/actions/email/service/Email.java
@@ -128,7 +128,9 @@ public class Email implements ToXContent {
     public XContentBuilder toXContent(XContentBuilder builder, Params params) throws IOException {
         builder.startObject();
         builder.field(ID_FIELD.getPreferredName(), id);
-        builder.field(FROM_FIELD.getPreferredName(), from);
+        if (from != null) {
+            builder.field(FROM_FIELD.getPreferredName(), from);
+        }
         if (replyTo != null) {
             builder.field(REPLY_TO_FIELD.getPreferredName(), (ToXContent) replyTo);
         }
@@ -136,7 +138,9 @@ public class Email implements ToXContent {
             builder.field(PRIORITY_FIELD.getPreferredName(), priority);
         }
         builder.field(SENT_DATE_FIELD.getPreferredName(), sentDate);
-        builder.field(TO_FIELD.getPreferredName(), (ToXContent) to);
+        if (to != null) {
+            builder.field(TO_FIELD.getPreferredName(), (ToXContent) to);
+        }
         if (cc != null) {
             builder.field(CC_FIELD.getPreferredName(), (ToXContent) cc);
         }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/actions/email/service/InternalEmailService.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/actions/email/service/InternalEmailService.java
index 73646b0ed11..91e06bf539a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/actions/email/service/InternalEmailService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/actions/email/service/InternalEmailService.java
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ public class InternalEmailService extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<InternalEma
     EmailSent send(Email email, Authentication auth, Profile profile, Account account) {
         assert account != null;
         try {
-            account.send(email, auth, profile);
+            email = account.send(email, auth, profile);
         } catch (MessagingException me) {
             throw new EmailException("failed to send email [" + email + "] via account [" + account.name() + "]", me);
         }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/actions/email/service/EmailTest.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/actions/email/service/EmailTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..65bbf77f151
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/actions/email/service/EmailTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
+ */
+package org.elasticsearch.watcher.actions.email.service;
+
+import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.Repeat;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.collect.ImmutableMap;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.joda.time.DateTime;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.ToXContent;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentBuilder;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentFactory;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentParser;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.json.JsonXContent;
+import org.elasticsearch.test.ElasticsearchTestCase;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
+
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
+
+/**
+ */
+public class EmailTest extends ElasticsearchTestCase {
+
+    @Test @Repeat(iterations = 100)
+    public void testEmail_Parser_SelfGenerated() throws Exception {
+        String id = "test-id";
+        Email.Address from = randomFrom(new Email.Address("from@from.com"), null);
+        List<Email.Address> addresses = new ArrayList<>();
+        for( int i = 0; i < randomIntBetween(1, 5); ++i){
+            addresses.add(new Email.Address("address" + i + "@test.com"));
+        }
+        Email.AddressList possibleList = new Email.AddressList(addresses);
+        Email.AddressList replyTo = randomFrom(possibleList, null);
+        Email.Priority priority = randomFrom(Email.Priority.values());
+        DateTime sentDate = new DateTime(randomInt());
+        Email.AddressList to = randomFrom(possibleList, null);
+        Email.AddressList cc = randomFrom(possibleList, null);
+        Email.AddressList bcc = randomFrom(possibleList, null);
+        String subject = randomFrom("Random Subject", "", null);
+        String textBody = randomFrom("Random Body", "", null);
+        String htmlBody = randomFrom("<hr/>BODY<b/><hr/>", "", null);
+        ImmutableMap<String, Attachment> attachments = null;
+        ImmutableMap<String, Inline> inlines = null;
+
+        Email email = new Email(id, from, replyTo, priority, sentDate, to, cc, bcc, subject, textBody, htmlBody, attachments, inlines);
+
+        XContentBuilder builder = XContentFactory.jsonBuilder();
+        email.toXContent(builder, ToXContent.EMPTY_PARAMS);
+
+        XContentParser parser = JsonXContent.jsonXContent.createParser(builder.bytes());
+        parser.nextToken();
+
+        Email parsedEmail = Email.parse(parser);
+
+
+        assertThat(email.id, equalTo(parsedEmail.id));
+        assertThat(email.from, equalTo(parsedEmail.from));
+        assertThat(email.replyTo, equalTo(parsedEmail.replyTo));
+        assertThat(email.priority, equalTo(parsedEmail.priority));
+        assertThat(email.sentDate, equalTo(parsedEmail.sentDate));
+        assertThat(email.to, equalTo(parsedEmail.to));
+        assertThat(email.cc, equalTo(parsedEmail.cc));
+        assertThat(email.bcc, equalTo(parsedEmail.bcc));
+        assertThat(email.subject, equalTo(parsedEmail.subject));
+        assertThat(email.textBody, equalTo(parsedEmail.textBody));
+        assertThat(email.htmlBody, equalTo(parsedEmail.htmlBody));
+    }
+
+}
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/actions/email/service/InternalEmailServiceTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/actions/email/service/InternalEmailServiceTests.java
index 16e5d320baa..ea874d2483d 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/actions/email/service/InternalEmailServiceTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/actions/email/service/InternalEmailServiceTests.java
@@ -48,8 +48,10 @@ public class InternalEmailServiceTests extends ElasticsearchTestCase {
         when(account.name()).thenReturn("account1");
         when(accounts.account("account1")).thenReturn(account);
         Email email = mock(Email.class);
+
         Authentication auth = new Authentication("user", "passwd");
         Profile profile = randomFrom(Profile.values());
+        when(account.send(email, auth, profile)).thenReturn(email);
         EmailService.EmailSent sent = service.send(email, auth, profile, "account1");
         verify(account).send(email, auth, profile);
         assertThat(sent, notNullValue());