diff --git a/deep_sequencing_unit/source/java/ch/ethz/bsse/cisd/dsu/tracking/email/EntityTrackingEmailGenerator.java b/deep_sequencing_unit/source/java/ch/ethz/bsse/cisd/dsu/tracking/email/EntityTrackingEmailGenerator.java
index abbdbff8c5044536e59d06cedb6e54ed284809ad..6010584372173a85e6da45ae37c3fc2d979acc14 100644
--- a/deep_sequencing_unit/source/java/ch/ethz/bsse/cisd/dsu/tracking/email/EntityTrackingEmailGenerator.java
+++ b/deep_sequencing_unit/source/java/ch/ethz/bsse/cisd/dsu/tracking/email/EntityTrackingEmailGenerator.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Properties;
 
 import ch.ethz.bsse.cisd.dsu.tracking.dto.TrackedEntities;
+import ch.systemsx.cisd.common.shared.basic.utils.StringUtils;
 import ch.systemsx.cisd.common.utilities.PropertyUtils;
 import ch.systemsx.cisd.openbis.generic.client.web.client.application.util.lang.StringEscapeUtils;
 import ch.systemsx.cisd.openbis.generic.shared.basic.dto.ExternalData;
@@ -110,7 +111,22 @@ public class EntityTrackingEmailGenerator implements IEntityTrackingEmailGenerat
     {
         String content = EmailContentGenerator.fillTemplateWithData(template, emailData);
         String recipient = emailData.getRecipient();
-        return new Email(subject, content, replyTo, from, recipient);
+        return new Email(subject, content, replyTo, from, filterBlanks(recipient.split(",|;| ")));
+    }
+
+    private static String[] filterBlanks(String[] arr)
+    {
+        ArrayList<String> result = new ArrayList<String>();
+
+        for (String s : arr)
+        {
+            if (false == StringUtils.isBlank(s))
+            {
+                result.add(s.trim());
+            }
+        }
+
+        return result.toArray(new String[0]);
     }
 
     /**