diff --git a/src/lib-mail/message-address.c b/src/lib-mail/message-address.c
index 7fc99d054a..a1e0977b36 100644
--- a/src/lib-mail/message-address.c
+++ b/src/lib-mail/message-address.c
@@ -467,19 +467,24 @@ void message_address_write(string_t *str, const struct message_address *addr)
 					str_append(str, addr->name);
 				else
 					str_append_maybe_escape(str, addr->name, TRUE);
-				str_append_c(str, ' ');
 			}
-			str_append_c(str, '<');
-			if (addr->route != NULL) {
-				str_append(str, addr->route);
-				str_append_c(str, ':');
-			}
-			str_append_maybe_escape(str, addr->mailbox, FALSE);
-			if (addr->domain[0] != '\0') {
-				str_append_c(str, '@');
-				str_append(str, addr->domain);
+			if (addr->route != NULL ||
+			    addr->mailbox[0] != '\0' ||
+			    addr->domain[0] != '\0') {
+				if (addr->name != NULL && addr->name[0] != '\0')
+					str_append_c(str, ' ');
+				str_append_c(str, '<');
+				if (addr->route != NULL) {
+					str_append(str, addr->route);
+					str_append_c(str, ':');
+				}
+				str_append_maybe_escape(str, addr->mailbox, FALSE);
+				if (addr->domain[0] != '\0') {
+					str_append_c(str, '@');
+					str_append(str, addr->domain);
+				}
+				str_append_c(str, '>');
 			}
-			str_append_c(str, '>');
 		}
 
 		addr = addr->next;
diff --git a/src/lib-mail/test-message-address.c b/src/lib-mail/test-message-address.c
index 05db36e3fa..1604104f5f 100644
--- a/src/lib-mail/test-message-address.c
+++ b/src/lib-mail/test-message-address.c
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ static void test_message_address(void)
 		  { NULL, NULL, "@route,@route2", "user", "domain", FALSE } },
 		{ "hello <@route ,@route2:user@domain>", "hello <@route,@route2:user@domain>",
 		  { NULL, "hello", "@route,@route2", "user", "domain", FALSE } },
-		{ "hello", "hello <>",
+		{ "hello", "hello",
 		  { NULL, "hello", NULL, "", "", TRUE } },
 		{ "user (hello)", "hello <user>",
 		  { NULL, "hello", NULL, "user", "", TRUE } },