diff --git a/packages/api/src/utils/parser.ts b/packages/api/src/utils/parser.ts
index abe134b9b..6c2ba1ac3 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/utils/parser.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/utils/parser.ts
@@ -577,5 +577,5 @@ export const parseEmailAddress = (from: string): addressparser.EmailAddress => {
   if (parsed.length > 0) {
     return parsed[0]
   }
-  return { name: from, address: from }
+  return { name: '', address: from }
 }
diff --git a/packages/api/test/utils/parser.test.ts b/packages/api/test/utils/parser.test.ts
index 9b78d77b4..83bd23294 100644
--- a/packages/api/test/utils/parser.test.ts
+++ b/packages/api/test/utils/parser.test.ts
@@ -182,11 +182,18 @@ describe('getTitleFromEmailSubject', () => {
 })
 
 describe('parseEmailAddress', () => {
-  const email = 'Tester <tester@omnivore.app>'
+  it('returns the name and address when in name <address> format', () => {
+    const name = 'test name'
+    const address = 'tester@omnivore.app'
+    const parsed = parseEmailAddress(`${name} <${address}>`)
+    expect(parsed.name).to.eql(name)
+    expect(parsed.address).to.eql(address)
+  })
 
-  it('returns the name and address', () => {
-    const { name, address } = parseEmailAddress(email)
-    expect(name).to.eql('Tester')
-    expect(address).to.eql('tester@omnivore.app')
+  it('returns the address when in address format', () => {
+    const address = 'tester@omnivore.app'
+    const parsed = parseEmailAddress(address)
+    expect(parsed.name).to.eql('')
+    expect(parsed.address).to.eql(address)
   })
 })