diff --git a/jenkins_jobs/modules/publishers.py b/jenkins_jobs/modules/publishers.py
index c4409de75..cdb7dc023 100644
--- a/jenkins_jobs/modules/publishers.py
+++ b/jenkins_jobs/modules/publishers.py
@@ -1312,18 +1312,16 @@ def email(parser, xml_parent, data):
     :arg bool send-to-individuals: Send an email to the individual
       who broke the build (default false)
 
-    Example::
+    Example:
 
-      publishers:
-        - email:
-            recipients: breakage@example.com
+    .. literalinclude::  /../../tests/publishers/fixtures/email001.yaml
+       :language: yaml
     """
 
     # TODO: raise exception if this is applied to a maven job
     mailer = XML.SubElement(xml_parent,
                             'hudson.tasks.Mailer')
-    if 'recipients' in data:
-        XML.SubElement(mailer, 'recipients').text = data['recipients']
+    XML.SubElement(mailer, 'recipients').text = data.get('recipients', '')
 
     # Note the logic reversal (included here to match the GUI
     if data.get('notify-every-unstable-build', True):
diff --git a/tests/publishers/fixtures/email001.xml b/tests/publishers/fixtures/email001.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e0a0628c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/publishers/fixtures/email001.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<project>
+  <publishers>
+    <hudson.tasks.Mailer>
+      <recipients>foo@example.com bar@example.com</recipients>
+      <dontNotifyEveryUnstableBuild>false</dontNotifyEveryUnstableBuild>
+      <sendToIndividuals>false</sendToIndividuals>
+    </hudson.tasks.Mailer>
+  </publishers>
+</project>
diff --git a/tests/publishers/fixtures/email001.yaml b/tests/publishers/fixtures/email001.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e2bb3a3b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/publishers/fixtures/email001.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+publishers:
+  - email:
+      recipients: foo@example.com bar@example.com
diff --git a/tests/publishers/fixtures/email002.xml b/tests/publishers/fixtures/email002.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e36117f79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/publishers/fixtures/email002.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<project>
+  <publishers>
+    <hudson.tasks.Mailer>
+      <recipients/>
+      <dontNotifyEveryUnstableBuild>false</dontNotifyEveryUnstableBuild>
+      <sendToIndividuals>true</sendToIndividuals>
+    </hudson.tasks.Mailer>
+  </publishers>
+</project>
diff --git a/tests/publishers/fixtures/email002.yaml b/tests/publishers/fixtures/email002.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c8a8b3ea0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/publishers/fixtures/email002.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+publishers:
+  - email:
+      send-to-individuals: true
+