diff --git a/.env.dev.example b/.env.dev.example
index 22e12de12..4a2cac261 100644
--- a/.env.dev.example
+++ b/.env.dev.example
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ EMAIL_HOST_USER=mail@your.domain.here
 EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD=emailpassword123
 EMAIL_USE_TLS=true
 EMAIL_USE_SSL=false
+EMAIL_SENDER_NAME=admin
+# defaults to DOMAIN
+EMAIL_SENDER_DOMAIN=
 
 # Thumbnails Generation
 ENABLE_THUMBNAIL_GENERATION=false
diff --git a/.env.prod.example b/.env.prod.example
index 2e0ced5e8..e016839fd 100644
--- a/.env.prod.example
+++ b/.env.prod.example
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ EMAIL_HOST_USER=mail@your.domain.here
 EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD=emailpassword123
 EMAIL_USE_TLS=true
 EMAIL_USE_SSL=false
+EMAIL_SENDER_NAME=admin
+# defaults to DOMAIN
+EMAIL_SENDER_DOMAIN=
 
 # Thumbnails Generation
 ENABLE_THUMBNAIL_GENERATION=false
diff --git a/bookwyrm/emailing.py b/bookwyrm/emailing.py
index 08fd9ef85..efef12638 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/emailing.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/emailing.py
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ def format_email(email_name, data):
 def send_email(recipient, subject, html_content, text_content):
     """use a task to send the email"""
     email = EmailMultiAlternatives(
-        subject, text_content, settings.DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL, [recipient]
+        subject, text_content, settings.EMAIL_SENDER, [recipient]
     )
     email.attach_alternative(html_content, "text/html")
     email.send()
diff --git a/bookwyrm/settings.py b/bookwyrm/settings.py
index f2068a16b..d7f4a5050 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/settings.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/settings.py
@@ -24,7 +24,9 @@ EMAIL_HOST_USER = env("EMAIL_HOST_USER")
 EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD = env("EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD")
 EMAIL_USE_TLS = env.bool("EMAIL_USE_TLS", True)
 EMAIL_USE_SSL = env.bool("EMAIL_USE_SSL", False)
-DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL = f"admin@{DOMAIN}"
+EMAIL_SENDER_NAME = env.bool("EMAIL_SENDER_NAME", "admin")
+EMAIL_SENDER_DOMAIN = env.bool("EMAIL_SENDER_NAME", DOMAIN)
+EMAIL_SENDER = f"{EMAIL_SENDER_NAME}@{EMAIL_SENDER_DOMAIN}"
 
 # Build paths inside the project like this: os.path.join(BASE_DIR, ...)
 BASE_DIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))