diff --git a/frappe/core/doctype/outgoing_email_settings/outgoing_email_settings.py b/frappe/core/doctype/outgoing_email_settings/outgoing_email_settings.py
index 65838ee466..dd61262559 100644
--- a/frappe/core/doctype/outgoing_email_settings/outgoing_email_settings.py
+++ b/frappe/core/doctype/outgoing_email_settings/outgoing_email_settings.py
@@ -5,12 +5,16 @@
 
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 import frappe
-
+from frappe import _, throw
+from frappe.utils import validate_email_add
 from frappe.model.document import Document
 
 class OutgoingEmailSettings(Document):
 
 	def validate(self):
+		if self.auto_email_id and not validate_email_add(self.auto_email_id):
+			throw(_("{0} is not a valid email id").format(self.auto_email_id), frappe.InvalidEmailAddressError)
+
 		if self.mail_server and not frappe.local.flags.in_patch:
 			from frappe.utils import cint
 			from frappe.utils.email_lib.smtp import SMTPServer
diff --git a/frappe/utils/datautils.py b/frappe/utils/datautils.py
index a24f0bd616..696bc4cbbb 100644
--- a/frappe/utils/datautils.py
+++ b/frappe/utils/datautils.py
@@ -56,11 +56,14 @@ def read_csv_content(fcontent, ignore_encoding=False):
 		for row in csv.reader(fcontent):
 			r = []
 			for val in row:
+				# decode everything
+				val = unicode(val, "utf-8").strip()
+
 				if val=="":
+					# reason: in maraidb strict config, one cannot have blank strings for non string datatypes
 					r.append(None)
 				else:
-					# decode everything
-					r.append(unicode(val, "utf-8").strip())
+					r.append(val)
 
 			rows.append(r)