diff --git a/app/models/task.rb b/app/models/task.rb
index f0dfa29..8af87d6 100644
--- a/app/models/task.rb
+++ b/app/models/task.rb
@@ -64,8 +64,9 @@ class Task < ActiveRecord::Base
 
       begin
         target_msg = task.target_notification_message
-        target_emails = task.target && task.target.notification_emails || []
-        TaskMailer.deliver_target_notification(task, target_msg) if target_msg && !target_emails.empty?
+        if target_msg && task.target && !task.target.notification_emails.empty?
+          TaskMailer.deliver_target_notification(task, target_msg)
+        end
       rescue NotImplementedError => ex
         RAILS_DEFAULT_LOGGER.info ex.to_s
       end
@@ -226,8 +227,9 @@ class Task < ActiveRecord::Base
 
     begin
       target_msg = target_notification_message
-      target_emails = self.target && self.target.notification_emails || []
-      TaskMailer.deliver_target_notification(self, target_msg) if target_msg && !target_emails.empty?
+       if target_msg && self.target && !self.target.notification_emails.empty?
+         TaskMailer.deliver_target_notification(self, target_msg)
+       end
     rescue NotImplementedError => ex
       RAILS_DEFAULT_LOGGER.info ex.to_s
     end
diff --git a/test/unit/organization_test.rb b/test/unit/organization_test.rb
index e60f15e..945cd1d 100644
--- a/test/unit/organization_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/organization_test.rb
@@ -123,6 +123,10 @@ class OrganizationTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
     assert_equal ['admin1@email.com', 'admin2@email.com'], o.notification_emails
   end
 
+  should 'return empty array if contact_email is a blank string and it has no admin' do
+    o = Organization.new(:contact_email => '', :environment => Environment.default)
+    assert_equal [], o.notification_emails
+  end
 
   should 'list pending enterprise validations' do
     org = Organization.new
--
libgit2 0.21.2