diff --git a/addons/email_template/wizard/mail_compose_message.py b/addons/email_template/wizard/mail_compose_message.py
index 168d93cdbe5..ad30b3817f5 100644
--- a/addons/email_template/wizard/mail_compose_message.py
+++ b/addons/email_template/wizard/mail_compose_message.py
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ class mail_compose_message(osv.TransientModel):
             values = self.pool.get('email.template').read(cr, uid, template_id, ['subject', 'body_html'], context)
             values.pop('id')
         elif template_id:
-            # FIXME odo: change the mail generation to avoid attachment duplication 
+            # FIXME odo: change the mail generation to avoid attachment duplication
             values = self.generate_email_for_composer(cr, uid, template_id, res_id, context=context)
             # transform attachments into attachment_ids
             values['attachment_ids'] = []
@@ -142,12 +142,12 @@ class mail_compose_message(osv.TransientModel):
         return values
 
     def render_message(self, cr, uid, wizard, res_id, context=None):
-        """ Generate an email from the template for given (model, res_id) pair.
-            This method is meant to be inherited by email_template that will
-            produce a more complete dictionary, with email_to, ...
-        """
+        """ Override to handle templates. """
         # generate the composer email
-        values = self.generate_email_for_composer(cr, uid, wizard.template_id, res_id, context=context)
+        if wizard.template_id:
+            values = self.generate_email_for_composer(cr, uid, wizard.template_id, res_id, context=context)
+        else:
+            values = {}
         # get values to return
         email_dict = super(mail_compose_message, self).render_message(cr, uid, wizard, res_id, context)
         email_dict.update(values)
diff --git a/addons/mail/wizard/mail_compose_message_view.xml b/addons/mail/wizard/mail_compose_message_view.xml
index 57fc0aaf729..c0b329690e3 100644
--- a/addons/mail/wizard/mail_compose_message_view.xml
+++ b/addons/mail/wizard/mail_compose_message_view.xml
@@ -15,14 +15,17 @@
                         <!-- visible wizard -->
                         <label for="partner_ids" string="Recipients"/>
                         <div>
-                            <span attrs="{'invisible':[('model', '=', False)]}">
+                            <span attrs="{'invisible':['|', ('model', '=', False), ('composition_mode', '!=', 'mass_mail')]}">
+                                Followers of selected items and
+                            </span>
+                            <span attrs="{'invisible':['|', ('model', '=', False), ('composition_mode', '=', 'mass_mail')]}">
                                 Followers of
                                 <field name="record_name" readonly="1" class="oe_inline"
                                     attrs="{'invisible':[('model', '=', False)]}"/>
                                 and 
                             </span>
                             <field name="partner_ids" widget="many2many_tags_email" placeholder="Add contacts to notify..."
-                                context="{'force_email':True}" required="1"/>
+                                context="{'force_email':True}"/>
                         </div>
                         <field name="subject" placeholder="Subject..."/>
                     </group>