diff --git a/addons/mail/mail_mail.py b/addons/mail/mail_mail.py
index 6219ace864f..1ca3255fd84 100644
--- a/addons/mail/mail_mail.py
+++ b/addons/mail/mail_mail.py
@@ -202,24 +202,26 @@ class mail_mail(osv.Model):
         # TDE FIXME BEFORE MERGE: not sure the late change is interesting
         if mail.reply_to:
             return mail.reply_to
-        document_name = ''
         email_reply_to = False
+
+        # if model and res_id: try to use ``message_get_reply_to`` that returns the document alias
         if mail.model and mail.res_id and hasattr(self.pool.get(mail.model), 'message_get_reply_to'):
             email_reply_to = self.pool.get(mail.model).message_get_reply_to(cr, uid, [mail.res_id], context=context)[0]
+        # no alias reply_to -> reply_to will be the email_from, only the email part
+        if not email_reply_to and mail.email_from:
+            match = re.search(r'([^\s,<@]+@[^>\s,]+)', mail.email_from)  # TDE TODO: simplify multiple same regex
+            if match:
+                email_reply_to = match.group(1)
 
-        if not email_reply_to:
-            if mail.email_from:
-                match = re.search(r'([^\s,<@]+@[^>\s,]+)', mail.email_from)  # TDE TODO: simplify multiple same regex
-                if match:
-                    email_reply_to = match.group(1)
-
+        # format 'Document name <email_address>'
         if email_reply_to:
+            document_name = ''
             if mail.model and mail.res_id:
                 document_name = self.pool.get(mail.model).name_get(cr, SUPERUSER_ID, [mail.res_id], context=context)[0]
             if document_name:
-                return 'Followers of %s <%s>' % (document_name[1], email_reply_to)
-            else:
-                return email_reply_to
+                email_reply_to = 'Followers of %s <%s>' % (document_name[1], email_reply_to)
+
+        return email_reply_to
 
     def send_get_email_dict(self, cr, uid, mail, partner=None, context=None):
         """ Return a dictionary for specific email values, depending on a