diff --git a/conversations/emails.py b/conversations/emails.py
index 571464a..b3f29b3 100644
--- a/conversations/emails.py
+++ b/conversations/emails.py
@@ -47,7 +47,14 @@ def email_recv(request):
         content = msg.get_payload(decode=True)
 
     if python_version < (3,):
-        content = content.decode('utf-8')
+        try:
+            content = content.decode('utf-8')
+        except DjangoUnicodeDecodeError:
+            encoding = chardet.detect(content)['encoding']
+            content = content.decode(encoding)
+
+    if content == None:
+        content = ""
 
     addr = settings.REPLY_EMAIL
     pos = addr.find('@')
diff --git a/conversations/models.py b/conversations/models.py
index 40741d1..b34c83e 100644
--- a/conversations/models.py
+++ b/conversations/models.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ class Message(PonyConfModel):
     token = models.CharField(max_length=64, default=generate_message_token, unique=True)
 
     author = models.ForeignKey(User)
-    content = models.TextField()
+    content = models.TextField(blank=True)
     system = models.BooleanField(default=False)
 
     class Meta: