diff --git a/zerver/lib/actions.py b/zerver/lib/actions.py
index 5e6e697eaf..a855ab9de8 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/actions.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/actions.py
@@ -536,13 +536,21 @@ def already_sent_mirrored_message_id(message):
         return messages[0].id
     return None
 
-def extract_recipients(raw_recipients):
+def extract_recipients(s):
     # We try to accept multiple incoming formats for recipients.
     # See test_extract_recipients() for examples of what we allow.
     try:
-        recipients = json_to_list(raw_recipients)
+        data = ujson.loads(s)
     except ValueError:
-        recipients = [raw_recipients]
+        data = s
+
+    if isinstance(data, basestring):
+        data = data.split(',')
+
+    if not isinstance(data, list):
+        raise ValueError("Invalid data type for recipients")
+
+    recipients = data
 
     # Strip recipients, and then remove any duplicates and any that
     # are the empty string after being stripped.
diff --git a/zerver/tests.py b/zerver/tests.py
index 6d32ab3c2b..8e41872177 100644
--- a/zerver/tests.py
+++ b/zerver/tests.py
@@ -920,9 +920,20 @@ class MutedTopicsTests(AuthedTestCase):
 
 class ExtractedRecipientsTest(TestCase):
     def test_extract_recipients(self):
+        # JSON list w/dups, empties, and trailing whitespace
         s = ujson.dumps([' alice@zulip.com ', ' bob@zulip.com ', '   ', 'bob@zulip.com'])
         self.assertItemsEqual(extract_recipients(s), ['alice@zulip.com', 'bob@zulip.com'])
+
+        # simple string with one name
         s = 'alice@zulip.com    '
         self.assertItemsEqual(extract_recipients(s), ['alice@zulip.com'])
 
+        # JSON-encoded string
+        s = '"alice@zulip.com"'
+        self.assertItemsEqual(extract_recipients(s), ['alice@zulip.com'])
+
+        # JSON-encoded, comma-delimited string
+        s = '"bob@zulip.com,alice@zulip.com"'
+        self.assertItemsEqual(extract_recipients(s), ['alice@zulip.com', 'bob@zulip.com'])
+