diff --git a/chasquid.go b/chasquid.go
index 2779290..ba1065e 100644
--- a/chasquid.go
+++ b/chasquid.go
@@ -474,23 +474,29 @@ func (c *Conn) NOOP(params string) (code int, msg string) {
 }
 
 func (c *Conn) MAIL(params string) (code int, msg string) {
-	// params should be: "FROM:<name@host>"
-	// First, get rid of the "FROM:" part (but check it, it's mandatory).
-	sp := strings.SplitN(strings.ToLower(params), ":", 2)
-	if len(sp) != 2 || sp[0] != "from" {
+	// params should be: "FROM:<name@host>", and possibly followed by
+	// "BODY=8BITMIME" (which we ignore).
+	// Check that it begins with "FROM:" first, otherwise it's pointless.
+	if !strings.HasPrefix(strings.ToLower(params), "from:") {
 		return 500, "unknown command"
 	}
 
+	addr := ""
+	_, err := fmt.Sscanf(params[5:], "%s ", &addr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 500, "malformed command - " + err.Error()
+	}
+
 	// Special case a null reverse-path, which is explicitly allowed and used
 	// for notification messages.
 	// It should be written "<>", we check for that and remove spaces just to
 	// be more flexible.
 	e := &mail.Address{}
-	if strings.Replace(sp[1], " ", "", -1) == "<>" {
+	if strings.Replace(addr, " ", "", -1) == "<>" {
 		e.Address = "<>"
 	} else {
 		var err error
-		e, err = mail.ParseAddress(sp[1])
+		e, err = mail.ParseAddress(addr)
 		if err != nil || e.Address == "" {
 			return 501, "malformed address"
 		}
diff --git a/chasquid_test.go b/chasquid_test.go
index da54706..e306dbc 100644
--- a/chasquid_test.go
+++ b/chasquid_test.go
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ func TestWrongMailParsing(t *testing.T) {
 	c := mustDial(t, false)
 	defer c.Close()
 
-	addrs := []string{"", "from", "a b c", "a @ b", "<x>", "<x y>", "><"}
+	addrs := []string{"from", "a b c", "a @ b", "<x>", "<x y>", "><"}
 
 	for _, addr := range addrs {
 		if err := c.Mail(addr); err == nil {
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ func TestNullMailFrom(t *testing.T) {
 	c := mustDial(t, false)
 	defer c.Close()
 
-	addrs := []string{"<>", "  <>", " <  > "}
+	addrs := []string{"", "<>", "  <>", " <  > "}
 	for _, addr := range addrs {
 		if err := c.Text.PrintfLine(addr); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("MAIL FROM failed with addr %q: %v", addr, err)