diff --git a/app/api/views/mailbox.py b/app/api/views/mailbox.py
index 10bba2c2..a8787afb 100644
--- a/app/api/views/mailbox.py
+++ b/app/api/views/mailbox.py
@@ -38,7 +38,11 @@ def create_mailbox():
         the new mailbox dict
     """
     user = g.user
-    mailbox_email = sanitize_email(request.get_json().get("email"))
+    email = request.get_json().get("email")
+    if not email:
+        return jsonify(error="Invalid email"), 400
+
+    mailbox_email = sanitize_email(email)
 
     try:
         new_mailbox = mailbox_utils.create_mailbox(user, mailbox_email).mailbox
diff --git a/tests/api/test_mailbox.py b/tests/api/test_mailbox.py
index 085a42aa..9cbdfc6f 100644
--- a/tests/api/test_mailbox.py
+++ b/tests/api/test_mailbox.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from app.models import Mailbox
 from tests.utils import login
 
 
-def test_create_mailbox(flask_client):
+def test_create_mailbox_valid(flask_client):
     login(flask_client)
 
     r = flask_client.post(
@@ -21,10 +21,34 @@ def test_create_mailbox(flask_client):
     assert r.json["default"] is False
     assert r.json["nb_alias"] == 0
 
-    # invalid email address
+
+def test_create_mailbox_invalid_email(flask_client):
+    login(flask_client)
     r = flask_client.post(
         "/api/mailboxes",
-        json={"email": "gmail.com"},
+        json={"email": "gmail.com"},  # not an email address
+    )
+
+    assert r.status_code == 400
+    assert r.json == {"error": "Invalid email"}
+
+
+def test_create_mailbox_empty_payload(flask_client):
+    login(flask_client)
+    r = flask_client.post(
+        "/api/mailboxes",
+        json={},
+    )
+
+    assert r.status_code == 400
+    assert r.json == {"error": "Invalid email"}
+
+
+def test_create_mailbox_empty_email(flask_client):
+    login(flask_client)
+    r = flask_client.post(
+        "/api/mailboxes",
+        json={"email": ""},
     )
 
     assert r.status_code == 400