diff --git a/app/models/champs/email_champ.rb b/app/models/champs/email_champ.rb
index d52462606..5dfcff902 100644
--- a/app/models/champs/email_champ.rb
+++ b/app/models/champs/email_champ.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 class Champs::EmailChamp < Champs::TextChamp
   include EmailSanitizableConcern
   before_validation -> { sanitize_email(:value) }
-  validates :value, format: { with: StrictEmailValidator::REGEXP }, if: :validate_champ_value?
+  validates :value, allow_blank: true, format: { with: StrictEmailValidator::REGEXP }, if: :validate_champ_value?
 end
diff --git a/spec/models/champs/email_champ_spec.rb b/spec/models/champs/email_champ_spec.rb
index f655dd4a7..87233854b 100644
--- a/spec/models/champs/email_champ_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/champs/email_champ_spec.rb
@@ -1,22 +1,25 @@
 describe Champs::EmailChamp do
   describe 'validation' do
-    let(:now) { Time.zone.now }
-    let(:before) { now + 1.day }
-    let(:after) { now + 1.day }
     let(:champ) { build(:champ_email, value: value) }
 
-    subject { champ.valid?(:validate_champ_value) }
+    subject { champ.validate(:champs_public_value) }
+
+    context 'when nil' do
+      let(:value) { nil }
+
+      it { is_expected.to be_truthy }
+    end
 
     context 'when value is username' do
       let(:value) { 'username' }
       # what we allowed but it was a mistake
-      it { is_expected.to be_truthy }
+      it { is_expected.to be_falsey }
     end
 
     context 'when value does not contain extension' do
       let(:value) { 'username@mailserver' }
       # what we allowed but it was a mistake
-      it { is_expected.to be_truthy }
+      it { is_expected.to be_falsey }
     end
 
     context 'when value include an alias' do