diff --git a/src/net/mail/message.go b/src/net/mail/message.go
index 0781310ed3..6833cfaec1 100644
--- a/src/net/mail/message.go
+++ b/src/net/mail/message.go
@@ -274,6 +274,15 @@ func (p *addrParser) parseAddressList() ([]*Address, error) {
 	var list []*Address
 	for {
 		p.skipSpace()
+
+		// allow skipping empty entries (RFC5322 obs-addr-list)
+		if p.consume(',') {
+			continue
+		}
+		if p.empty() {
+			break
+		}
+
 		addrs, err := p.parseAddress(true)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
diff --git a/src/net/mail/message_test.go b/src/net/mail/message_test.go
index acab538e18..75db767547 100644
--- a/src/net/mail/message_test.go
+++ b/src/net/mail/message_test.go
@@ -431,6 +431,20 @@ func TestAddressParsing(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 		},
+		// RFC5322 4.4 obs-addr-list
+		{
+			` , joe@where.test,,John <jdoe@one.test>,`,
+			[]*Address{
+				{
+					Name:    "",
+					Address: "joe@where.test",
+				},
+				{
+					Name:    "John",
+					Address: "jdoe@one.test",
+				},
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			`Group1: <addr1@example.com>;, Group 2: addr2@example.com;, John <addr3@example.com>`,
 			[]*Address{