diff --git a/app/main/forms.py b/app/main/forms.py
index dd100c9b1..8023f40bf 100644
--- a/app/main/forms.py
+++ b/app/main/forms.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ from wtforms import (
     DateField,
 )
 from wtforms.fields.html5 import EmailField, TelField, SearchField
-from wtforms.validators import (DataRequired, Email, Length, Regexp, Optional)
+from wtforms.validators import (DataRequired, Length, Regexp, Optional)
 from flask_wtf.file import FileField as FileField_wtf, FileAllowed
 
 from app.main.validators import (
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ from app.main.validators import (
     NoCommasInPlaceHolders,
     OnlyGSMCharacters,
     LettersNumbersAndFullStopsOnly,
+    ValidEmail
 )
 
 
@@ -98,7 +99,7 @@ def email_address(label='Email address', gov_user=True):
     validators = [
         Length(min=5, max=255),
         DataRequired(message='Can’t be empty'),
-        Email(message='Enter a valid email address')
+        ValidEmail()
     ]
 
     if gov_user:
@@ -196,7 +197,7 @@ class LoginForm(StripWhitespaceForm):
     email_address = StringField('Email address', validators=[
         Length(min=5, max=255),
         DataRequired(message='Can’t be empty'),
-        Email(message='Enter a valid email address')
+        ValidEmail()
     ])
     password = PasswordField('Password', validators=[
         DataRequired(message='Enter your password')
@@ -707,7 +708,7 @@ class Whitelist(StripWhitespaceForm):
             '',
             validators=[
                 Optional(),
-                Email(message='Enter valid email addresses')
+                ValidEmail()
             ],
             default=''
         ),
diff --git a/app/main/validators.py b/app/main/validators.py
index 92074b1d6..0cf7b4d94 100644
--- a/app/main/validators.py
+++ b/app/main/validators.py
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 import re
+
 from wtforms import ValidationError
+from wtforms.validators import Email
 from notifications_utils.field import Field
 from notifications_utils.gsm import get_non_gsm_compatible_characters
+from notifications_utils.recipients import validate_email_address, InvalidEmailError
 
 from app import formatted_list
 from app.main._blacklisted_passwords import blacklisted_passwords
@@ -44,6 +47,19 @@ class ValidGovEmail:
             raise ValidationError(message)
 
 
+class ValidEmail(Email):
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        super().__init__('Enter a valid email address')
+
+    def __call__(self, form, field):
+        try:
+            validate_email_address(field.data)
+        except InvalidEmailError:
+            raise ValidationError(self.message)
+        return super().__call__(form, field)
+
+
 class NoCommasInPlaceHolders:
 
     def __init__(self, message='You can’t put commas between double brackets'):
diff --git a/tests/app/main/test_placeholder_form.py b/tests/app/main/test_placeholder_form.py
index af1a7b57b..bd49567ff 100644
--- a/tests/app/main/test_placeholder_form.py
+++ b/tests/app/main/test_placeholder_form.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ def test_form_class_not_mutated(app_):
 
     (False, 'email address', '', 'Can’t be empty'),
     (False, 'email address', '12345', 'Enter a valid email address'),
+    (False, 'email address', '“bad”@email-address.com', 'Enter a valid email address'),
     (False, 'email address', 'test@example.com', None),
     (False, 'email address', 'test@example.gov.uk', None),