diff --git a/app/main/views/send.py b/app/main/views/send.py
index 757f8cbe0..e5fafd3b2 100644
--- a/app/main/views/send.py
+++ b/app/main/views/send.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import itertools
 from string import ascii_uppercase
 
+from orderedset import OrderedSet
 from contextlib import suppress
 from zipfile import BadZipFile
 from xlrd.biffh import XLRDError
@@ -445,6 +446,7 @@ def _check_messages(service_id, template_type, upload_id, letters_as_pdf=False):
             template.template_type == 'letter',
             not request.args.get('from_test'),
         )),
+        required_recipient_columns=OrderedSet(recipients.recipient_column_headers) - optional_address_columns
     )
 
 
diff --git a/app/templates/views/check/column-errors.html b/app/templates/views/check/column-errors.html
index 7e718b50d..4b3d788ae 100644
--- a/app/templates/views/check/column-errors.html
+++ b/app/templates/views/check/column-errors.html
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
       {% elif not recipients.has_recipient_columns %}
 
         <h1 class='banner-title' data-module="track-error" data-error-type="Missing recipient columns" data-error-label="{{ upload_id }}">
-          Your file needs {{ recipients.recipient_column_headers | formatted_list(
+          Your file needs {{ required_recipient_columns | formatted_list(
             prefix='a column called',
             prefix_plural='columns called'
           ) }}
diff --git a/tests/app/main/views/test_send.py b/tests/app/main/views/test_send.py
index 45e6b4b44..5cd50a5d2 100644
--- a/tests/app/main/views/test_send.py
+++ b/tests/app/main/views/test_send.py
@@ -1663,6 +1663,38 @@ def test_check_messages_shows_data_errors_before_trial_mode_errors_for_letters(
     )
 
 
+def test_check_messages_column_error_doesnt_show_optional_columns(
+    mocker,
+    client_request,
+    mock_get_service_letter_template,
+    mock_has_permissions,
+    mock_get_users_by_service,
+    mock_get_detailed_service_for_today,
+):
+
+    mocker.patch('app.main.views.send.s3download', return_value='\n'.join(
+        ['address_line_1,address_line_2,foo'] +
+        ['First Lastname,1 Example Road,SW1 1AA']
+    ))
+
+    with client_request.session_transaction() as session:
+        session['upload_data'] = {'template_id': '', 'original_file_name': ''}
+
+    page = client_request.get(
+        'main.check_messages',
+        service_id=SERVICE_ONE_ID,
+        template_type='letter',
+        upload_id=uuid.uuid4(),
+        _test_page_title=False,
+    )
+
+    assert normalize_spaces(page.select_one('.banner-dangerous').text) == (
+        'Your file needs columns called ‘address line 1’, ‘address line 2’ and ‘postcode’ '
+        'Right now it has columns called ‘address_line_1’, ‘address_line_2’ and ‘foo’. '
+        'Skip to file contents'
+    )
+
+
 def test_generate_test_letter_doesnt_block_in_trial_mode(
     client_request,
     mocker,