diff --git a/app/models.py b/app/models.py
index 214979611..e6a3d0bad 100644
--- a/app/models.py
+++ b/app/models.py
@@ -635,8 +635,6 @@ class TemplateBase(db.Model):
         if self.template_type == LETTER_TYPE:
             if self.service_letter_contact_id is not None:
                 return self.service_letter_contact.contact_block
-            else:
-                return self.service.get_default_letter_contact()
         elif self.template_type == EMAIL_TYPE:
             return self.service.get_default_reply_to_email_address()
         elif self.template_type == SMS_TYPE:
diff --git a/tests/app/celery/test_tasks.py b/tests/app/celery/test_tasks.py
index 18f1fa9e5..8c00bd4a7 100644
--- a/tests/app/celery/test_tasks.py
+++ b/tests/app/celery/test_tasks.py
@@ -993,8 +993,8 @@ def test_save_sms_does_not_send_duplicate_and_does_not_put_in_retry_queue(sample
 
 def test_save_letter_saves_letter_to_database(mocker, notify_db_session):
     service = create_service()
-    create_letter_contact(service=service, contact_block="Address contact", is_default=True)
-    template = create_template(service=service, template_type=LETTER_TYPE)
+    contact_block = create_letter_contact(service=service, contact_block="Address contact", is_default=True)
+    template = create_template(service=service, template_type=LETTER_TYPE, reply_to=contact_block.id)
     job = create_job(template=template)
 
     mocker.patch('app.celery.tasks.create_random_identifier', return_value="this-is-random-in-real-life")
@@ -1037,7 +1037,7 @@ def test_save_letter_saves_letter_to_database(mocker, notify_db_session):
     assert notification_db.sent_by is None
     assert notification_db.personalisation == personalisation
     assert notification_db.reference == "this-is-random-in-real-life"
-    assert notification_db.reply_to_text == "Address contact"
+    assert notification_db.reply_to_text == contact_block.contact_block
 
 
 def test_save_letter_uses_template_reply_to_text(mocker, notify_db_session):
diff --git a/tests/app/template/test_rest.py b/tests/app/template/test_rest.py
index 89830827e..5c732808e 100644
--- a/tests/app/template/test_rest.py
+++ b/tests/app/template/test_rest.py
@@ -611,20 +611,33 @@ def test_create_a_template_with_foreign_service_reply_to(admin_request, sample_u
     )
 
 
-def test_get_template_reply_to(client, sample_letter_template):
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('template_default, service_default',
+                         [('template address', 'service address'),
+                          (None, 'service address'),
+                          ('template address', None),
+                          ])
+def test_get_template_reply_to(client, sample_service, template_default, service_default):
     auth_header = create_authorization_header()
-    letter_contact = create_letter_contact(sample_letter_template.service, "Edinburgh, ED1 1AA")
-    sample_letter_template.reply_to = str(letter_contact.id)
+    if service_default:
+        create_letter_contact(
+            service=sample_service, contact_block=service_default, is_default=True
+        )
+    if template_default:
+        template_default_contact = create_letter_contact(
+            service=sample_service, contact_block=template_default, is_default=False
+        )
+    reply_to_id = str(template_default_contact.id) if template_default else None
+    template = create_template(service=sample_service, template_type='letter', reply_to=reply_to_id)
 
-    resp = client.get('/service/{}/template/{}'.format(sample_letter_template.service_id, sample_letter_template.id),
+    resp = client.get('/service/{}/template/{}'.format(template.service_id, template.id),
                       headers=[auth_header])
 
     assert resp.status_code == 200, resp.get_data(as_text=True)
     json_resp = json.loads(resp.get_data(as_text=True))
 
     assert 'service_letter_contact_id' not in json_resp['data']
-    assert json_resp['data']['reply_to'] == str(letter_contact.id)
-    assert json_resp['data']['reply_to_text'] == letter_contact.contact_block
+    assert json_resp['data']['reply_to'] == reply_to_id
+    assert json_resp['data']['reply_to_text'] == template_default
 
 
 def test_update_template_reply_to(client, sample_letter_template):
diff --git a/tests/app/v2/notifications/test_post_letter_notifications.py b/tests/app/v2/notifications/test_post_letter_notifications.py
index b433f83cd..cda66f1c9 100644
--- a/tests/app/v2/notifications/test_post_letter_notifications.py
+++ b/tests/app/v2/notifications/test_post_letter_notifications.py
@@ -330,8 +330,8 @@ def test_post_letter_notification_persists_notification_reply_to_text(
 ):
     service = create_service(service_permissions=[LETTER_TYPE])
     service_address = "12 Main Street, London"
-    create_letter_contact(service=service, contact_block=service_address, is_default=True)
-    template = create_template(service=service, template_type='letter')
+    letter_contact = create_letter_contact(service=service, contact_block=service_address, is_default=True)
+    template = create_template(service=service, template_type='letter', reply_to=letter_contact.id)
     data = {
         "template_id": template.id,
         "personalisation": {'address_line_1': 'Foo', 'address_line_2': 'Bar', 'postcode': 'Baz'}