diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
index c0810bb161a45533e994579fd519e8f2c721d69e..6d5090e6d81fdffbeeff8e02121e0dabda771caa 100644
--- a/.gitattributes
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -1623,6 +1623,7 @@ LCS/PyCommon/CMakeLists.txt -text
 LCS/PyCommon/__init__.py -text
 LCS/PyCommon/cache.py -text
 LCS/PyCommon/datetimeutils.py -text
+LCS/PyCommon/defaultmailaddresses.py -text
 LCS/PyCommon/factory.py -text
 LCS/PyCommon/flask_utils.py -text
 LCS/PyCommon/math.py -text
@@ -1633,6 +1634,9 @@ LCS/PyCommon/test/t_cache.py -text
 LCS/PyCommon/test/t_cache.sh -text
 LCS/PyCommon/test/t_dbcredentials.run eol=lf
 LCS/PyCommon/test/t_dbcredentials.sh eol=lf
+LCS/PyCommon/test/t_defaultmailaddresses.py -text
+LCS/PyCommon/test/t_defaultmailaddresses.run -text
+LCS/PyCommon/test/t_defaultmailaddresses.sh -text
 LCS/PyCommon/test/t_methodtrigger.sh eol=lf
 LCS/PyCommon/test/t_test_utils.py -text
 LCS/PyCommon/test/t_test_utils.run -text
diff --git a/CEP/Pipeline/framework/lofarpipe/support/loggingdecorators.py b/CEP/Pipeline/framework/lofarpipe/support/loggingdecorators.py
index 1569da033fbb1440b517cd5ed7f25b009d920a8e..6fb010563a696fd2eb5d14b3df619a4e8d083511 100644
--- a/CEP/Pipeline/framework/lofarpipe/support/loggingdecorators.py
+++ b/CEP/Pipeline/framework/lofarpipe/support/loggingdecorators.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ from email.mime.text import MIMEText
 import time
 import os
 import xml.dom.minidom as _xml
+from lofar.common.defaultmailaddresses import PipelineEmailConfig
 
 from lofarpipe.support.xmllogging import enter_active_stack, \
         exit_active_stack, get_active_stack, get_child
@@ -185,8 +186,13 @@ def mail_log_on_exception(target):
                     type(message), message, active_stack_data)
 
             # mail all recipients
+            try:
+                pconfig = PipelineEmailConfig()
+            except Exception as e:
+                raise Exception("loggingdecorators.py: Could not find the pipeline email configuration file: %s" % (e) )
+            
             for entry in mail_list:
-                _mail_msg_to("softwaresupport@astron.nl", entry,
+                _mail_msg_to(pconfig['error-sender'], entry,
                          subject, msg)
 
             raise
diff --git a/LCS/PyCommon/CMakeLists.txt b/LCS/PyCommon/CMakeLists.txt
index 28338861f1e1d5682a6bc32879cfdf76c6bf4e19..5d6cdb28631646683d940fdf23bfa56ec986dedf 100644
--- a/LCS/PyCommon/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/LCS/PyCommon/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ set(_py_files
   __init__.py
   cache.py
   dbcredentials.py
+  defaultmailaddresses.py
   factory.py
   math.py
   methodtrigger.py
diff --git a/LCS/PyCommon/defaultmailaddresses.py b/LCS/PyCommon/defaultmailaddresses.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..d67442d11e07356ef0bacea1b616d37f9418572a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LCS/PyCommon/defaultmailaddresses.py
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+# defaultmailaddresses.py: default mail addresses for the LOFAR software
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2017
+# ASTRON (Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy)
+# P.O.Box 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
+#
+# This file is part of the LOFAR software suite.
+# The LOFAR software suite is free software: you can redistribute it
+# and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
+# published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the
+# License, or (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# The LOFAR software suite is distributed in the hope that it will be
+# useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
+# with the LOFAR software suite. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#
+# $Id: $
+#
+"""
+This package contains the default mail addresses used in the LOFAR software
+"""
+
+from ConfigParser import ConfigParser
+import os
+import pwd
+from glob import glob
+
+# obtain the environment, and add USER and HOME if needed (since supervisord does not)
+environ = os.environ
+user_info = pwd.getpwuid(os.getuid())
+environ.setdefault("HOME", user_info.pw_dir)
+environ.setdefault("USER", user_info.pw_name)
+
+
+
+def findfiles(pattern):
+  """ Returns a list of files matched by `pattern'.
+      The pattern can include environment variables using the
+      {VAR} notation.
+  """
+  try:
+    return glob(pattern.format(**environ))
+  except KeyError:
+    return []
+
+
+# Addresses used for the pipelines
+class PipelineEmailConfig():
+    """
+        Pipeline email configuration class
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, filepatterns = None):
+        if filepatterns is None:
+            filepatterns = ["{LOFARROOT}/etc/email/*.ini",
+                    "{HOME}/.lofar/email/*.ini"]# TODO correct the pattern here
+        self.configfiles = sum([findfiles(p) for p in filepatterns],[])
+        if not self.configfiles:
+            raise Exception("no config file found")
+        self.config = None
+
+    def load_config(self):
+        self.config = ConfigParser()
+        self.config.read(self.configfiles)
+
+    def get(self, key):
+        if not self.config:
+            self.load_config()
+        return self.config.get("Pipeline",key)
+
+    def __getitem__(self, what):
+        return self.get(what)
+
+
+
+
diff --git a/LCS/PyCommon/test/CMakeLists.txt b/LCS/PyCommon/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 1f219cba046fd9c580029cace58ee1248dca5c86..48f4f4d47f53903b1d6b735e9f44f2c969b5ccb4 100644
--- a/LCS/PyCommon/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/LCS/PyCommon/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ file(COPY
 
 lofar_add_test(t_cache)
 lofar_add_test(t_dbcredentials)
+lofar_add_test(t_defaultmailaddresses)
 lofar_add_test(t_methodtrigger)
 lofar_add_test(t_util)
 lofar_add_test(t_test_utils)
diff --git a/LCS/PyCommon/test/t_defaultmailaddresses.py b/LCS/PyCommon/test/t_defaultmailaddresses.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..9fc2dd1c957437c12b34841db54c0b54a2d77f5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LCS/PyCommon/test/t_defaultmailaddresses.py
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+import unittest
+import tempfile
+from lofar.common.defaultmailaddresses import PipelineEmailConfig
+
+def setUpModule():
+  pass
+
+def tearDownModule():
+  pass
+
+
+
+class TestPipelineEmailAddress(unittest.TestCase):
+  def test_get(self):
+    f = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile()
+    f.write("""
+[Pipeline]
+error-sender = softwaresupport@astron.nl
+        """)
+    f.flush()
+
+    pec = PipelineEmailConfig(filepatterns=[f.name])
+    self.assertEqual(pec["error-sender"], "softwaresupport@astron.nl")
+
+  def test_failed_get(self):
+    f = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile()
+    f.write("""
+        [Pipeline]
+        error-sender = softwaresupport@astron.nl
+        """)
+    f.flush() 
+    pec = PipelineEmailConfig(filepatterns=[f.name])
+    with self.assertRaises(Exception):
+        
+        pec["error-senter"] 
+    
+  def test_get_non_existing(self):
+    
+    with self.assertRaises(Exception):
+        dbc = PipelineEmailConfig(filepatterns=[])
+
+        
+
+def main():
+  unittest.main()
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+  # run all tests
+  import sys
+  main()
diff --git a/LCS/PyCommon/test/t_defaultmailaddresses.run b/LCS/PyCommon/test/t_defaultmailaddresses.run
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..cad0a43c04f38d64f888267601ba8e98068cb58b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LCS/PyCommon/test/t_defaultmailaddresses.run
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+source python-coverage.sh
+
+python_coverage_test defaultmailaddresses t_defaultmailaddresses.py
diff --git a/LCS/PyCommon/test/t_defaultmailaddresses.sh b/LCS/PyCommon/test/t_defaultmailaddresses.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..498398c515e12f66e00d316047f67d55d386f361
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LCS/PyCommon/test/t_defaultmailaddresses.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+./runctest.sh t_defaultmailaddresses