diff --git a/app/mailers/domain_mailer.rb b/app/mailers/domain_mailer.rb
index 11789f1d3..e7ecb9b17 100644
--- a/app/mailers/domain_mailer.rb
+++ b/app/mailers/domain_mailer.rb
@@ -26,8 +26,9 @@ class DomainMailer < ApplicationMailer
          name: @domain.name)} [#{@domain.name}]")
   end
 
-  def pending_update_notification_for_new_registrant(domain_id, should_deliver)
+  def pending_update_notification_for_new_registrant(domain_id, old_registrant_id, should_deliver)
     @domain = Domain.find_by(id: domain_id)
+    @old_registrant = Registrant.find(old_registrant_id)
     return unless @domain
     return if delivery_off?(@domain, should_deliver)
 
@@ -42,7 +43,6 @@ class DomainMailer < ApplicationMailer
     end
 
     @new_registrant = @domain.registrant # NB! new registrant at this point
-    @old_registrant = Registrant.find(@domain.registrant_id_was)
 
     return if whitelist_blocked?(@new_registrant.email)
     mail(to: format(@new_registrant.email),
diff --git a/app/models/domain.rb b/app/models/domain.rb
index ca1dc762e..6a8544b63 100644
--- a/app/models/domain.rb
+++ b/app/models/domain.rb
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ class Domain < ActiveRecord::Base
     new_registrant_name  = registrant.name
 
     DomainMailer.pending_update_request_for_old_registrant(id, old_registrant_id, deliver_emails).deliver
-    DomainMailer.pending_update_notification_for_new_registrant(id, deliver_emails).deliver
+    DomainMailer.pending_update_notification_for_new_registrant(id, old_registrant_id, deliver_emails).deliver
 
     reload # revert back to original
 
diff --git a/spec/mailers/domain_mailer_spec.rb b/spec/mailers/domain_mailer_spec.rb
index 3615fff29..050cc344a 100644
--- a/spec/mailers/domain_mailer_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/mailers/domain_mailer_spec.rb
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ describe DomainMailer do
       @domain.registrant_verification_token = '123'
       @domain.registrant_verification_asked_at = Time.zone.now
       @domain.registrant = @new_registrant
-      @mail = DomainMailer.pending_update_notification_for_new_registrant(@domain.id, deliver_emails)
+      @mail = DomainMailer.pending_update_notification_for_new_registrant(@domain.id, @registrant.id, deliver_emails)
     end
 
     it 'should render email subject' do
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ describe DomainMailer do
       @domain.registrant_verification_token = '123'
       @domain.registrant_verification_asked_at = Time.zone.now
       @domain.registrant = @new_registrant
-      @mail = DomainMailer.pending_update_notification_for_new_registrant(@domain.id, deliver_emails)
+      @mail = DomainMailer.pending_update_notification_for_new_registrant(@domain.id, @registrant.id, deliver_emails)
     end
 
     it 'should render email subject' do