diff --git a/opentech/apply/activity/messaging.py b/opentech/apply/activity/messaging.py
index 778e8d0e53f347ec03ac4f93feb951244b7ea98f..57a31e798777408e27d46da929c214689c6ad09f 100644
--- a/opentech/apply/activity/messaging.py
+++ b/opentech/apply/activity/messaging.py
@@ -778,7 +778,7 @@ class EmailAdapter(AdapterBase):
         except AttributeError:  # we're dealing with a project
             from_email = source.submission.page.specific.from_address
         except Exception as e:
-            from_address = None
+            from_email = None
             logger.exception(e)
 
         try:
diff --git a/opentech/settings/base.py b/opentech/settings/base.py
index 0aebe1efce6d9f484565bc6ea109210618b4c61d..7a203609544830429202a6f20bcf0c19e500f14a 100644
--- a/opentech/settings/base.py
+++ b/opentech/settings/base.py
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ SHORT_DATETIME_FORMAT = 'Y-m-d\TH:i:s'
 # Static files (CSS, JavaScript, Images)
 # https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/stable/howto/static-files/
 
-STATICFILES_STORAGE = 'whitenoise.storage.CompressedManifestStaticFilesStorage'
+STATICFILES_STORAGE = 'django.contrib.staticfiles.storage.StaticFilesStorage'
 
 STATICFILES_DIRS = [
     os.path.join(PROJECT_DIR, 'static_compiled'),