diff --git a/django/core/mail/message.py b/django/core/mail/message.py
index 7252a5a620..14d0017311 100644
--- a/django/core/mail/message.py
+++ b/django/core/mail/message.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ from email.MIMEText import MIMEText
 from email.MIMEMultipart import MIMEMultipart
 from email.MIMEBase import MIMEBase
 from email.Header import Header
-from email.Utils import formatdate, parseaddr, formataddr
+from email.Utils import formatdate, getaddresses, formataddr
 
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.core.mail.utils import DNS_NAME
@@ -64,8 +64,7 @@ def forbid_multi_line_headers(name, val):
     except UnicodeEncodeError:
         if name.lower() in ('to', 'from', 'cc'):
             result = []
-            for item in val.split(', '):
-                nm, addr = parseaddr(item)
+            for nm, addr in getaddresses((val,)):
                 nm = str(Header(nm, settings.DEFAULT_CHARSET))
                 result.append(formataddr((nm, str(addr))))
             val = ', '.join(result)
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/mail/tests.py b/tests/regressiontests/mail/tests.py
index 5033581a09..10d2ae7df3 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/mail/tests.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/mail/tests.py
@@ -101,6 +101,17 @@ BadHeaderError: Header values can't contain newlines (got u'Subject\nInjection T
 >>> message['From']
 'from@example.com'
 
+# Regression for #11144 - When a to/from/cc header contains unicode,
+# make sure the email addresses are parsed correctly (especially
+# with regards to commas)
+>>> email = EmailMessage('Subject', 'Content', 'from@example.com', ['"Firstname Sürname" <to@example.com>','other@example.com'])
+>>> email.message()['To']
+'=?utf-8?q?Firstname_S=C3=BCrname?= <to@example.com>, other@example.com'
+
+>>> email = EmailMessage('Subject', 'Content', 'from@example.com', ['"Sürname, Firstname" <to@example.com>','other@example.com'])
+>>> email.message()['To']
+'=?utf-8?q?S=C3=BCrname=2C_Firstname?= <to@example.com>, other@example.com'
+
 # Handle attachments within an multipart/alternative mail correctly (#9367)
 # (test is not as precise/clear as it could be w.r.t. email tree structure,
 #  but it's good enough.)