diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tasks.py b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tasks.py
index fc8aeaa878..110fe4e626 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tasks.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tasks.py
@@ -132,10 +132,57 @@ def _get_course_email_context(course):
     return email_context
 
 
+def _generate_subtasks(create_subtask_fcn, recipient_qset):
+    """
+    Generates a list of subtasks to send email to a given set of recipients.
+
+    Arguments:
+        `create_subtask_fcn` : a function whose inputs are a list of recipients and a subtask_id
+            to assign to the new subtask.  Returns the subtask that will send email to that
+            list of recipients.
+        `recipient_qset` : a query set that defines the recipients who should receive emails.
+
+    Returns:  a tuple, containing:
+
+      * A list of subtasks that will send emails to all recipients.
+      * A list of subtask_ids corresponding to those subtasks.
+      * A count of the total number of emails being sent.
+
+    """
+    total_num_emails = recipient_qset.count()
+    num_queries = int(math.ceil(float(total_num_emails) / float(settings.BULK_EMAIL_EMAILS_PER_QUERY)))
+    last_pk = recipient_qset[0].pk - 1
+    num_emails_queued = 0
+    task_list = []
+    subtask_id_list = []
+    for _ in range(num_queries):
+        recipient_sublist = list(recipient_qset.order_by('pk').filter(pk__gt=last_pk).values('profile__name', 'email', 'pk')[:settings.BULK_EMAIL_EMAILS_PER_QUERY])
+        last_pk = recipient_sublist[-1]['pk']
+        num_emails_this_query = len(recipient_sublist)
+        num_tasks_this_query = int(math.ceil(float(num_emails_this_query) / float(settings.BULK_EMAIL_EMAILS_PER_TASK)))
+        chunk = int(math.ceil(float(num_emails_this_query) / float(num_tasks_this_query)))
+        for i in range(num_tasks_this_query):
+            to_list = recipient_sublist[i * chunk:i * chunk + chunk]
+            subtask_id = str(uuid4())
+            subtask_id_list.append(subtask_id)
+            new_subtask = create_subtask_fcn(to_list, subtask_id)
+            task_list.append(new_subtask)
+
+        num_emails_queued += num_emails_this_query
+
+    # Sanity check: we expect the chunking to be properly summing to the original count:
+    if num_emails_queued != total_num_emails:
+        error_msg = "Task {}: number of emails generated by chunking {} not equal to original total {}".format(num_emails_queued, total_num_emails)
+        log.error(error_msg)
+        raise ValueError(error_msg)
+
+    return task_list, subtask_id_list, total_num_emails
+
+
 def perform_delegate_email_batches(entry_id, course_id, task_input, action_name):
     """
     Delegates emails by querying for the list of recipients who should
-    get the mail, chopping up into batches of settings.EMAILS_PER_TASK size,
+    get the mail, chopping up into batches of settings.BULK_EMAIL_EMAILS_PER_TASK size,
     and queueing up worker jobs.
 
     Returns the number of batches (workers) kicked off.
@@ -151,86 +198,62 @@ def perform_delegate_email_batches(entry_id, course_id, task_input, action_name)
         format_msg = "Course id conflict: explicit value {} does not match task value {}"
         raise ValueError(format_msg.format(course_id, entry.course_id))
 
+    # Fetch the CourseEmail.
     email_id = task_input['email_id']
     try:
         email_obj = CourseEmail.objects.get(id=email_id)
-    except CourseEmail.DoesNotExist as exc:
+    except CourseEmail.DoesNotExist:
         # The CourseEmail object should be committed in the view function before the task
         # is submitted and reaches this point.
         log.warning("Task %s: Failed to get CourseEmail with id %s", task_id, email_id)
         raise
 
-    to_option = email_obj.to_option
-
     # Sanity check that course for email_obj matches that of the task referencing it.
     if course_id != email_obj.course_id:
         format_msg = "Course id conflict: explicit value {} does not match email value {}"
         raise ValueError(format_msg.format(course_id, email_obj.course_id))
 
+    # Fetch the course object.
     try:
         course = get_course(course_id)
     except ValueError:
         log.exception("Task %s: course not found: %s", task_id, course_id)
         raise
 
-    global_email_context = _get_course_email_context(course)
+    to_option = email_obj.to_option
     recipient_qset = _get_recipient_queryset(user_id, to_option, course_id, course.location)
-    total_num_emails = recipient_qset.count()
+    global_email_context = _get_course_email_context(course)
 
-    log.info("Task %s: Preparing to queue emails to %d recipient(s) for course %s, email %s, to_option %s",
-             task_id, total_num_emails, course_id, email_id, to_option)
-
-    num_queries = int(math.ceil(float(total_num_emails) / float(settings.EMAILS_PER_QUERY)))
-    last_pk = recipient_qset[0].pk - 1
-    num_emails_queued = 0
-    task_list = []
-    subtask_id_list = []
-    for _ in range(num_queries):
-        recipient_sublist = list(recipient_qset.order_by('pk').filter(pk__gt=last_pk)
-                                 .values('profile__name', 'email', 'pk')[:settings.EMAILS_PER_QUERY])
-        last_pk = recipient_sublist[-1]['pk']
-        num_emails_this_query = len(recipient_sublist)
-        num_tasks_this_query = int(math.ceil(float(num_emails_this_query) / float(settings.EMAILS_PER_TASK)))
-        chunk = int(math.ceil(float(num_emails_this_query) / float(num_tasks_this_query)))
-        for i in range(num_tasks_this_query):
-            to_list = recipient_sublist[i * chunk:i * chunk + chunk]
-            subtask_id = str(uuid4())
-            subtask_id_list.append(subtask_id)
-            subtask_status = create_subtask_status(subtask_id)
-            # Create subtask, passing args and kwargs.
-            # This includes specifying the task_id to use, so we can track it.
-            # Specify the routing key as part of it, which is used by
-            # Celery to route the task request to the right worker.
-            new_subtask = send_course_email.subtask(
-                (
-                    entry_id,
-                    email_id,
-                    to_list,
-                    global_email_context,
-                    subtask_status,
-                ),
-                task_id=subtask_id,
-                routing_key=settings.BULK_EMAIL_ROUTING_KEY,
-            )
-            task_list.append(new_subtask)
-        num_emails_queued += num_emails_this_query
-
-    # Sanity check: we expect the chunking to be properly summing to the original count:
-    if num_emails_queued != total_num_emails:
-        error_msg = "Task {}: number of emails generated by chunking {} not equal to original total {}".format(
-            task_id, num_emails_queued, total_num_emails
+    def _create_send_email_subtask(to_list, subtask_id):
+        """Creates a subtask to send email to a given recipient list."""
+        subtask_status = create_subtask_status(subtask_id)
+        new_subtask = send_course_email.subtask(
+            (
+                entry_id,
+                email_id,
+                to_list,
+                global_email_context,
+                subtask_status,
+            ),
+            task_id=subtask_id,
+            routing_key=settings.BULK_EMAIL_ROUTING_KEY,
         )
-        log.error(error_msg)
-        raise Exception(error_msg)
+        return new_subtask
+
+    log.info("Task %s: Preparing to generate subtasks for course %s, email %s, to_option %s",
+             task_id, course_id, email_id, to_option)
+    task_list, subtask_id_list, total_num_emails = _generate_subtasks(_create_send_email_subtask, recipient_qset)
 
     # Update the InstructorTask  with information about the subtasks we've defined.
+    log.info("Task %s: Preparing to update task for sending %d emails for course %s, email %s, to_option %s",
+             task_id, total_num_emails, course_id, email_id, to_option)
     progress = initialize_subtask_info(entry, action_name, total_num_emails, subtask_id_list)
     num_subtasks = len(subtask_id_list)
-    log.info("Preparing to queue %d email tasks (%d emails) for course %s, email %s, to %s",
-             num_subtasks, total_num_emails, course_id, email_id, to_option)
 
     # Now group the subtasks, and start them running.  This allows all the subtasks
     # in the list to be submitted at the same time.
+    log.info("Task %s: Preparing to queue %d email tasks (%d emails) for course %s, email %s, to %s",
+             task_id, num_subtasks, total_num_emails, course_id, email_id, to_option)
     task_group = group(task_list)
     task_group.apply_async(routing_key=settings.BULK_EMAIL_ROUTING_KEY)
 
@@ -328,6 +351,49 @@ def send_course_email(entry_id, email_id, to_list, global_email_context, subtask
     return new_subtask_status
 
 
+def _filter_optouts_from_recipients(to_list, course_id):
+    """
+    Filters a recipient list based on student opt-outs for a given course.
+
+    Returns the filtered recipient list, as well as the number of optouts
+    removed from the list.
+    """
+    optouts = Optout.objects.filter(
+        course_id=course_id,
+        user__in=[i['pk'] for i in to_list]
+    ).values_list('user__email', flat=True)
+    optouts = set(optouts)
+    # Only count the num_optout for the first time the optouts are calculated.
+    # We assume that the number will not change on retries, and so we don't need
+    # to calculate it each time.
+    num_optout = len(optouts)
+    to_list = [recipient for recipient in to_list if recipient['email'] not in optouts]
+    return to_list, num_optout
+
+
+def _get_source_address(course_id, course_title):
+    """
+    Calculates an email address to be used as the 'from-address' for sent emails.
+
+    Makes a unique from name and address for each course, e.g.
+
+        "COURSE_TITLE" Course Staff <coursenum-no-reply@courseupdates.edx.org>
+
+    """
+    course_title_no_quotes = re.sub(r'"', '', course_title)
+
+    # The course_id is assumed to be in the form 'org/course_num/run',
+    # so pull out the course_num.  Then make sure that it can be used
+    # in an email address, by substituting a '_' anywhere a non-(ascii, period, or dash)
+    # character appears.
+    course_num = course_id.split('/')[1]
+    INVALID_CHARS = re.compile(r"[^\w.-]")
+    course_num = INVALID_CHARS.sub('_', course_num)
+
+    from_addr = '"{0}" Course Staff <{1}-{2}>'.format(course_title_no_quotes, course_num, settings.BULK_EMAIL_DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL)
+    return from_addr
+
+
 def _send_course_email(entry_id, email_id, to_list, global_email_context, subtask_status):
     """
     Performs the email sending task.
@@ -371,9 +437,6 @@ def _send_course_email(entry_id, email_id, to_list, global_email_context, subtas
     # Get information from current task's request:
     task_id = subtask_status['task_id']
 
-    # If this is a second attempt due to rate-limits, then throttle the speed at which mail is sent:
-    throttle = subtask_status['retried_nomax'] > 0
-
     # collect stats on progress:
     num_optout = 0
     num_sent = 0
@@ -392,30 +455,11 @@ def _send_course_email(entry_id, email_id, to_list, global_email_context, subtas
     # that existed at that time, and we don't need to keep checking for changes
     # in the Optout list.
     if (subtask_status['retried_nomax'] + subtask_status['retried_withmax']) == 0:
-        optouts = (Optout.objects.filter(course_id=course_email.course_id,
-                                         user__in=[i['pk'] for i in to_list])
-                                 .values_list('user__email', flat=True))
-
-        optouts = set(optouts)
-        # Only count the num_optout for the first time the optouts are calculated.
-        # We assume that the number will not change on retries, and so we don't need
-        # to calculate it each time.
-        num_optout = len(optouts)
-        to_list = [recipient for recipient in to_list if recipient['email'] not in optouts]
+        to_list, num_optout = _filter_optouts_from_recipients(to_list, course_email.course_id)
 
     course_title = global_email_context['course_title']
     subject = "[" + course_title + "] " + course_email.subject
-    course_title_no_quotes = re.sub(r'"', '', course_title)
-    course_num = course_email.course_id.split('/')[1]  # course_id = 'org/course_num/run'
-    # Substitute a '_' anywhere a non-(ascii, period, or dash) character appears.
-    INVALID_CHARS = re.compile(r"[^\w.-]")
-    course_num = INVALID_CHARS.sub('_', course_num)
-
-    # Make a unique from name and address for each course, eg
-    # "COURSE_TITLE" Course Staff <coursenum-no-reply@courseupdates.edx.org>
-    from_addr = '"{0}" Course Staff <{1}-{2}>'.format(
-        course_title_no_quotes, course_num, settings.DEFAULT_BULK_FROM_EMAIL
-    )
+    from_addr = _get_source_address(course_email.course_id, course_title)
 
     course_email_template = CourseEmailTemplate.get_template()
     try:
@@ -423,17 +467,19 @@ def _send_course_email(entry_id, email_id, to_list, global_email_context, subtas
         connection.open()
 
         # Define context values to use in all course emails:
-        email_context = {
-            'name': '',
-            'email': ''
-        }
+        email_context = {'name': '', 'email': ''}
         email_context.update(global_email_context)
 
         while to_list:
-            # Update context with user-specific values from the user at the end of the list:
-            email = to_list[-1]['email']
+            # Update context with user-specific values from the user at the end of the list.
+            # At the end of processing this user, they will be popped off of the to_list.
+            # That way, the to_list will always contain the recipients remaining to be emailed.
+            # This is convenient for retries, which will need to send to those who haven't
+            # yet been emailed, but not send to those who have already been sent to.
+            current_recipient = to_list[-1]
+            email = current_recipient['email']
             email_context['email'] = email
-            email_context['name'] = to_list[-1]['profile__name']
+            email_context['name'] = current_recipient['profile__name']
 
             # Construct message content using templates and context:
             plaintext_msg = course_email_template.render_plaintext(course_email.text_message, email_context)
@@ -454,7 +500,7 @@ def _send_course_email(entry_id, email_id, to_list, global_email_context, subtas
             # for a period of time between all emails within this task.  Choice of
             # the value depends on the number of workers that might be sending email in
             # parallel, and what the SES throttle rate is.
-            if throttle:
+            if subtask_status['retried_nomax'] > 0:
                 sleep(settings.BULK_EMAIL_RETRY_DELAY_BETWEEN_SENDS)
 
             try:
@@ -488,7 +534,9 @@ def _send_course_email(entry_id, email_id, to_list, global_email_context, subtas
                     log.debug('Email with id %s sent to %s', email_id, email)
                 num_sent += 1
 
-            # Pop the user that was emailed off the end of the list:
+            # Pop the user that was emailed off the end of the list only once they have
+            # successfully been processed.  (That way, if there were a failure that
+            # needed to be retried, the user is still on the list.)
             to_list.pop()
 
     except INFINITE_RETRY_ERRORS as exc:
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tests/test_email.py b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tests/test_email.py
index 446d3fce1c..80fc692a4a 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tests/test_email.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tests/test_email.py
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ class TestEmailSendFromDashboard(ModuleStoreTestCase):
             [self.instructor.email] + [s.email for s in self.staff] + [s.email for s in self.students]
         )
 
-    @override_settings(EMAILS_PER_TASK=3, EMAILS_PER_QUERY=7)
+    @override_settings(BULK_EMAIL_EMAILS_PER_TASK=3, BULK_EMAIL_EMAILS_PER_QUERY=7)
     @patch('bulk_email.tasks.increment_subtask_status')
     def test_chunked_queries_send_numerous_emails(self, email_mock):
         """
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tests/test_err_handling.py b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tests/test_err_handling.py
index a4b39a6a7b..98bb5a04f6 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tests/test_err_handling.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tests/test_err_handling.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ class TestEmailErrors(ModuleStoreTestCase):
         # have every fourth email fail due to blacklisting:
         get_conn.return_value.send_messages.side_effect = cycle([SMTPDataError(554, "Email address is blacklisted"),
                                                                  None, None, None])
-        students = [UserFactory() for _ in xrange(settings.EMAILS_PER_TASK)]
+        students = [UserFactory() for _ in xrange(settings.BULK_EMAIL_EMAILS_PER_TASK)]
         for student in students:
             CourseEnrollmentFactory.create(user=student, course_id=self.course.id)
 
@@ -93,9 +93,9 @@ class TestEmailErrors(ModuleStoreTestCase):
         # Test that after the rejected email, the rest still successfully send
         ((_initial_results), kwargs) = result.call_args
         self.assertEquals(kwargs['skipped'], 0)
-        expected_fails = int((settings.EMAILS_PER_TASK + 3) / 4.0)
+        expected_fails = int((settings.BULK_EMAIL_EMAILS_PER_TASK + 3) / 4.0)
         self.assertEquals(kwargs['failed'], expected_fails)
-        self.assertEquals(kwargs['succeeded'], settings.EMAILS_PER_TASK - expected_fails)
+        self.assertEquals(kwargs['succeeded'], settings.BULK_EMAIL_EMAILS_PER_TASK - expected_fails)
 
     @patch('bulk_email.tasks.get_connection', autospec=True)
     @patch('bulk_email.tasks.send_course_email.retry')
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tests/test_tasks.py b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tests/test_tasks.py
index c49f295b08..fadb4122b5 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tests/test_tasks.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tests/test_tasks.py
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ class TestBulkEmailInstructorTask(InstructorTaskCourseTestCase):
 
     def test_successful(self):
         # Select number of emails to fit into a single subtask.
-        num_emails = settings.EMAILS_PER_TASK
+        num_emails = settings.BULK_EMAIL_EMAILS_PER_TASK
         # We also send email to the instructor:
         self._create_students(num_emails - 1)
         with patch('bulk_email.tasks.get_connection', autospec=True) as get_conn:
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ class TestBulkEmailInstructorTask(InstructorTaskCourseTestCase):
 
     def test_unactivated_user(self):
         # Select number of emails to fit into a single subtask.
-        num_emails = settings.EMAILS_PER_TASK
+        num_emails = settings.BULK_EMAIL_EMAILS_PER_TASK
         # We also send email to the instructor:
         students = self._create_students(num_emails - 1)
         # mark a student as not yet having activated their email:
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ class TestBulkEmailInstructorTask(InstructorTaskCourseTestCase):
 
     def test_skipped(self):
         # Select number of emails to fit into a single subtask.
-        num_emails = settings.EMAILS_PER_TASK
+        num_emails = settings.BULK_EMAIL_EMAILS_PER_TASK
         # We also send email to the instructor:
         students = self._create_students(num_emails - 1)
         # have every fourth student optout:
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ class TestBulkEmailInstructorTask(InstructorTaskCourseTestCase):
     def _test_email_address_failures(self, exception):
         """Test that celery handles bad address errors by failing and not retrying."""
         # Select number of emails to fit into a single subtask.
-        num_emails = settings.EMAILS_PER_TASK
+        num_emails = settings.BULK_EMAIL_EMAILS_PER_TASK
         # We also send email to the instructor:
         self._create_students(num_emails - 1)
         expected_fails = int((num_emails + 3) / 4.0)
diff --git a/lms/envs/aws.py b/lms/envs/aws.py
index 0bb547743a..ab6f93a7e3 100644
--- a/lms/envs/aws.py
+++ b/lms/envs/aws.py
@@ -139,9 +139,9 @@ PAID_COURSE_REGISTRATION_CURRENCY = ENV_TOKENS.get('PAID_COURSE_REGISTRATION_CUR
                                                    PAID_COURSE_REGISTRATION_CURRENCY)
 
 # Bulk Email overrides
-DEFAULT_BULK_FROM_EMAIL = ENV_TOKENS.get('DEFAULT_BULK_FROM_EMAIL', DEFAULT_BULK_FROM_EMAIL)
-EMAILS_PER_TASK = ENV_TOKENS.get('EMAILS_PER_TASK', EMAILS_PER_TASK)
-EMAILS_PER_QUERY = ENV_TOKENS.get('EMAILS_PER_QUERY', EMAILS_PER_QUERY)
+BULK_EMAIL_DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL = ENV_TOKENS.get('BULK_EMAIL_DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL', BULK_EMAIL_DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL)
+BULK_EMAIL_EMAILS_PER_TASK = ENV_TOKENS.get('BULK_EMAIL_EMAILS_PER_TASK', BULK_EMAIL_EMAILS_PER_TASK)
+BULK_EMAIL_EMAILS_PER_QUERY = ENV_TOKENS.get('BULK_EMAIL_EMAILS_PER_QUERY', BULK_EMAIL_EMAILS_PER_QUERY)
 BULK_EMAIL_DEFAULT_RETRY_DELAY = ENV_TOKENS.get('BULK_EMAIL_DEFAULT_RETRY_DELAY', BULK_EMAIL_DEFAULT_RETRY_DELAY)
 BULK_EMAIL_MAX_RETRIES = ENV_TOKENS.get('BULK_EMAIL_MAX_RETRIES', BULK_EMAIL_MAX_RETRIES)
 BULK_EMAIL_INFINITE_RETRY_CAP = ENV_TOKENS.get('BULK_EMAIL_INFINITE_RETRY_CAP', BULK_EMAIL_INFINITE_RETRY_CAP)
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ BULK_EMAIL_LOG_SENT_EMAILS = ENV_TOKENS.get('BULK_EMAIL_LOG_SENT_EMAILS', BULK_E
 BULK_EMAIL_RETRY_DELAY_BETWEEN_SENDS = ENV_TOKENS.get('BULK_EMAIL_RETRY_DELAY_BETWEEN_SENDS', BULK_EMAIL_RETRY_DELAY_BETWEEN_SENDS)
 # We want Bulk Email running on the high-priority queue, so we define the
 # routing key that points to it.  At the moment, the name is the same.
+# We have to reset the value here, since we have changed the value of the queue name.
 BULK_EMAIL_ROUTING_KEY = HIGH_PRIORITY_QUEUE
 
 # Theme overrides
diff --git a/lms/envs/common.py b/lms/envs/common.py
index 1af56e696f..dc902a9ec8 100644
--- a/lms/envs/common.py
+++ b/lms/envs/common.py
@@ -798,9 +798,13 @@ CELERYD_HIJACK_ROOT_LOGGER = False
 
 ################################ Bulk Email ###################################
 
-DEFAULT_BULK_FROM_EMAIL = 'no-reply@courseupdates.edx.org'
-EMAILS_PER_TASK = 100
-EMAILS_PER_QUERY = 1000
+# Suffix used to construct 'from' email address for bulk emails.
+# A course-specific identifier is prepended.
+BULK_EMAIL_DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL = 'no-reply@courseupdates.edx.org'
+
+# Parameters for breaking down course enrollment into subtasks.
+BULK_EMAIL_EMAILS_PER_TASK = 100
+BULK_EMAIL_EMAILS_PER_QUERY = 1000
 
 # Initial delay used for retrying tasks.  Additional retries use
 # longer delays.  Value is in seconds.