diff --git a/comment_notify.module b/comment_notify.module
index bbd7843..faf5b24 100644
--- a/comment_notify.module
+++ b/comment_notify.module
@@ -467,8 +467,9 @@ function _comment_notify_mailalert($comment) {
 
   // Send to a subscribed author if they are not the current commenter
   $author = user_load($node->uid);
-
-  if (!empty($author->comment_notify_settings->node_notify) && $author->comment_notify_settings->node_notify == 1 && $user->uid != $author->uid && node_access('view', $node, $author)) {
+	if (empty($author->comment_notify_settings->node_notify)) $author->comment_notify_settings->node_notify = comment_notify_variable_registry_get('node_notify_default_mailalert');
+  
+  if ($author->comment_notify_settings->node_notify == 1 && $user->uid != $author->uid && node_access('view', $node, $author)) {
     // Get the author's language.
     $language = user_preferred_language($author);
     $raw_values = array(