diff --git a/AUTHORS.txt b/AUTHORS.txt
index ccb7bc9..5ab90fc 100644
--- a/AUTHORS.txt
+++ b/AUTHORS.txt
@@ -15,3 +15,4 @@ Eric Hennings
 Michael Hobbs
 Sameer Al-Sakran
 Kyle Gibson
+nikolay-saskovets
diff --git a/djrill/mail/backends/djrill.py b/djrill/mail/backends/djrill.py
index 3e2f945..9e31917 100644
--- a/djrill/mail/backends/djrill.py
+++ b/djrill/mail/backends/djrill.py
@@ -87,7 +87,6 @@ class DjrillBackend(BaseEmailBackend):
             if getattr(message, 'alternatives', None):
                 self._add_alternatives(message, msg_dict)
             self._add_attachments(message, msg_dict)
-            self._filter_msg_dict(message, msg_dict)
             api_params['message'] = msg_dict
 
             # check if template is set in message to send it via
@@ -145,12 +144,16 @@ class DjrillBackend(BaseEmailBackend):
         content = "html" if message.content_subtype == "html" else "text"
         msg_dict = {
             content: message.body,
-            "subject": message.subject,
-            "from_email": from_email,
             "to": to_list
         }
-        if from_name:
-            msg_dict["from_name"] = from_name
+
+        if not getattr(message, 'use_template_from', False):
+            msg_dict["from_email"] = from_email
+            if from_name:
+                msg_dict["from_name"] = from_name
+
+        if not getattr(message, 'use_template_subject', False):
+            msg_dict["subject"] = message.subject
 
         if message.extra_headers:
             msg_dict["headers"] = message.extra_headers
@@ -314,11 +317,3 @@ class DjrillBackend(BaseEmailBackend):
             'content': content_b64.decode('ascii'),
         }
         return mandrill_attachment, is_embedded_image
-
-    def _filter_msg_dict(self, message, msg_dict):
-        """Filter message data (e.g. clear subject field, or from field)"""
-        if hasattr(message, 'clear_from') and message.clear_from:
-            msg_dict['from_name'] = ''
-            msg_dict['from_email'] = ''
-        if hasattr(message, 'clear_subject') and message.clear_subject:
-            msg_dict['subject'] = ''
diff --git a/djrill/tests/test_mandrill_send_template.py b/djrill/tests/test_mandrill_send_template.py
index 3242259..45b7416 100644
--- a/djrill/tests/test_mandrill_send_template.py
+++ b/djrill/tests/test_mandrill_send_template.py
@@ -31,15 +31,24 @@ class DjrillMandrillSendTemplateTests(DjrillBackendMockAPITestCase):
         msg = mail.EmailMessage('Subject', 'Text Body',
             'from@example.com', ['to@example.com'])
         msg.template_name = "PERSONALIZED_SPECIALS"
-        msg.clear_from = True
-        msg.clear_subject = True
+        msg.use_template_from = True
         msg.send()
         self.assert_mandrill_called("/messages/send-template.json")
         data = self.get_api_call_data()
         self.assertEqual(data['template_name'], "PERSONALIZED_SPECIALS")
-        self.assertEqual(data['message']['subject'], "")
-        self.assertEqual(data['message']['from_email'], "")
-        self.assertEqual(data['message']['from_name'], "")
+        self.assertFalse('from_email' in data['message'])
+        self.assertFalse('from_name' in data['message'])
+
+    def test_send_template_without_subject_field(self):
+        msg = mail.EmailMessage('Subject', 'Text Body',
+            'from@example.com', ['to@example.com'])
+        msg.template_name = "PERSONALIZED_SPECIALS"
+        msg.use_template_subject = True
+        msg.send()
+        self.assert_mandrill_called("/messages/send-template.json")
+        data = self.get_api_call_data()
+        self.assertEqual(data['template_name'], "PERSONALIZED_SPECIALS")
+        self.assertFalse('subject' in data['message'])
 
     def test_no_template_content(self):
         # Just a template, without any template_content to be merged
diff --git a/docs/usage/templates.rst b/docs/usage/templates.rst
index beac901..c4b4b5e 100644
--- a/docs/usage/templates.rst
+++ b/docs/usage/templates.rst
@@ -40,20 +40,29 @@ can be used with templates.
 How To Use Default Mandrill Subject and From fields
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
-To use default *Mandril* subject or default from field you need send message
-to *Mandril* with empty subject or empty from field. This can be done using
-the following attrs: :attr:`clear_subject` and :attr:`clear_from` on
+To use default Mandrill "subject" or "from" field from your template definition
+(overriding your EmailMessage and Django defaults), set the following attrs:
+:attr:`use_template_subject` and/or :attr:`use_template_from` on
 your :class:`~django.core.mail.EmailMessage` object::
     # ...
-    msg.clear_subject = True
-    msg.clear_from = True
+    msg.use_template_subject = True
+    msg.use_template_from = True
     msg.send()
 
-If :attr:`clear_subject` is set, Djrill will send message without subject and
-Mandrill will use default subject.
+.. attribute:: use_template_subject
+
+    If `True`, Djrill will omit the subject, and Mandrill will
+    use the default subject from the template.
+
+    .. versionadded:: 1.1
+
+.. attribute:: use_template_from
+
+    If `True`, Djrill will omit the "from" field, and Mandrill will
+    use the default "from" from the template.
+
+    .. versionadded:: 1.1
 
-If :attr:`clear_from` is set, Djrill will send message without from field and
-Mandrill will use default from field.
 
 
 .. _django-templates: