diff --git a/builtin/commit.c b/builtin/commit.c
index 1dd2ec5e6f..d6dd3df8b1 100644
--- a/builtin/commit.c
+++ b/builtin/commit.c
@@ -755,7 +755,7 @@ static int prepare_to_commit(const char *index_file, const char *prefix,
 				ident_shown++ ? "" : "\n",
 				author_ident->buf);
 
-		if (!user_ident_sufficiently_given())
+		if (!committer_ident_sufficiently_given())
 			status_printf_ln(s, GIT_COLOR_NORMAL,
 				_("%s"
 				"Committer: %s"),
@@ -1265,7 +1265,7 @@ static void print_summary(const char *prefix, const unsigned char *sha1,
 		strbuf_addstr(&format, "\n Author: ");
 		strbuf_addbuf_percentquote(&format, &author_ident);
 	}
-	if (!user_ident_sufficiently_given()) {
+	if (!committer_ident_sufficiently_given()) {
 		strbuf_addstr(&format, "\n Committer: ");
 		strbuf_addbuf_percentquote(&format, &committer_ident);
 		if (advice_implicit_identity) {
diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index 50d9eeaa9c..18fdd18f36 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -1149,7 +1149,8 @@ struct config_include_data {
 #define CONFIG_INCLUDE_INIT { 0 }
 extern int git_config_include(const char *name, const char *value, void *data);
 
-extern int user_ident_sufficiently_given(void);
+extern int committer_ident_sufficiently_given(void);
+extern int author_ident_sufficiently_given(void);
 
 extern const char *git_commit_encoding;
 extern const char *git_log_output_encoding;
diff --git a/ident.c b/ident.c
index 733d69d92d..ac9672f607 100644
--- a/ident.c
+++ b/ident.c
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ static char git_default_date[50];
 #define IDENT_NAME_GIVEN 01
 #define IDENT_MAIL_GIVEN 02
 #define IDENT_ALL_GIVEN (IDENT_NAME_GIVEN|IDENT_MAIL_GIVEN)
-static int user_ident_explicitly_given;
+static int committer_ident_explicitly_given;
+static int author_ident_explicitly_given;
 
 #ifdef NO_GECOS_IN_PWENT
 #define get_gecos(ignored) "&"
@@ -113,7 +114,8 @@ const char *ident_default_email(void)
 
 		if (email && email[0]) {
 			strbuf_addstr(&git_default_email, email);
-			user_ident_explicitly_given |= IDENT_MAIL_GIVEN;
+			committer_ident_explicitly_given |= IDENT_MAIL_GIVEN;
+			author_ident_explicitly_given |= IDENT_MAIL_GIVEN;
 		} else
 			copy_email(xgetpwuid_self(), &git_default_email);
 		strbuf_trim(&git_default_email);
@@ -331,6 +333,10 @@ const char *fmt_name(const char *name, const char *email)
 
 const char *git_author_info(int flag)
 {
+	if (getenv("GIT_AUTHOR_NAME"))
+		author_ident_explicitly_given |= IDENT_NAME_GIVEN;
+	if (getenv("GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL"))
+		author_ident_explicitly_given |= IDENT_MAIL_GIVEN;
 	return fmt_ident(getenv("GIT_AUTHOR_NAME"),
 			 getenv("GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL"),
 			 getenv("GIT_AUTHOR_DATE"),
@@ -340,16 +346,16 @@ const char *git_author_info(int flag)
 const char *git_committer_info(int flag)
 {
 	if (getenv("GIT_COMMITTER_NAME"))
-		user_ident_explicitly_given |= IDENT_NAME_GIVEN;
+		committer_ident_explicitly_given |= IDENT_NAME_GIVEN;
 	if (getenv("GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL"))
-		user_ident_explicitly_given |= IDENT_MAIL_GIVEN;
+		committer_ident_explicitly_given |= IDENT_MAIL_GIVEN;
 	return fmt_ident(getenv("GIT_COMMITTER_NAME"),
 			 getenv("GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL"),
 			 getenv("GIT_COMMITTER_DATE"),
 			 flag);
 }
 
-int user_ident_sufficiently_given(void)
+static int ident_is_sufficient(int user_ident_explicitly_given)
 {
 #ifndef WINDOWS
 	return (user_ident_explicitly_given & IDENT_MAIL_GIVEN);
@@ -358,6 +364,16 @@ int user_ident_sufficiently_given(void)
 #endif
 }
 
+int committer_ident_sufficiently_given(void)
+{
+	return ident_is_sufficient(committer_ident_explicitly_given);
+}
+
+int author_ident_sufficiently_given(void)
+{
+	return ident_is_sufficient(author_ident_explicitly_given);
+}
+
 int git_ident_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *data)
 {
 	if (!strcmp(var, "user.name")) {
@@ -365,7 +381,8 @@ int git_ident_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *data)
 			return config_error_nonbool(var);
 		strbuf_reset(&git_default_name);
 		strbuf_addstr(&git_default_name, value);
-		user_ident_explicitly_given |= IDENT_NAME_GIVEN;
+		committer_ident_explicitly_given |= IDENT_NAME_GIVEN;
+		author_ident_explicitly_given |= IDENT_NAME_GIVEN;
 		return 0;
 	}
 
@@ -374,7 +391,8 @@ int git_ident_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *data)
 			return config_error_nonbool(var);
 		strbuf_reset(&git_default_email);
 		strbuf_addstr(&git_default_email, value);
-		user_ident_explicitly_given |= IDENT_MAIL_GIVEN;
+		committer_ident_explicitly_given |= IDENT_MAIL_GIVEN;
+		author_ident_explicitly_given |= IDENT_MAIL_GIVEN;
 		return 0;
 	}