static const char co_env[] = "GIT_COMMITTER_NAME";
 static const char *env_hint =
 "\n"
-"*** Your name cannot be determined from your system services (gecos).\n"
+"*** Please tell me who you are.\n"
 "\n"
 "Run\n"
 "\n"
 
 const char *git_committer_info(int flag)
 {
+       if (getenv("GIT_COMMITTER_NAME") &&
+           getenv("GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL"))
+               user_ident_explicitly_given = 1;
        return fmt_ident(getenv("GIT_COMMITTER_NAME"),
                         getenv("GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL"),
                         getenv("GIT_COMMITTER_DATE"),