int i;
        char *m;
 
+       if (!pattern)
+               return 0;
+
        for (i = 0; pattern[i]; i++)
                ;
        m = xcalloc(1, i);
         * and create commit from the_index.
         * We still need to refresh the index here.
         */
-       if (!pathspec || !*pathspec) {
+       if (!only && (!pathspec || !*pathspec)) {
                fd = hold_locked_index(&index_lock, 1);
                refresh_cache_or_die(refresh_flags);
                if (active_cache_changed) {
 
        if (force_date)
                date = force_date;
-       strbuf_addstr(author_ident, fmt_ident(name, email, date,
-                                             IDENT_ERROR_ON_NO_NAME));
+       strbuf_addstr(author_ident, fmt_ident(name, email, date, IDENT_STRICT));
        if (!split_ident_line(&author, author_ident->buf, author_ident->len)) {
                export_one("GIT_AUTHOR_NAME", author.name_begin, author.name_end, 0);
                export_one("GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL", author.mail_begin, author.mail_end, 0);
                hook_arg1 = "message";
        } else if (use_message) {
                buffer = strstr(use_message_buffer, "\n\n");
-               if (!buffer || buffer[2] == '\0')
+               if (!use_editor && (!buffer || buffer[2] == '\0'))
                        die(_("commit has empty message"));
                strbuf_add(&sb, buffer + 2, strlen(buffer + 2));
                hook_arg1 = "commit";