static const char *whence_s(void)
 {
-       char *s = "";
+       const char *s = "";
 
        switch (whence) {
        case FROM_COMMIT:
                break;
        case FROM_MERGE:
-               s = "merge";
+               s = _("merge");
                break;
        case FROM_CHERRY_PICK:
-               s = "cherry-pick";
+               s = _("cherry-pick");
                break;
        }
 
 
        if (author_message) {
                const char *a, *lb, *rb, *eol;
+               size_t len;
 
                a = strstr(author_message_buffer, "\nauthor ");
                if (!a)
                                         (a + strlen("\nauthor "))));
                email = xmemdupz(lb + strlen("<"), rb - (lb + strlen("<")));
                date = xmemdupz(rb + strlen("> "), eol - (rb + strlen("> ")));
+               len = eol - (rb + strlen("> "));
+               date = xmalloc(len + 2);
+               *date = '@';
+               memcpy(date + 1, rb + strlen("> "), len);
+               date[len + 1] = '\0';
        }
 
        if (force_author) {