diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index 2d3df98dc..b540292d6 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -309,6 +309,7 @@ void datestamp(char *buf, int bufsize);
 unsigned long approxidate(const char *);
 
 extern int setup_ident(void);
+extern void ignore_missing_committer_name();
 extern const char *git_author_info(int);
 extern const char *git_committer_info(int);
 
diff --git a/ident.c b/ident.c
index e415fd358..d7faba6a7 100644
--- a/ident.c
+++ b/ident.c
@@ -221,3 +221,18 @@ const char *git_committer_info(int error_on_no_name)
 			 getenv("GIT_COMMITTER_DATE"),
 			 error_on_no_name);
 }
+
+void ignore_missing_committer_name()
+{
+	/* If we did not get a name from the user's gecos entry then
+	 * git_default_name is empty; so instead load the username
+	 * into it as a 'good enough for now' approximation of who
+	 * this user is.
+	 */
+	if (!*git_default_name) {
+		struct passwd *pw = getpwuid(getuid());
+		if (!pw)
+			die("You don't exist. Go away!");
+		strlcpy(git_default_name, pw->pw_name, sizeof(git_default_name));
+	}
+}
diff --git a/receive-pack.c b/receive-pack.c
index e76d9aea3..5e5510bc3 100644
--- a/receive-pack.c
+++ b/receive-pack.c
@@ -420,6 +420,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		die("'%s': unable to chdir or not a git archive", dir);
 
 	setup_ident();
+	/* don't die if gecos is empty */
+	ignore_missing_committer_name();
 	git_config(receive_pack_config);
 
 	write_head_info();