diff --git a/builtin/commit.c b/builtin/commit.c
index 004b816..f96b90d 100644
--- a/builtin/commit.c
+++ b/builtin/commit.c
@@ -607,7 +607,8 @@ static void determine_author_info(struct strbuf *author_ident)
 		set_ident_var(&date, strbuf_detach(&date_buf, NULL));
 	}
 
-	strbuf_addstr(author_ident, fmt_ident(name, email, date, IDENT_STRICT));
+	strbuf_addstr(author_ident, fmt_ident(name, email, WANT_AUTHOR_IDENT, date,
+				IDENT_STRICT));
 	assert_split_ident(&author, author_ident);
 	export_one("GIT_AUTHOR_NAME", author.name_begin, author.name_end, 0);
 	export_one("GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL", author.mail_begin, author.mail_end, 0);