diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 072e5fc232..2e5b97c0f9 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ git-annex (0.21) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
   * test: Don't rely on chmod -R working.
   * unannex: Fix recently introduced bug when attempting to unannex more
     than one file at a time.
+  * test: Set git user name and email in case git can't guess values.
 
  -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:12:11 -0400
 
diff --git a/doc/bugs/tests_fail_when_there_is_no_global_.gitconfig_for_the_user.mdwn b/doc/bugs/tests_fail_when_there_is_no_global_.gitconfig_for_the_user.mdwn
index e9dda99167..b90b501e31 100644
--- a/doc/bugs/tests_fail_when_there_is_no_global_.gitconfig_for_the_user.mdwn
+++ b/doc/bugs/tests_fail_when_there_is_no_global_.gitconfig_for_the_user.mdwn
@@ -46,3 +46,5 @@ After doing this, you may fix the identity used for this commit with:
 </pre>
 
 I guess it also depends a bit on how git figures out who it is is committing and how the machine in question is configured with hostnames and domain names.
+
+> Fixed that. [[done]] --[[Joey]] 
diff --git a/test.hs b/test.hs
index b32a4abb04..309b541762 100644
--- a/test.hs
+++ b/test.hs
@@ -508,6 +508,9 @@ setuprepo dir = do
 	cleanup dir
 	ensuretmpdir
 	Utility.boolSystem "git" ["init", "-q", dir] @? "git init failed"
+	indir dir $ do
+		Utility.boolSystem "git" ["config", "user.name", "Test User"] @? "git config failed"
+		Utility.boolSystem "git" ["config", "user.email", "test@example.com"] @? "git config failed"
 	return dir
 
 copyrepo :: FilePath -> FilePath -> IO FilePath