diff --git a/fsck.c b/fsck.c
index 60bd4bbf6a..6c855f84f0 100644
--- a/fsck.c
+++ b/fsck.c
@@ -224,13 +224,15 @@ static int fsck_tree(struct tree *item, int strict, fsck_error error_func)
 
 static int fsck_ident(char **ident, struct object *obj, fsck_error error_func)
 {
-	if (**ident == '<' || **ident == '\n')
-		return error_func(obj, FSCK_ERROR, "invalid author/committer line - missing space before email");
-	*ident += strcspn(*ident, "<\n");
-	if ((*ident)[-1] != ' ')
+	if (**ident == '<')
 		return error_func(obj, FSCK_ERROR, "invalid author/committer line - missing space before email");
+	*ident += strcspn(*ident, "<>\n");
+	if (**ident == '>')
+		return error_func(obj, FSCK_ERROR, "invalid author/committer line - bad name");
 	if (**ident != '<')
 		return error_func(obj, FSCK_ERROR, "invalid author/committer line - missing email");
+	if ((*ident)[-1] != ' ')
+		return error_func(obj, FSCK_ERROR, "invalid author/committer line - missing space before email");
 	(*ident)++;
 	*ident += strcspn(*ident, "<>\n");
 	if (**ident != '>')
diff --git a/t/t1450-fsck.sh b/t/t1450-fsck.sh
index 01ccefdb19..523ce9c45b 100755
--- a/t/t1450-fsck.sh
+++ b/t/t1450-fsck.sh
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ test_expect_success 'email with embedded > is not okay' '
 	grep "error in commit $new" out
 '
 
-test_expect_failure 'missing < email delimiter is reported nicely' '
+test_expect_success 'missing < email delimiter is reported nicely' '
 	git cat-file commit HEAD >basis &&
 	sed "s/<//" basis >bad-email-2 &&
 	new=$(git hash-object -t commit -w --stdin <bad-email-2) &&
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ test_expect_failure 'missing < email delimiter is reported nicely' '
 	grep "error in commit $new.* - bad name" out
 '
 
-test_expect_failure 'missing email is reported nicely' '
+test_expect_success 'missing email is reported nicely' '
 	git cat-file commit HEAD >basis &&
 	sed "s/[a-z]* <[^>]*>//" basis >bad-email-3 &&
 	new=$(git hash-object -t commit -w --stdin <bad-email-3) &&
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ test_expect_failure 'missing email is reported nicely' '
 	grep "error in commit $new.* - missing email" out
 '
 
-test_expect_failure '> in name is reported' '
+test_expect_success '> in name is reported' '
 	git cat-file commit HEAD >basis &&
 	sed "s/ </> </" basis >bad-email-4 &&
 	new=$(git hash-object -t commit -w --stdin <bad-email-4) &&