diff --git a/grep.c b/grep.c
index f67d6716ea..706351197f 100644
--- a/grep.c
+++ b/grep.c
@@ -2,6 +2,19 @@
 #include "grep.h"
 #include "xdiff-interface.h"
 
+void append_header_grep_pattern(struct grep_opt *opt, enum grep_header_field field, const char *pat)
+{
+	struct grep_pat *p = xcalloc(1, sizeof(*p));
+	p->pattern = pat;
+	p->origin = "header";
+	p->no = 0;
+	p->token = GREP_PATTERN_HEAD;
+	p->field = field;
+	*opt->pattern_tail = p;
+	opt->pattern_tail = &p->next;
+	p->next = NULL;
+}
+
 void append_grep_pattern(struct grep_opt *opt, const char *pat,
 			 const char *origin, int no, enum grep_pat_token t)
 {
@@ -247,16 +260,53 @@ static int fixmatch(const char *pattern, char *line, regmatch_t *match)
 	}
 }
 
+static int strip_timestamp(char *bol, char **eol_p)
+{
+	char *eol = *eol_p;
+	int ch;
+
+	while (bol < --eol) {
+		if (*eol != '>')
+			continue;
+		*eol_p = ++eol;
+		ch = *eol;
+		*eol = '\0';
+		return ch;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static struct {
+	const char *field;
+	size_t len;
+} header_field[] = {
+	{ "author ", 7 },
+	{ "committer ", 10 },
+};
+
 static int match_one_pattern(struct grep_opt *opt, struct grep_pat *p, char *bol, char *eol, enum grep_context ctx)
 {
 	int hit = 0;
 	int at_true_bol = 1;
+	int saved_ch = 0;
 	regmatch_t pmatch[10];
 
 	if ((p->token != GREP_PATTERN) &&
 	    ((p->token == GREP_PATTERN_HEAD) != (ctx == GREP_CONTEXT_HEAD)))
 		return 0;
 
+	if (p->token == GREP_PATTERN_HEAD) {
+		const char *field;
+		size_t len;
+		assert(p->field < ARRAY_SIZE(header_field));
+		field = header_field[p->field].field;
+		len = header_field[p->field].len;
+		if (strncmp(bol, field, len))
+			return 0;
+		bol += len;
+		saved_ch = strip_timestamp(bol, &eol);
+	}
+
  again:
 	if (!opt->fixed) {
 		regex_t *exp = &p->regexp;
@@ -298,6 +348,8 @@ static int match_one_pattern(struct grep_opt *opt, struct grep_pat *p, char *bol
 			goto again;
 		}
 	}
+	if (p->token == GREP_PATTERN_HEAD && saved_ch)
+		*eol = saved_ch;
 	return hit;
 }
 
diff --git a/grep.h b/grep.h
index d252dd25f8..59b3f871ea 100644
--- a/grep.h
+++ b/grep.h
@@ -17,12 +17,18 @@ enum grep_context {
 	GREP_CONTEXT_BODY,
 };
 
+enum grep_header_field {
+	GREP_HEADER_AUTHOR = 0,
+	GREP_HEADER_COMMITTER,
+};
+
 struct grep_pat {
 	struct grep_pat *next;
 	const char *origin;
 	int no;
 	enum grep_pat_token token;
 	const char *pattern;
+	enum grep_header_field field;
 	regex_t regexp;
 };
 
@@ -74,6 +80,7 @@ struct grep_opt {
 };
 
 extern void append_grep_pattern(struct grep_opt *opt, const char *pat, const char *origin, int no, enum grep_pat_token t);
+extern void append_header_grep_pattern(struct grep_opt *, enum grep_header_field, const char *);
 extern void compile_grep_patterns(struct grep_opt *opt);
 extern void free_grep_patterns(struct grep_opt *opt);
 extern int grep_buffer(struct grep_opt *opt, const char *name, char *buf, unsigned long size);
diff --git a/revision.c b/revision.c
index 36291b6b86..270294af83 100644
--- a/revision.c
+++ b/revision.c
@@ -953,22 +953,9 @@ static void add_grep(struct rev_info *revs, const char *ptn, enum grep_pat_token
 	append_grep_pattern(&revs->grep_filter, ptn, "command line", 0, what);
 }
 
-static void add_header_grep(struct rev_info *revs, const char *field, const char *pattern)
+static void add_header_grep(struct rev_info *revs, enum grep_header_field field, const char *pattern)
 {
-	char *pat;
-	const char *prefix;
-	int patlen, fldlen;
-
-	fldlen = strlen(field);
-	patlen = strlen(pattern);
-	pat = xmalloc(patlen + fldlen + 10);
-	prefix = ".*";
-	if (*pattern == '^') {
-		prefix = "";
-		pattern++;
-	}
-	sprintf(pat, "^%s %s%s", field, prefix, pattern);
-	add_grep(revs, pat, GREP_PATTERN_HEAD);
+	append_header_grep_pattern(&revs->grep_filter, field, pattern);
 }
 
 static void add_message_grep(struct rev_info *revs, const char *pattern)
@@ -1154,9 +1141,9 @@ static int handle_revision_opt(struct rev_info *revs, int argc, const char **arg
 	 * Grepping the commit log
 	 */
 	else if (!prefixcmp(arg, "--author=")) {
-		add_header_grep(revs, "author", arg+9);
+		add_header_grep(revs, GREP_HEADER_AUTHOR, arg+9);
 	} else if (!prefixcmp(arg, "--committer=")) {
-		add_header_grep(revs, "committer", arg+12);
+		add_header_grep(revs, GREP_HEADER_COMMITTER, arg+12);
 	} else if (!prefixcmp(arg, "--grep=")) {
 		add_message_grep(revs, arg+7);
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--extended-regexp") || !strcmp(arg, "-E")) {
diff --git a/t/t7002-grep.sh b/t/t7002-grep.sh
index c8b4f65f38..5e359cb561 100755
--- a/t/t7002-grep.sh
+++ b/t/t7002-grep.sh
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ test_expect_success setup '
 	mkdir t &&
 	echo test >t/t &&
 	git add file x y z t/t &&
+	test_tick &&
 	git commit -m initial
 '
 
@@ -113,4 +114,54 @@ do
 
 done
 
+test_expect_success 'log grep setup' '
+	echo a >>file &&
+	test_tick &&
+	GIT_AUTHOR_NAME="With * Asterisk" \
+	GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL="xyzzy@frotz.com" \
+	git commit -a -m "second" &&
+
+	echo a >>file &&
+	test_tick &&
+	git commit -a -m "third"
+
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'log grep (1)' '
+	git log --author=author --pretty=tformat:%s >actual &&
+	( echo third ; echo initial ) >expect &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'log grep (2)' '
+	git log --author=" * " -F --pretty=tformat:%s >actual &&
+	( echo second ) >expect &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'log grep (3)' '
+	git log --author="^A U" --pretty=tformat:%s >actual &&
+	( echo third ; echo initial ) >expect &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'log grep (4)' '
+	git log --author="frotz\.com>$" --pretty=tformat:%s >actual &&
+	( echo second ) >expect &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'log grep (5)' '
+	git log --author=Thor -F --grep=Thu --pretty=tformat:%s >actual &&
+	( echo third ; echo initial ) >expect &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'log grep (6)' '
+	git log --author=-0700  --pretty=tformat:%s >actual &&
+	>expect &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+
+'
+
 test_done