diff --git a/builtin/commit.c b/builtin/commit.c
index a2ec73d738..f43eaafb3b 100644
--- a/builtin/commit.c
+++ b/builtin/commit.c
@@ -526,8 +526,7 @@ static void determine_author_info(struct strbuf *author_ident)
 
 	if (force_date)
 		date = force_date;
-	strbuf_addstr(author_ident, fmt_ident(name, email, date,
-					      IDENT_ERROR_ON_NO_NAME));
+	strbuf_addstr(author_ident, fmt_ident(name, email, date, IDENT_STRICT));
 	if (!split_ident_line(&author, author_ident->buf, author_ident->len)) {
 		export_one("GIT_AUTHOR_NAME", author.name_begin, author.name_end, 0);
 		export_one("GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL", author.mail_begin, author.mail_end, 0);
diff --git a/builtin/log.c b/builtin/log.c
index 4538309d02..d86bca34dd 100644
--- a/builtin/log.c
+++ b/builtin/log.c
@@ -1147,7 +1147,7 @@ int cmd_format_patch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	if (do_signoff) {
 		const char *committer;
 		const char *endpos;
-		committer = git_committer_info(IDENT_ERROR_ON_NO_NAME);
+		committer = git_committer_info(IDENT_STRICT);
 		endpos = strchr(committer, '>');
 		if (!endpos)
 			die(_("bogus committer info %s"), committer);
diff --git a/builtin/merge.c b/builtin/merge.c
index 470fc57c5d..dd50a0c57b 100644
--- a/builtin/merge.c
+++ b/builtin/merge.c
@@ -1447,7 +1447,7 @@ int cmd_merge(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		refresh_cache(REFRESH_QUIET);
 		if (allow_trivial && !fast_forward_only) {
 			/* See if it is really trivial. */
-			git_committer_info(IDENT_ERROR_ON_NO_NAME);
+			git_committer_info(IDENT_STRICT);
 			printf(_("Trying really trivial in-index merge...\n"));
 			if (!read_tree_trivial(common->item->object.sha1,
 					       head_commit->object.sha1,
@@ -1490,7 +1490,7 @@ int cmd_merge(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		die(_("Not possible to fast-forward, aborting."));
 
 	/* We are going to make a new commit. */
-	git_committer_info(IDENT_ERROR_ON_NO_NAME);
+	git_committer_info(IDENT_STRICT);
 
 	/*
 	 * At this point, we need a real merge.  No matter what strategy
diff --git a/builtin/tag.c b/builtin/tag.c
index 4fb6bd7b3d..7b1be85e48 100644
--- a/builtin/tag.c
+++ b/builtin/tag.c
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ static void create_tag(const unsigned char *object, const char *tag,
 			  sha1_to_hex(object),
 			  typename(type),
 			  tag,
-			  git_committer_info(IDENT_ERROR_ON_NO_NAME));
+			  git_committer_info(IDENT_STRICT));
 
 	if (header_len > sizeof(header_buf) - 1)
 		die(_("tag header too big."));
diff --git a/builtin/var.c b/builtin/var.c
index 99d068a532..aedbb53a2d 100644
--- a/builtin/var.c
+++ b/builtin/var.c
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ static const char *editor(int flag)
 {
 	const char *pgm = git_editor();
 
-	if (!pgm && flag & IDENT_ERROR_ON_NO_NAME)
+	if (!pgm && flag & IDENT_STRICT)
 		die("Terminal is dumb, but EDITOR unset");
 
 	return pgm;
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ static const char *read_var(const char *var)
 	val = NULL;
 	for (ptr = git_vars; ptr->read; ptr++) {
 		if (strcmp(var, ptr->name) == 0) {
-			val = ptr->read(IDENT_ERROR_ON_NO_NAME);
+			val = ptr->read(IDENT_STRICT);
 			break;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index 713cd04e1e..f89f22db70 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -887,7 +887,7 @@ unsigned long approxidate_careful(const char *, int *);
 unsigned long approxidate_relative(const char *date, const struct timeval *now);
 enum date_mode parse_date_format(const char *format);
 
-#define IDENT_ERROR_ON_NO_NAME 1
+#define IDENT_STRICT	       1
 #define IDENT_NO_DATE	       2
 #define IDENT_NO_NAME	       4
 extern const char *git_author_info(int);
diff --git a/commit.c b/commit.c
index 9ed36c7db5..8248a994a5 100644
--- a/commit.c
+++ b/commit.c
@@ -1154,9 +1154,9 @@ int commit_tree_extended(const struct strbuf *msg, unsigned char *tree,
 
 	/* Person/date information */
 	if (!author)
-		author = git_author_info(IDENT_ERROR_ON_NO_NAME);
+		author = git_author_info(IDENT_STRICT);
 	strbuf_addf(&buffer, "author %s\n", author);
-	strbuf_addf(&buffer, "committer %s\n", git_committer_info(IDENT_ERROR_ON_NO_NAME));
+	strbuf_addf(&buffer, "committer %s\n", git_committer_info(IDENT_STRICT));
 	if (!encoding_is_utf8)
 		strbuf_addf(&buffer, "encoding %s\n", git_commit_encoding);
 
diff --git a/gpg-interface.c b/gpg-interface.c
index 09ab64aa24..0863c61800 100644
--- a/gpg-interface.c
+++ b/gpg-interface.c
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ const char *get_signing_key(void)
 {
 	if (configured_signing_key)
 		return configured_signing_key;
-	return git_committer_info(IDENT_ERROR_ON_NO_NAME|IDENT_NO_DATE);
+	return git_committer_info(IDENT_STRICT|IDENT_NO_DATE);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/ident.c b/ident.c
index 8b5080dfe6..c42258f4ea 100644
--- a/ident.c
+++ b/ident.c
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ const char *fmt_ident(const char *name, const char *email,
 {
 	static struct strbuf ident = STRBUF_INIT;
 	char date[50];
-	int error_on_no_name = (flag & IDENT_ERROR_ON_NO_NAME);
+	int strict = (flag & IDENT_STRICT);
 	int want_date = !(flag & IDENT_NO_DATE);
 	int want_name = !(flag & IDENT_NO_NAME);
 
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ const char *fmt_ident(const char *name, const char *email,
 	if (want_name && !*name) {
 		struct passwd *pw;
 
-		if (error_on_no_name) {
+		if (strict) {
 			if (name == git_default_name.buf)
 				fputs(env_hint, stderr);
 			die("empty ident name (for <%s>) not allowed", email);
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ const char *fmt_ident(const char *name, const char *email,
 
 const char *fmt_name(const char *name, const char *email)
 {
-	return fmt_ident(name, email, NULL, IDENT_ERROR_ON_NO_NAME | IDENT_NO_DATE);
+	return fmt_ident(name, email, NULL, IDENT_STRICT | IDENT_NO_DATE);
 }
 
 const char *git_author_info(int flag)