diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 2cf15b9..5b63b1f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -17,8 +17,12 @@ install:
 	cat dist/propellor-*.tar.gz | (cd dist/gittmp && tar zx --strip-components=1)
 	# cabal sdist does not preserve symlinks, so copy over file
 	cd dist/gittmp && for f in $$(find -type f); do rm -f $$f; cp -a ../../$$f $$f; done
+	export GIT_AUTHOR_NAME=build && \
+	export GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL=build@buildhost && \
+	export GIT_COMMITTER_NAME=build && \
+	export GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL=build@buildhost && \
 	cd dist/gittmp && git init && \
-		git add . \
+		&& git add . \
 		&& git commit -q -m "distributed version of propellor" \
 		&& git bundle create $(DESTDIR)/usr/src/propellor/propellor.git master HEAD \
 		&& git show-ref master --hash > $(DESTDIR)/usr/src/propellor/head
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 8d50287..4cb9440 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ propellor (2.6.0) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
   * Version dependency on exceptions.
   * Systemd: Add masked property.
     Thanks, Sean Whitton
+  * Fix make install target to work even when git is not configured.
 
  -- Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>  Tue, 16 Jun 2015 14:49:12 -0400