diff --git a/examples/commit.c b/examples/commit.c
index aedc1af7e..1ba4739f0 100644
--- a/examples/commit.c
+++ b/examples/commit.c
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ int lg2_commit(git_repository *repo, int argc, char **argv)
 	git_index *index;
 	git_object *parent = NULL;
 	git_reference *ref = NULL;
-	git_signature *signature;
+	git_signature *author_signature, *committer_signature;
 
 	/* Validate args */
 	if (argc < 3 || strcmp(opt, "-m") != 0) {
@@ -63,21 +63,25 @@ int lg2_commit(git_repository *repo, int argc, char **argv)
 
 	check_lg2(git_tree_lookup(&tree, repo, &tree_oid), "Error looking up tree", NULL);
 
-	check_lg2(git_signature_default(&signature, repo), "Error creating signature", NULL);
+	check_lg2(git_signature_default_author(&author_signature, repo),
+			"Error creating author signature", NULL);
+	check_lg2(git_signature_default_committer(&committer_signature, repo),
+			"Error creating committer signature", NULL);
 
 	check_lg2(git_commit_create_v(
 		&commit_oid,
 		repo,
 		"HEAD",
-		signature,
-		signature,
+		author_signature,
+		committer_signature,
 		NULL,
 		comment,
 		tree,
 		parent ? 1 : 0, parent), "Error creating commit", NULL);
 
 	git_index_free(index);
-	git_signature_free(signature);
+	git_signature_free(author_signature);
+	git_signature_free(committer_signature);
 	git_tree_free(tree);
 	git_object_free(parent);
 	git_reference_free(ref);
diff --git a/examples/init.c b/examples/init.c
index 2f681c5ae..4cd55abad 100644
--- a/examples/init.c
+++ b/examples/init.c
@@ -123,14 +123,15 @@ int lg2_init(git_repository *repo, int argc, char *argv[])
  */
 static void create_initial_commit(git_repository *repo)
 {
-	git_signature *sig;
+	git_signature *author_sig, *committer_sig;
 	git_index *index;
 	git_oid tree_id, commit_id;
 	git_tree *tree;
 
 	/** First use the config to initialize a commit signature for the user. */
 
-	if (git_signature_default(&sig, repo) < 0)
+	if ((git_signature_default_author(&author_sig, repo) < 0) ||
+			(git_signature_default_committer(&committer_sig, repo) < 0))
 		fatal("Unable to create a commit signature.",
 		      "Perhaps 'user.name' and 'user.email' are not set");
 
@@ -162,14 +163,15 @@ static void create_initial_commit(git_repository *repo)
 	 */
 
 	if (git_commit_create_v(
-			&commit_id, repo, "HEAD", sig, sig,
+			&commit_id, repo, "HEAD", author_sig, committer_sig,
 			NULL, "Initial commit", tree, 0) < 0)
 		fatal("Could not create the initial commit", NULL);
 
 	/** Clean up so we don't leak memory. */
 
 	git_tree_free(tree);
-	git_signature_free(sig);
+	git_signature_free(author_sig);
+	git_signature_free(committer_sig);
 }
 
 static void usage(const char *error, const char *arg)
diff --git a/examples/stash.c b/examples/stash.c
index 8142439c7..c330cbce1 100644
--- a/examples/stash.c
+++ b/examples/stash.c
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ static int cmd_push(git_repository *repo, struct opts *opts)
 	if (opts->argc)
 		usage("push does not accept any parameters");
 
-	check_lg2(git_signature_default(&signature, repo),
+	check_lg2(git_signature_default_author(&signature, repo),
 		  "Unable to get signature", NULL);
 	check_lg2(git_stash_save(&stashid, repo, signature, NULL, GIT_STASH_DEFAULT),
 		  "Unable to save stash", NULL);
diff --git a/examples/tag.c b/examples/tag.c
index e4f71ae62..9bebcd1e6 100644
--- a/examples/tag.c
+++ b/examples/tag.c
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ static void action_create_tag(tag_state *state)
 	check_lg2(git_revparse_single(&target, repo, opts->target),
 			"Unable to resolve spec", opts->target);
 
-	check_lg2(git_signature_default(&tagger, repo),
+	check_lg2(git_signature_default_author(&tagger, repo),
 			"Unable to create signature", NULL);
 
 	check_lg2(git_tag_create(&oid, repo, opts->tag_name,
diff --git a/include/git2/signature.h b/include/git2/signature.h
index 849998e66..31aa9676d 100644
--- a/include/git2/signature.h
+++ b/include/git2/signature.h
@@ -48,6 +48,52 @@ GIT_EXTERN(int) git_signature_new(git_signature **out, const char *name, const c
  */
 GIT_EXTERN(int) git_signature_now(git_signature **out, const char *name, const char *email);
 
+/** Create a new author action signature with default information based on the
+ * configuration and environment variables.
+ *
+ * If GIT_AUTHOR_NAME environment variable is set it uses that over the
+ * user.name value from the configuration.
+ *
+ * If GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL environment variable is set it uses that over the
+ * user.email value from the configuration.  The EMAIL environment variable is
+ * the fallback email address in case the user.email configuration value isn't
+ * set.
+ *
+ * If GIT_AUTHOR_DATE is set it uses that, otherwise it uses the current time
+ * as the timestamp.
+ *
+ * It will return GIT_ENOTFOUND if either the user.name or user.email are not
+ * set and there is no fallback from an environment variable.
+ *
+ * @param out new signature
+ * @param repo repository pointer
+ * @return 0 on success, GIT_ENOTFOUND if config is missing, or error code
+ */
+GIT_EXTERN(int) git_signature_default_author(git_signature **out, git_repository *repo);
+
+/** Create a new committer action signature with default information based on
+ * the configuration and environment variables.
+ *
+ * If GIT_COMMITTER_NAME environment variable is set it uses that over the
+ * user.name value from the configuration.
+ *
+ * If GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL environment variable is set it uses that over the
+ * user.email value from the configuration.  The EMAIL environment variable is
+ * the fallback email address in case the user.email configuration value isn't
+ * set.
+ *
+ * If GIT_COMMITTER_DATE is set it uses that, otherwise it uses the current
+ * time as the timestamp.
+ *
+ * It will return GIT_ENOTFOUND if either the user.name or user.email are not
+ * set and there is no fallback from an environment variable.
+ *
+ * @param out new signature @param repo repository pointer @return 0 on
+ * success, GIT_ENOTFOUND if config is missing, or error code
+ */
+GIT_EXTERN(int) git_signature_default_committer(git_signature **out, git_repository *repo);
+
+#ifndef GIT_DEPRECATE_HARD
 /**
  * Create a new action signature with default user and now timestamp.
  *
@@ -56,11 +102,13 @@ GIT_EXTERN(int) git_signature_now(git_signature **out, const char *name, const c
  * based on that information.  It will return GIT_ENOTFOUND if either the
  * user.name or user.email are not set.
  *
+ * @deprecated use git_signature_default_author or git_signature_default_committer instead
  * @param out new signature
  * @param repo repository pointer
  * @return 0 on success, GIT_ENOTFOUND if config is missing, or error code
  */
 GIT_EXTERN(int) git_signature_default(git_signature **out, git_repository *repo);
+#endif
 
 /**
  * Create a new signature by parsing the given buffer, which is
diff --git a/src/libgit2/rebase.c b/src/libgit2/rebase.c
index 77e442e98..e9de62652 100644
--- a/src/libgit2/rebase.c
+++ b/src/libgit2/rebase.c
@@ -1268,7 +1268,7 @@ static int rebase_copy_note(
 	}
 
 	if (!committer) {
-		if((error = git_signature_default(&who, rebase->repo)) < 0) {
+		if((error = git_signature_default_committer(&who, rebase->repo)) < 0) {
 			if (error != GIT_ENOTFOUND ||
 				(error = git_signature_now(&who, "unknown", "unknown")) < 0)
 				goto done;
diff --git a/src/libgit2/refs.c b/src/libgit2/refs.c
index c1ed04d23..8b553d40a 100644
--- a/src/libgit2/refs.c
+++ b/src/libgit2/refs.c
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@ int git_reference__log_signature(git_signature **out, git_repository *repo)
 	git_signature *who;
 
 	if(((error = refs_configured_ident(&who, repo)) < 0) &&
-	   ((error = git_signature_default(&who, repo)) < 0) &&
+	   ((error = git_signature_default_author(&who, repo)) < 0) &&
 	   ((error = git_signature_now(&who, "unknown", "unknown")) < 0))
 		return error;
 
diff --git a/src/libgit2/signature.c b/src/libgit2/signature.c
index 12d2b5f8d..1a694c4cf 100644
--- a/src/libgit2/signature.c
+++ b/src/libgit2/signature.c
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include "repository.h"
 #include "git2/common.h"
 #include "posix.h"
+#include "date.h"
 
 void git_signature_free(git_signature *sig)
 {
@@ -201,6 +202,78 @@ int git_signature_default(git_signature **out, git_repository *repo)
 	return error;
 }
 
+int git_signature__default_from_env(const char *name_env_var, const char *email_env_var,
+		const char *date_env_var, git_signature **out, git_repository *repo)
+{
+	int error;
+	git_config *cfg;
+	const char *name, *email, *date;
+	git_time_t timestamp;
+	int offset;
+	git_str name_env = GIT_STR_INIT;
+	git_str email_env = GIT_STR_INIT;
+	git_str date_env = GIT_STR_INIT;
+	int have_email_env = -1;
+
+	if ((error = git_repository_config_snapshot(&cfg, repo)) < 0)
+		return error;
+
+	/* Check if the environment variable for the name is set */
+	if (!(git__getenv(&name_env, name_env_var)))
+		name = git_str_cstr(&name_env);
+	else
+		/* or else read the configuration value. */
+		if ((error = git_config_get_string(&name, cfg, "user.name")) < 0)
+			goto done;
+
+	/* Check if the environment variable for the email is set. */
+	if (!(git__getenv(&email_env, email_env_var)))
+		email = git_str_cstr(&email_env);
+	else {
+		/* Check if the fallback EMAIL environment variable is set
+		 * before we check the configuration so that we preserve the
+		 * error message if the configuration value is missing. */
+		git_str_dispose(&email_env);
+		have_email_env = !git__getenv(&email_env, "EMAIL");
+		if ((error = git_config_get_string(&email, cfg, "user.email")) < 0) {
+			if (have_email_env) {
+				email = git_str_cstr(&email_env);
+				error = 0;
+			} else
+				goto done;
+		}
+	}
+
+	/* Check if the environment variable for the timestamp is set */
+	if (!(git__getenv(&date_env, date_env_var))) {
+		date = git_str_cstr(&date_env);
+		if ((error = git_date_offset_parse(&timestamp, &offset, date)) < 0)
+			goto done;
+		error = git_signature_new(out, name, email, timestamp, offset);
+	} else
+		/* or else default to the current timestamp. */
+		error = git_signature_now(out, name, email);
+
+done:
+	git_config_free(cfg);
+	git_str_dispose(&name_env);
+	git_str_dispose(&email_env);
+	git_str_dispose(&date_env);
+	return error;
+}
+
+int git_signature_default_author(git_signature **out, git_repository *repo)
+{
+	return git_signature__default_from_env("GIT_AUTHOR_NAME", "GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL",
+			"GIT_AUTHOR_DATE", out, repo);
+}
+
+int git_signature_default_committer(git_signature **out, git_repository *repo)
+{
+	return git_signature__default_from_env("GIT_COMMITTER_NAME", "GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL",
+			"GIT_COMMITTER_DATE", out, repo);
+}
+
 int git_signature__parse(git_signature *sig, const char **buffer_out,
 		const char *buffer_end, const char *header, char ender)
 {
diff --git a/src/libgit2/signature.h b/src/libgit2/signature.h
index 5c8270954..23356161e 100644
--- a/src/libgit2/signature.h
+++ b/src/libgit2/signature.h
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 int git_signature__parse(git_signature *sig, const char **buffer_out, const char *buffer_end, const char *header, char ender);
 void git_signature__writebuf(git_str *buf, const char *header, const git_signature *sig);
 bool git_signature__equal(const git_signature *one, const git_signature *two);
-
 int git_signature__pdup(git_signature **dest, const git_signature *source, git_pool *pool);
+int git_signature__default_from_env(const char *name_env_var, const char *email_env_var, const char *date_env_var, git_signature **out, git_repository *repo);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/util/date.c b/src/util/date.c
index 4d757e21a..161712e16 100644
--- a/src/util/date.c
+++ b/src/util/date.c
@@ -858,7 +858,7 @@ static git_time_t approxidate_str(const char *date,
 	return update_tm(&tm, &now, 0);
 }
 
-int git_date_parse(git_time_t *out, const char *date)
+int git_date_offset_parse(git_time_t *out, int * out_offset, const char *date)
 {
 	time_t time_sec;
 	git_time_t timestamp;
@@ -866,6 +866,7 @@ int git_date_parse(git_time_t *out, const char *date)
 
 	if (!parse_date_basic(date, &timestamp, &offset)) {
 		*out = timestamp;
+		*out_offset = offset;
 		return 0;
 	}
 
@@ -876,6 +877,13 @@ int git_date_parse(git_time_t *out, const char *date)
 	return error_ret;
 }
 
+int git_date_parse(git_time_t *out, const char *date)
+{
+	int offset;
+
+	return git_date_offset_parse(out, &offset, date);
+}
+
 int git_date_rfc2822_fmt(git_str *out, git_time_t time, int offset)
 {
 	time_t t;
diff --git a/src/util/date.h b/src/util/date.h
index 7ebd3c30e..785fc064b 100644
--- a/src/util/date.h
+++ b/src/util/date.h
@@ -10,9 +10,21 @@
 #include "util.h"
 #include "str.h"
 
+/*
+ * Parse a string into a value as a git_time_t with a timezone offset.
+ *
+ * Sample valid input:
+ * - "yesterday"
+ * - "July 17, 2003"
+ * - "2003-7-17 08:23i+03"
+ */
+extern int git_date_offset_parse(git_time_t *out, int *out_offset, const char *date);
+
 /*
  * Parse a string into a value as a git_time_t.
  *
+ * Timezone offset is ignored.
+ *
  * Sample valid input:
  * - "yesterday"
  * - "July 17, 2003"
diff --git a/tests/libgit2/commit/signature.c b/tests/libgit2/commit/signature.c
index fddd5076e..b41182ce6 100644
--- a/tests/libgit2/commit/signature.c
+++ b/tests/libgit2/commit/signature.c
@@ -153,3 +153,83 @@ void test_commit_signature__pos_and_neg_zero_offsets_dont_match(void)
 	git_signature_free((git_signature *)with_neg_zero);
 	git_signature_free((git_signature *)with_pos_zero);
 }
+
+static git_repository *g_repo;
+
+void test_commit_signature__initialize(void)
+{
+	g_repo = cl_git_sandbox_init("empty_standard_repo");
+}
+
+void test_commit_signature__cleanup(void)
+{
+	cl_git_sandbox_cleanup();
+	g_repo = NULL;
+}
+
+void test_commit_signature__signature_default(void)
+{
+	git_signature *author_sign, *committer_sign;
+	git_config *cfg, *local;
+	cl_git_pass(git_repository_config(&cfg, g_repo));
+	cl_git_pass(git_config_open_level(&local, cfg, GIT_CONFIG_LEVEL_LOCAL));
+	/* No configuration value is set and no environment variable */
+	cl_git_fail(git_signature_default_author(&author_sign, g_repo));
+	cl_git_fail(git_signature_default_committer(&committer_sign, g_repo));
+	/* Name is read from configuration and email is read from fallback EMAIL
+	 * environment variable */
+	cl_git_pass(git_config_set_string(local, "user.name", "Name (config)"));
+	cl_setenv("EMAIL", "email-envvar@example.com");
+	cl_git_pass(git_signature_default_author(&author_sign, g_repo));
+	cl_git_pass(git_signature_default_committer(&committer_sign, g_repo));
+	cl_assert_equal_s("Name (config)", author_sign->name);
+	cl_assert_equal_s("email-envvar@example.com", author_sign->email);
+	cl_assert_equal_s("Name (config)", committer_sign->name);
+	cl_assert_equal_s("email-envvar@example.com", committer_sign->email);
+	cl_setenv("EMAIL", NULL);
+	git_signature_free(author_sign);
+	git_signature_free(committer_sign);
+	/* Environment variables have precedence over configuration */
+	cl_git_pass(git_config_set_string(local, "user.email", "config@example.com"));
+	cl_setenv("GIT_AUTHOR_NAME", "Author (envvar)");
+	cl_setenv("GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL", "author-envvar@example.com");
+	cl_setenv("GIT_COMMITTER_NAME", "Committer (envvar)");
+	cl_setenv("GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL", "committer-envvar@example.com");
+	cl_git_pass(git_signature_default_author(&author_sign, g_repo));
+	cl_git_pass(git_signature_default_committer(&committer_sign, g_repo));
+	cl_assert_equal_s("Author (envvar)", author_sign->name);
+	cl_assert_equal_s("author-envvar@example.com", author_sign->email);
+	cl_assert_equal_s("Committer (envvar)", committer_sign->name);
+	cl_assert_equal_s("committer-envvar@example.com", committer_sign->email);
+	git_signature_free(author_sign);
+	git_signature_free(committer_sign);
+	/* When environment variables are not set we can still read from
+	 * configuration */
+	cl_setenv("GIT_AUTHOR_NAME", NULL);
+	cl_setenv("GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL", NULL);
+	cl_setenv("GIT_COMMITTER_NAME", NULL);
+	cl_setenv("GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL", NULL);
+	cl_git_pass(git_signature_default_author(&author_sign, g_repo));
+	cl_git_pass(git_signature_default_committer(&committer_sign, g_repo));
+	cl_assert_equal_s("Name (config)", author_sign->name);
+	cl_assert_equal_s("config@example.com", author_sign->email);
+	cl_assert_equal_s("Name (config)", committer_sign->name);
+	cl_assert_equal_s("config@example.com", committer_sign->email);
+	git_signature_free(author_sign);
+	git_signature_free(committer_sign);
+	/* We can also override the timestamp with an environment variable */
+	cl_setenv("GIT_AUTHOR_DATE", "1971-02-03 04:05:06+01");
+	cl_setenv("GIT_COMMITTER_DATE", "1988-09-10 11:12:13-01");
+	cl_git_pass(git_signature_default_author(&author_sign, g_repo));
+	cl_git_pass(git_signature_default_committer(&committer_sign, g_repo));
+	cl_assert_equal_i(34398306, author_sign->when.time);  /* 1971-02-03 03:05:06 UTC */
+	cl_assert_equal_i(60, author_sign->when.offset);
+	cl_assert_equal_i(589896733, committer_sign->when.time);  /* 1988-09-10 12:12:13 UTC */
+	cl_assert_equal_i(-60, committer_sign->when.offset);
+	git_signature_free(author_sign);
+	git_signature_free(committer_sign);
+	cl_setenv("GIT_AUTHOR_DATE", NULL);
+	cl_setenv("GIT_COMMITTER_DATE", NULL);
+	git_config_free(local);
+	git_config_free(cfg);
+}
diff --git a/tests/libgit2/date/date.c b/tests/libgit2/date/date.c
index 82b5c6728..b5796861c 100644
--- a/tests/libgit2/date/date.c
+++ b/tests/libgit2/date/date.c
@@ -20,3 +20,11 @@ void test_date_date__invalid_date(void)
    cl_git_fail(git_date_parse(&d, ""));
    cl_git_fail(git_date_parse(&d, "NEITHER_INTEGER_NOR_DATETIME"));
 }
+
+void test_date_date__offset(void)
+{
+	git_time_t d;
+	int offset;
+	cl_git_pass(git_date_offset_parse(&d, &offset, "1970-1-1 01:00:00+03"));
+	cl_assert_equal_i(offset, 3*60);
+}
diff --git a/tests/libgit2/remote/fetch.c b/tests/libgit2/remote/fetch.c
index a5d3272c5..c24ec5a01 100644
--- a/tests/libgit2/remote/fetch.c
+++ b/tests/libgit2/remote/fetch.c
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ static void do_time_travelling_fetch(git_oid *commit1id, git_oid *commit2id,
 		cl_git_pass(git_treebuilder_new(&tb, repo1, NULL));
 		cl_git_pass(git_treebuilder_write(&empty_tree_id, tb));
 		cl_git_pass(git_tree_lookup(&empty_tree, repo1, &empty_tree_id));
-		cl_git_pass(git_signature_default(&sig, repo1));
+		cl_git_pass(git_signature_default_author(&sig, repo1));
 		cl_git_pass(git_commit_create(commit1id, repo1, REPO1_REFNAME, sig,
 					sig, NULL, "one", empty_tree, 0, NULL));
 		cl_git_pass(git_commit_lookup(&commit1, repo1, commit1id));
diff --git a/tests/libgit2/repo/init.c b/tests/libgit2/repo/init.c
index d78ec063c..bb26e5443 100644
--- a/tests/libgit2/repo/init.c
+++ b/tests/libgit2/repo/init.c
@@ -581,7 +581,7 @@ void test_repo_init__init_with_initial_commit(void)
 	 * made to a repository...
 	 */
 
-	/* Make sure we're ready to use git_signature_default :-) */
+	/* Make sure we're ready to use git_signature_default_author :-) */
 	{
 		git_config *cfg, *local;
 		cl_git_pass(git_repository_config(&cfg, g_repo));
@@ -594,20 +594,22 @@ void test_repo_init__init_with_initial_commit(void)
 
 	/* Create a commit with the new contents of the index */
 	{
-		git_signature *sig;
+		git_signature *author_sig, *committer_sig;
 		git_oid tree_id, commit_id;
 		git_tree *tree;
 
-		cl_git_pass(git_signature_default(&sig, g_repo));
+		cl_git_pass(git_signature_default_author(&author_sig, g_repo));
+		cl_git_pass(git_signature_default_committer(&committer_sig, g_repo));
 		cl_git_pass(git_index_write_tree(&tree_id, index));
 		cl_git_pass(git_tree_lookup(&tree, g_repo, &tree_id));
 
 		cl_git_pass(git_commit_create_v(
-			&commit_id, g_repo, "HEAD", sig, sig,
+			&commit_id, g_repo, "HEAD", author_sig, committer_sig,
 			NULL, "First", tree, 0));
 
 		git_tree_free(tree);
-		git_signature_free(sig);
+		git_signature_free(author_sig);
+		git_signature_free(committer_sig);
 	}
 
 	git_index_free(index);