diff --git a/http-backend.c b/http-backend.c
index 869d515383b5fc..f50e77fb289020 100644
--- a/http-backend.c
+++ b/http-backend.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include "run-command.h"
 #include "string-list.h"
 #include "url.h"
+#include "argv-array.h"
 
 static const char content_type[] = "Content-Type";
 static const char content_length[] = "Content-Length";
@@ -317,8 +318,7 @@ static void run_service(const char **argv)
 	const char *encoding = getenv("HTTP_CONTENT_ENCODING");
 	const char *user = getenv("REMOTE_USER");
 	const char *host = getenv("REMOTE_ADDR");
-	char *env[3];
-	struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
+	struct argv_array env = ARGV_ARRAY_INIT;
 	int gzipped_request = 0;
 	struct child_process cld;
 
@@ -332,17 +332,15 @@ static void run_service(const char **argv)
 	if (!host || !*host)
 		host = "(none)";
 
-	memset(&env, 0, sizeof(env));
-	strbuf_addf(&buf, "GIT_COMMITTER_NAME=%s", user);
-	env[0] = strbuf_detach(&buf, NULL);
-
-	strbuf_addf(&buf, "GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL=%s@http.%s", user, host);
-	env[1] = strbuf_detach(&buf, NULL);
-	env[2] = NULL;
+	if (!getenv("GIT_COMMITTER_NAME"))
+		argv_array_pushf(&env, "GIT_COMMITTER_NAME=%s", user);
+	if (!getenv("GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL"))
+		argv_array_pushf(&env, "GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL=%s@http.%s",
+				 user, host);
 
 	memset(&cld, 0, sizeof(cld));
 	cld.argv = argv;
-	cld.env = (const char *const *)env;
+	cld.env = env.argv;
 	if (gzipped_request)
 		cld.in = -1;
 	cld.git_cmd = 1;
@@ -357,9 +355,7 @@ static void run_service(const char **argv)
 
 	if (finish_command(&cld))
 		exit(1);
-	free(env[0]);
-	free(env[1]);
-	strbuf_release(&buf);
+	argv_array_clear(&env);
 }
 
 static int show_text_ref(const char *name, const unsigned char *sha1,
diff --git a/t/lib-httpd/apache.conf b/t/lib-httpd/apache.conf
index 3c12b05d60849b..de3762e2476269 100644
--- a/t/lib-httpd/apache.conf
+++ b/t/lib-httpd/apache.conf
@@ -52,8 +52,15 @@ Alias /auth/ www/auth/
 <Location /smart_noexport/>
 	SetEnv GIT_EXEC_PATH ${GIT_EXEC_PATH}
 </Location>
+<Location /smart_custom_env/>
+	SetEnv GIT_EXEC_PATH ${GIT_EXEC_PATH}
+	SetEnv GIT_HTTP_EXPORT_ALL
+	SetEnv GIT_COMMITTER_NAME "Custom User"
+	SetEnv GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL custom@example.com
+</Location>
 ScriptAlias /smart/ ${GIT_EXEC_PATH}/git-http-backend/
 ScriptAlias /smart_noexport/ ${GIT_EXEC_PATH}/git-http-backend/
+ScriptAlias /smart_custom_env/ ${GIT_EXEC_PATH}/git-http-backend/
 <Directory ${GIT_EXEC_PATH}>
 	Options None
 </Directory>
diff --git a/t/t5541-http-push.sh b/t/t5541-http-push.sh
index cc6f081711002b..d7964c7eb523ce 100755
--- a/t/t5541-http-push.sh
+++ b/t/t5541-http-push.sh
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ test_expect_success 'setup remote repository' '
 	git clone --bare test_repo test_repo.git &&
 	cd test_repo.git &&
 	git config http.receivepack true &&
+	git config core.logallrefupdates true &&
 	ORIG_HEAD=$(git rev-parse --verify HEAD) &&
 	cd - &&
 	mv test_repo.git "$HTTPD_DOCUMENT_ROOT_PATH"
@@ -222,5 +223,25 @@ test_expect_success TTY 'quiet push' '
 	test_cmp /dev/null output
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'http push gives sane defaults to reflog' '
+	cd "$ROOT_PATH"/test_repo_clone &&
+	test_commit reflog-test &&
+	git push "$HTTPD_URL"/smart/test_repo.git &&
+	git --git-dir="$HTTPD_DOCUMENT_ROOT_PATH/test_repo.git" \
+		log -g -1 --format="%gn <%ge>" >actual &&
+	echo "anonymous <anonymous@http.127.0.0.1>" >expect &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'http push respects GIT_COMMITTER_* in reflog' '
+	cd "$ROOT_PATH"/test_repo_clone &&
+	test_commit custom-reflog-test &&
+	git push "$HTTPD_URL"/smart_custom_env/test_repo.git &&
+	git --git-dir="$HTTPD_DOCUMENT_ROOT_PATH/test_repo.git" \
+		log -g -1 --format="%gn <%ge>" >actual &&
+	echo "Custom User <custom@example.com>" >expect &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
 stop_httpd
 test_done