diff --git a/daemon/daemon.go b/daemon/daemon.go
index 26723195a8..0912f219d4 100644
--- a/daemon/daemon.go
+++ b/daemon/daemon.go
@@ -253,7 +253,10 @@ func (d *Daemon) updatePolicy(spec update.Spec, updates policy.Updates) DaemonJo
 			return metadata, nil
 		}
 
-		commitAuthor := getCommitAuthor(d.Checkout.Config.SetAuthor, spec.Cause.User)
+		commitAuthor := ""
+		if d.Checkout.Config.SetAuthor {
+			commitAuthor = spec.Cause.User
+		}
 		commitAction := &git.CommitAction{Author: commitAuthor, Message: policyCommitMessage(updates, spec.Cause)}
 		if err := working.CommitAndPush(ctx, commitAction, &git.Note{JobID: jobID, Spec: spec}); err != nil {
 			// On the chance pushing failed because it was not
@@ -289,7 +292,10 @@ func (d *Daemon) release(spec update.Spec, c release.Changes) DaemonJobFunc {
 			if commitMsg == "" {
 				commitMsg = c.CommitMessage()
 			}
-			commitAuthor := getCommitAuthor(d.Checkout.Config.SetAuthor, spec.Cause.User)
+			commitAuthor := ""
+			if d.Checkout.Config.SetAuthor {
+				commitAuthor = spec.Cause.User
+			}
 			commitAction := &git.CommitAction{Author: commitAuthor, Message: commitMsg}
 			if err := working.CommitAndPush(ctx, commitAction, &git.Note{JobID: jobID, Spec: spec, Result: result}); err != nil {
 				// On the chance pushing failed because it was not
@@ -516,10 +522,3 @@ func policyEventTypes(u policy.Update) []string {
 	sort.Strings(result)
 	return result
 }
-
-func getCommitAuthor(setAuthor bool, author string) string {
-	if !setAuthor {
-		author = ""
-	}
-	return author
-}