diff --git a/crates/cuddle-please-commands/src/command.rs b/crates/cuddle-please-commands/src/command.rs
index 4645d47..3265116 100644
--- a/crates/cuddle-please-commands/src/command.rs
+++ b/crates/cuddle-please-commands/src/command.rs
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ impl Command {
 
     pub fn execute(self, current_dir: Option<&Path>) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         let config = self.build_config(current_dir)?;
-        let git_client = self.get_git(config.get_source())?;
+        let git_client = self.get_git(&config)?;
         let gitea_client = self.get_gitea_client(&config);
 
         match &self.commands {
@@ -131,11 +131,15 @@ impl Command {
         Ok(config)
     }
 
-    fn get_git(&self, current_dir: &Path) -> anyhow::Result<VcsClient> {
+    fn get_git(&self, config: &PleaseConfig) -> anyhow::Result<VcsClient> {
         if self.global.no_vcs {
             Ok(VcsClient::new_noop())
         } else {
-            VcsClient::new_git(current_dir)
+            VcsClient::new_git(
+                config.get_source(),
+                config.settings.git_username.clone(),
+                config.settings.git_email.clone(),
+            )
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/crates/cuddle-please-frontend/src/gatheres/cli.rs b/crates/cuddle-please-frontend/src/gatheres/cli.rs
index 54dec55..5632e58 100644
--- a/crates/cuddle-please-frontend/src/gatheres/cli.rs
+++ b/crates/cuddle-please-frontend/src/gatheres/cli.rs
@@ -52,6 +52,24 @@ pub struct ConfigArgs {
         help_heading = "Config"
     )]
     pub branch: Option<String>,
+
+    /// which git username to use for commits
+    #[arg(
+        env = "CUDDLE_PLEASE_GIT_USERNAME",
+        long,
+        global = true,
+        help_heading = "Config"
+    )]
+    pub git_username: Option<String>,
+
+    /// which git email to use for commits
+    #[arg(
+        env = "CUDDLE_PLEASE_GIT_EMAIL",
+        long,
+        global = true,
+        help_heading = "Config"
+    )]
+    pub git_email: Option<String>,
 }
 
 impl From<ConfigArgs> for PleaseConfigBuilder {
@@ -65,6 +83,8 @@ impl From<ConfigArgs> for PleaseConfigBuilder {
             }),
             settings: Some(PleaseSettingsConfigBuilder {
                 api_url: value.api_url,
+                git_username: value.git_username,
+                git_email: value.git_email,
             }),
         }
     }
diff --git a/crates/cuddle-please-frontend/src/lib.rs b/crates/cuddle-please-frontend/src/lib.rs
index d66b5c6..fb55cef 100644
--- a/crates/cuddle-please-frontend/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/cuddle-please-frontend/src/lib.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ pub struct PleaseProjectConfig {
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
 pub struct PleaseSettingsConfig {
     pub api_url: String,
+    pub git_username: Option<String>,
+    pub git_email: Option<String>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
@@ -43,6 +45,12 @@ impl PleaseConfig {
     pub fn get_api_url(&self) -> &str {
         &self.settings.api_url
     }
+    pub fn get_git_username(&self) -> Option<String> {
+        self.settings.git_username.clone()
+    }
+    pub fn get_git_email(&self) -> Option<String> {
+        self.settings.git_email.clone()
+    }
 }
 
 impl Display for PleaseConfig {
@@ -52,6 +60,12 @@ impl Display for PleaseConfig {
         writeln!(f, "  repository: {}", self.get_repository())?;
         writeln!(f, "  branch: {}", self.get_branch())?;
         writeln!(f, "  api_url: {}", self.get_api_url())?;
+        if let Some(git_username) = self.get_git_username() {
+            writeln!(f, "  git_username: {}", git_username)?;
+        }
+        if let Some(git_email) = self.get_git_email() {
+            writeln!(f, "  git_email: {}", git_email)?;
+        }
 
         Ok(())
     }
diff --git a/crates/cuddle-please-frontend/src/stage0_config.rs b/crates/cuddle-please-frontend/src/stage0_config.rs
index 5bb78f8..6c8c689 100644
--- a/crates/cuddle-please-frontend/src/stage0_config.rs
+++ b/crates/cuddle-please-frontend/src/stage0_config.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ pub struct PleaseProjectConfigBuilder {
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, Default)]
 pub struct PleaseSettingsConfigBuilder {
     pub api_url: Option<String>,
+    pub git_username: Option<String>,
+    pub git_email: Option<String>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, Default)]
@@ -56,6 +58,13 @@ impl PleaseConfigBuilder {
                 fsettings.api_url = Some(api_url);
             }
 
+            if let Some(git_username) = settings.git_username {
+                fsettings.git_username = Some(git_username);
+            }
+            if let Some(git_email) = settings.git_email {
+                fsettings.git_email = Some(git_email);
+            }
+
             self.settings = Some(fsettings);
         }
 
@@ -99,6 +108,8 @@ impl TryFrom<PleaseSettingsConfigBuilder> for PleaseSettingsConfig {
     fn try_from(value: PleaseSettingsConfigBuilder) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
         Ok(Self {
             api_url: value.api_url.ok_or(value_is_missing("api_url"))?,
+            git_username: value.git_username.clone(),
+            git_email: value.git_username.clone(),
         })
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/cuddle-please-misc/src/git_client.rs b/crates/cuddle-please-misc/src/git_client.rs
index f3f61e9..e8c213b 100644
--- a/crates/cuddle-please-misc/src/git_client.rs
+++ b/crates/cuddle-please-misc/src/git_client.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@ use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq)]
 pub enum VcsClient {
     Noop {},
-    Git { source: PathBuf },
+    Git {
+        source: PathBuf,
+        username: String,
+        email: String,
+    },
 }
 
 impl VcsClient {
@@ -11,13 +15,23 @@ impl VcsClient {
         Self::Noop {}
     }
 
-    pub fn new_git(path: &Path) -> anyhow::Result<VcsClient> {
+    pub fn new_git(
+        path: &Path,
+        git_username: Option<impl Into<String>>,
+        git_email: Option<impl Into<String>>,
+    ) -> anyhow::Result<VcsClient> {
         if !path.to_path_buf().join(".git").exists() {
             anyhow::bail!("git directory not found in: {}", path.display().to_string())
         }
 
         Ok(Self::Git {
             source: path.to_path_buf(),
+            username: git_username
+                .map(|u| u.into())
+                .unwrap_or("cuddle-please".to_string()),
+            email: git_email
+                .map(|e| e.into())
+                .unwrap_or("bot@cuddle.sh".to_string()),
         })
     }
 
@@ -38,7 +52,7 @@ impl VcsClient {
     fn exec_git(&self, args: &[&str]) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         match self {
             VcsClient::Noop {} => {}
-            VcsClient::Git { source } => {
+            VcsClient::Git { source, .. } => {
                 let checkout_branch = std::process::Command::new("git")
                     .current_dir(source.as_path())
                     .args(args)
diff --git a/crates/cuddle-please/tests/git.rs b/crates/cuddle-please/tests/git.rs
index f123965..953c937 100644
--- a/crates/cuddle-please/tests/git.rs
+++ b/crates/cuddle-please/tests/git.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ fn exec_git_into_branch() {
     add_commit(tempdir.path(), "second").unwrap();
     add_tag(tempdir.path(), "1.0.1").unwrap();
 
-    let vcs = VcsClient::new_git(tempdir.path()).unwrap();
+    let vcs = VcsClient::new_git(tempdir.path(), None::<String>, None::<String>).unwrap();
     vcs.checkout_branch().unwrap();
 
     let output = std::process::Command::new("git")
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ fn add_files_to_commit() {
     add_commit(tempdir.path(), "first").unwrap();
     add_tag(tempdir.path(), "1.0.0").unwrap();
 
-    let vcs = VcsClient::new_git(tempdir.path()).unwrap();
+    let vcs = VcsClient::new_git(tempdir.path(), None::<String>, None::<String>).unwrap();
     vcs.checkout_branch().unwrap();
 
     std::fs::File::create(tempdir.path().join("changelog")).unwrap();
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ fn reset_branch() {
     add_commit(tempdir.path(), "first").unwrap();
     add_tag(tempdir.path(), "1.0.0").unwrap();
 
-    let vcs = VcsClient::new_git(tempdir.path()).unwrap();
+    let vcs = VcsClient::new_git(tempdir.path(), None::<String>, None::<String>).unwrap();
     vcs.checkout_branch().unwrap();
 
     std::fs::File::create(tempdir.path().join("changelog-first")).unwrap();
diff --git a/crates/cuddle-please/tests/vcs.rs b/crates/cuddle-please/tests/vcs.rs
index 0575160..13265be 100644
--- a/crates/cuddle-please/tests/vcs.rs
+++ b/crates/cuddle-please/tests/vcs.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,13 @@ fn test_vcs_get_noop() {
 #[traced_test]
 fn test_vcs_get_git_found() {
     let testdata = get_test_data_path("git-found");
-    let git = VcsClient::new_git(&testdata).unwrap();
-    assert_eq!(git, VcsClient::Git { source: testdata })
+    let git = VcsClient::new_git(&testdata, None::<String>, None::<String>).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(
+        git,
+        VcsClient::Git {
+            source: testdata,
+            username: "cuddle-please".into(),
+            email: "bot@cuddle.sh".into()
+        }
+    )
 }