diff --git a/refs/reftable-backend.c b/refs/reftable-backend.c
index 8a54b0d8b2..a5ef36ffa9 100644
--- a/refs/reftable-backend.c
+++ b/refs/reftable-backend.c
@@ -171,32 +171,30 @@ static int should_write_log(struct ref_store *refs, const char *refname)
 	}
 }
 
-static void fill_reftable_log_record(struct reftable_log_record *log)
+static void fill_reftable_log_record(struct reftable_log_record *log, const struct ident_split *split)
 {
-	const char *info = git_committer_info(0);
-	struct ident_split split = {0};
+	const char *tz_begin;
 	int sign = 1;
 
-	if (split_ident_line(&split, info, strlen(info)))
-		BUG("failed splitting committer info");
-
 	reftable_log_record_release(log);
 	log->value_type = REFTABLE_LOG_UPDATE;
 	log->value.update.name =
-		xstrndup(split.name_begin, split.name_end - split.name_begin);
+		xstrndup(split->name_begin, split->name_end - split->name_begin);
 	log->value.update.email =
-		xstrndup(split.mail_begin, split.mail_end - split.mail_begin);
-	log->value.update.time = atol(split.date_begin);
-	if (*split.tz_begin == '-') {
+		xstrndup(split->mail_begin, split->mail_end - split->mail_begin);
+	log->value.update.time = atol(split->date_begin);
+
+	tz_begin = split->tz_begin;
+	if (*tz_begin == '-') {
 		sign = -1;
-		split.tz_begin++;
+		tz_begin++;
 	}
-	if (*split.tz_begin == '+') {
+	if (*tz_begin == '+') {
 		sign = 1;
-		split.tz_begin++;
+		tz_begin++;
 	}
 
-	log->value.update.tz_offset = sign * atoi(split.tz_begin);
+	log->value.update.tz_offset = sign * atoi(tz_begin);
 }
 
 static int read_ref_without_reload(struct reftable_stack *stack,
@@ -1018,9 +1016,15 @@ static int write_transaction_table(struct reftable_writer *writer, void *cb_data
 		reftable_stack_merged_table(arg->stack);
 	uint64_t ts = reftable_stack_next_update_index(arg->stack);
 	struct reftable_log_record *logs = NULL;
+	struct ident_split committer_ident = {0};
 	size_t logs_nr = 0, logs_alloc = 0, i;
+	const char *committer_info;
 	int ret = 0;
 
+	committer_info = git_committer_info(0);
+	if (split_ident_line(&committer_ident, committer_info, strlen(committer_info)))
+		BUG("failed splitting committer info");
+
 	QSORT(arg->updates, arg->updates_nr, transaction_update_cmp);
 
 	reftable_writer_set_limits(writer, ts, ts);
@@ -1086,7 +1090,7 @@ static int write_transaction_table(struct reftable_writer *writer, void *cb_data
 			log = &logs[logs_nr++];
 			memset(log, 0, sizeof(*log));
 
-			fill_reftable_log_record(log);
+			fill_reftable_log_record(log, &committer_ident);
 			log->update_index = ts;
 			log->refname = xstrdup(u->refname);
 			memcpy(log->value.update.new_hash, u->new_oid.hash, GIT_MAX_RAWSZ);
@@ -1233,9 +1237,11 @@ static int write_create_symref_table(struct reftable_writer *writer, void *cb_da
 		.value.symref = (char *)create->target,
 		.update_index = ts,
 	};
+	struct ident_split committer_ident = {0};
 	struct reftable_log_record log = {0};
 	struct object_id new_oid;
 	struct object_id old_oid;
+	const char *committer_info;
 	int ret;
 
 	reftable_writer_set_limits(writer, ts, ts);
@@ -1263,7 +1269,11 @@ static int write_create_symref_table(struct reftable_writer *writer, void *cb_da
 	    !should_write_log(&create->refs->base, create->refname))
 		return 0;
 
-	fill_reftable_log_record(&log);
+	committer_info = git_committer_info(0);
+	if (split_ident_line(&committer_ident, committer_info, strlen(committer_info)))
+		BUG("failed splitting committer info");
+
+	fill_reftable_log_record(&log, &committer_ident);
 	log.refname = xstrdup(create->refname);
 	log.update_index = ts;
 	log.value.update.message = xstrndup(create->logmsg,
@@ -1339,10 +1349,16 @@ static int write_copy_table(struct reftable_writer *writer, void *cb_data)
 	struct reftable_log_record old_log = {0}, *logs = NULL;
 	struct reftable_iterator it = {0};
 	struct string_list skip = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP;
+	struct ident_split committer_ident = {0};
 	struct strbuf errbuf = STRBUF_INIT;
 	size_t logs_nr = 0, logs_alloc = 0, i;
+	const char *committer_info;
 	int ret;
 
+	committer_info = git_committer_info(0);
+	if (split_ident_line(&committer_ident, committer_info, strlen(committer_info)))
+		BUG("failed splitting committer info");
+
 	if (reftable_stack_read_ref(arg->stack, arg->oldname, &old_ref)) {
 		ret = error(_("refname %s not found"), arg->oldname);
 		goto done;
@@ -1417,7 +1433,7 @@ static int write_copy_table(struct reftable_writer *writer, void *cb_data)
 
 		ALLOC_GROW(logs, logs_nr + 1, logs_alloc);
 		memset(&logs[logs_nr], 0, sizeof(logs[logs_nr]));
-		fill_reftable_log_record(&logs[logs_nr]);
+		fill_reftable_log_record(&logs[logs_nr], &committer_ident);
 		logs[logs_nr].refname = (char *)arg->newname;
 		logs[logs_nr].update_index = deletion_ts;
 		logs[logs_nr].value.update.message =
@@ -1449,7 +1465,7 @@ static int write_copy_table(struct reftable_writer *writer, void *cb_data)
 	 */
 	ALLOC_GROW(logs, logs_nr + 1, logs_alloc);
 	memset(&logs[logs_nr], 0, sizeof(logs[logs_nr]));
-	fill_reftable_log_record(&logs[logs_nr]);
+	fill_reftable_log_record(&logs[logs_nr], &committer_ident);
 	logs[logs_nr].refname = (char *)arg->newname;
 	logs[logs_nr].update_index = creation_ts;
 	logs[logs_nr].value.update.message =