diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/MetaDataUpdate.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/MetaDataUpdate.java
index dc08a6c4e9..43e09757a1 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/MetaDataUpdate.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/MetaDataUpdate.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import com.google.gerrit.server.GerritPersonIdent;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.IdentifiedUser;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.extensions.events.GitReferenceUpdated;
 import com.google.inject.Inject;
+import com.google.inject.Provider;
 import com.google.inject.assistedinject.Assisted;
 
 import org.eclipse.jgit.errors.RepositoryNotFoundException;
@@ -35,30 +36,34 @@ public class MetaDataUpdate {
     private final InternalFactory factory;
     private final GitRepositoryManager mgr;
     private final PersonIdent serverIdent;
-    private final PersonIdent userIdent;
+    private final Provider<IdentifiedUser> identifiedUser;
 
     @Inject
     User(InternalFactory factory, GitRepositoryManager mgr,
-        @GerritPersonIdent PersonIdent serverIdent, IdentifiedUser currentUser) {
+        @GerritPersonIdent PersonIdent serverIdent,
+        Provider<IdentifiedUser> identifiedUser) {
       this.factory = factory;
       this.mgr = mgr;
       this.serverIdent = serverIdent;
-      this.userIdent = currentUser.newCommitterIdent( //
-          serverIdent.getWhen(), //
-          serverIdent.getTimeZone());
+      this.identifiedUser = identifiedUser;
     }
 
     public PersonIdent getUserPersonIdent() {
-      return userIdent;
+      return createPersonIdent();
     }
 
     public MetaDataUpdate create(Project.NameKey name)
         throws RepositoryNotFoundException, IOException {
       MetaDataUpdate md = factory.create(name, mgr.openRepository(name));
-      md.getCommitBuilder().setAuthor(userIdent);
+      md.getCommitBuilder().setAuthor(createPersonIdent());
       md.getCommitBuilder().setCommitter(serverIdent);
       return md;
     }
+
+    private PersonIdent createPersonIdent() {
+      return identifiedUser.get().newCommitterIdent(
+          serverIdent.getWhen(), serverIdent.getTimeZone());
+    }
   }
 
   public static class Server {
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/project/SetHead.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/project/SetHead.java
index 3e7a42fc9e..2f8e26d767 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/project/SetHead.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/project/SetHead.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import com.google.gerrit.server.auth.AuthException;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.git.GitRepositoryManager;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.project.SetHead.Input;
 import com.google.inject.Inject;
+import com.google.inject.Provider;
 
 import org.eclipse.jgit.errors.RepositoryNotFoundException;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Constants;
@@ -40,10 +41,10 @@ public class SetHead implements RestModifyView<ProjectResource, Input> {
   }
 
   private final GitRepositoryManager repoManager;
-  private final IdentifiedUser identifiedUser;
+  private final Provider<IdentifiedUser> identifiedUser;
 
   @Inject
-  SetHead(GitRepositoryManager repoManager, IdentifiedUser identifiedUser) {
+  SetHead(GitRepositoryManager repoManager, Provider<IdentifiedUser> identifiedUser) {
     this.repoManager = repoManager;
     this.identifiedUser = identifiedUser;
   }
@@ -73,7 +74,7 @@ public class SetHead implements RestModifyView<ProjectResource, Input> {
 
       if (!repo.getRef(Constants.HEAD).getTarget().getName().equals(ref)) {
         final RefUpdate u = repo.updateRef(Constants.HEAD, true);
-        u.setRefLogIdent(identifiedUser.newRefLogIdent());
+        u.setRefLogIdent(identifiedUser.get().newRefLogIdent());
         RefUpdate.Result res = u.link(ref);
         switch(res) {
           case NO_CHANGE: