diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/T0001_PersonIdentTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/T0001_PersonIdentTest.java
index 1b7276bf7..315c49560 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/T0001_PersonIdentTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/T0001_PersonIdentTest.java
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 package org.eclipse.jgit.lib;
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 
 import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.TimeZone;
@@ -83,4 +84,15 @@ public void nullForNameShouldThrowIllegalArgumentException() {
 	public void nullForEmailShouldThrowIllegalArgumentException() {
 		new PersonIdent("A U Thor", null);
 	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testToExternalStringTrimsNameAndEmail() throws Exception {
+		PersonIdent personIdent = new PersonIdent("  A U Thor  ",
+				"  author@example.com  ");
+
+		String externalString = personIdent.toExternalString();
+
+		assertTrue(externalString.startsWith("A U Thor <author@example.com>"));
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/PersonIdent.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/PersonIdent.java
index 69f7fd440..8f7e3eff7 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/PersonIdent.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/PersonIdent.java
@@ -254,9 +254,9 @@ && getEmailAddress().equals(p.getEmailAddress())
 	 */
 	public String toExternalString() {
 		final StringBuilder r = new StringBuilder();
-		r.append(getName());
+		r.append(getName().trim());
 		r.append(" <"); //$NON-NLS-1$
-		r.append(getEmailAddress());
+		r.append(getEmailAddress().trim());
 		r.append("> "); //$NON-NLS-1$
 		r.append(when / 1000);
 		r.append(' ');