lib/PublicInbox/Import.pm | 27 +++++++++++++++++++--------

diff --git a/lib/PublicInbox/Import.pm b/lib/PublicInbox/Import.pm
index 845fbb69852e57f465a47e73de844330215ff888..f8d100377e17e6e3058b2a91e3b0795969b276ea 100644
--- a/lib/PublicInbox/Import.pm
+++ b/lib/PublicInbox/Import.pm
@@ -246,11 +246,6 @@
 	my $from = $mime->header('From');
 	my ($email) = PublicInbox::Address::emails($from);
 	my ($name) = PublicInbox::Address::names($from);
-	# git gets confused with:
-	#  "'A U Thor <u@example.com>' via foo" <foo@example.com>
-	# ref:
-	# <CAD0k6qSUYANxbjjbE4jTW4EeVwOYgBD=bXkSu=akiYC_CB7Ffw@mail.gmail.com>
-	$name =~ tr/<>//d;
 
 	my $date_raw = parse_date($mime);
 	my $subject = $mime->header('Subject');
@@ -297,10 +292,26 @@ 	unless ($parent) {
 		print $w "reset $ref\n" or wfail;
 	}
 
-	utf8::encode($email);
-	utf8::encode($name);
+	# quiet down wide character warnings with utf8::encode
+	if (defined $email) {
+		utf8::encode($email);
+	} else {
+		$email = '';
+		warn "no email in From: $from\n";
+	}
+
+	# git gets confused with:
+	#  "'A U Thor <u@example.com>' via foo" <foo@example.com>
+	# ref:
+	# <CAD0k6qSUYANxbjjbE4jTW4EeVwOYgBD=bXkSu=akiYC_CB7Ffw@mail.gmail.com>
+	if (defined $name) {
+		$name =~ tr/<>//d;
+		utf8::encode($name);
+	} else {
+		$name = '';
+		warn "no name in From: $from\n";
+	}
 	utf8::encode($subject);
-	# quiet down wide character warnings:
 	print $w "commit $ref\nmark :$commit\n",
 		"author $name <$email> $date_raw\n",
 		"committer $self->{ident} ", now_raw(), "\n" or wfail;