diff --git a/src/applications/diffusion/conduit/DiffusionQueryCommitsConduitAPIMethod.php b/src/applications/diffusion/conduit/DiffusionQueryCommitsConduitAPIMethod.php
--- a/src/applications/diffusion/conduit/DiffusionQueryCommitsConduitAPIMethod.php
+++ b/src/applications/diffusion/conduit/DiffusionQueryCommitsConduitAPIMethod.php
@@ -89,18 +89,18 @@
         'repositoryPHID' => $commit->getRepository()->getPHID(),
         'identifier' => $commit->getCommitIdentifier(),
         'epoch' => $commit->getEpoch(),
-        'authorEpoch' => $commit_data->getCommitDetail('authorEpoch'),
+        'authorEpoch' => $commit_data->getAuthorEpoch(),
         'uri' => $uri,
         'isImporting' => !$commit->isImported(),
         'summary' => $commit->getSummary(),
         'authorPHID' => $commit->getAuthorPHID(),
         'committerPHID' => $commit_data->getCommitDetail('committerPHID'),
-        'author' => $commit_data->getAuthorName(),
-        'authorName' => $commit_data->getCommitDetail('authorName'),
-        'authorEmail' => $commit_data->getCommitDetail('authorEmail'),
-        'committer' => $commit_data->getCommitDetail('committer'),
-        'committerName' => $commit_data->getCommitDetail('committerName'),
-        'committerEmail' => $commit_data->getCommitDetail('committerEmail'),
+        'author' => $commit_data->getAuthorString(),
+        'authorName' => $commit_data->getAuthorDisplayName(),
+        'authorEmail' => $commit_data->getAuthorEmail(),
+        'committer' => $commit_data->getCommitterString(),
+        'committerName' => $commit_data->getCommitterDisplayName(),
+        'committerEmail' => $commit_data->getCommitterEmail(),
         'hashes' => array(),
       );
 
diff --git a/src/applications/diffusion/controller/DiffusionCommitController.php b/src/applications/diffusion/controller/DiffusionCommitController.php
--- a/src/applications/diffusion/controller/DiffusionCommitController.php
+++ b/src/applications/diffusion/controller/DiffusionCommitController.php
@@ -626,7 +626,7 @@
 
     $author_view = $commit->newCommitAuthorView($viewer);
     if ($author_view) {
-      $author_date = $data->getCommitDetail('authorEpoch');
+      $author_date = $data->getAuthorEpoch();
       $author_date = phabricator_datetime($author_date, $viewer);
 
       $provenance_list->addItem(
diff --git a/src/applications/diffusion/data/DiffusionPathChange.php b/src/applications/diffusion/data/DiffusionPathChange.php
--- a/src/applications/diffusion/data/DiffusionPathChange.php
+++ b/src/applications/diffusion/data/DiffusionPathChange.php
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@
 
   public function getAuthorName() {
     if ($this->getCommitData()) {
-      return $this->getCommitData()->getAuthorName();
+      return $this->getCommitData()->getAuthorString();
     }
     return null;
   }
diff --git a/src/applications/diffusion/view/DiffusionTagListView.php b/src/applications/diffusion/view/DiffusionTagListView.php
--- a/src/applications/diffusion/view/DiffusionTagListView.php
+++ b/src/applications/diffusion/view/DiffusionTagListView.php
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@
     if ($commit->getAuthorPHID()) {
       $author = $this->handles[$commit->getAuthorPHID()]->renderLink();
     } else if ($commit->getCommitData()) {
-      $author = self::renderName($commit->getCommitData()->getAuthorName());
+      $author = self::renderName($commit->getCommitData()->getAuthorString());
     } else {
       $author = self::renderName($tag->getAuthor());
     }
diff --git a/src/applications/repository/management/PhabricatorRepositoryManagementRebuildIdentitiesWorkflow.php b/src/applications/repository/management/PhabricatorRepositoryManagementRebuildIdentitiesWorkflow.php
--- a/src/applications/repository/management/PhabricatorRepositoryManagementRebuildIdentitiesWorkflow.php
+++ b/src/applications/repository/management/PhabricatorRepositoryManagementRebuildIdentitiesWorkflow.php
@@ -202,11 +202,11 @@
       $needs_update = false;
 
       $data = $commit->getCommitData();
-      $author_name = $data->getAuthorName();
+      $author = $data->getAuthorString();
 
       $author_identity = $this->getIdentityForCommit(
         $commit,
-        $author_name);
+        $author);
 
       $author_phid = $commit->getAuthorIdentityPHID();
       $identity_phid = $author_identity->getPHID();
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@
         $needs_update = true;
       }
 
-      $committer_name = $data->getCommitDetail('committer', null);
+      $committer_name = $data->getCommitterString();
       $committer_phid = $commit->getCommitterIdentityPHID();
       if (strlen($committer_name)) {
         $committer_identity = $this->getIdentityForCommit(
diff --git a/src/applications/repository/storage/PhabricatorRepositoryCommit.php b/src/applications/repository/storage/PhabricatorRepositoryCommit.php
--- a/src/applications/repository/storage/PhabricatorRepositoryCommit.php
+++ b/src/applications/repository/storage/PhabricatorRepositoryCommit.php
@@ -515,12 +515,12 @@
 
   private function getRawAuthorStringForDisplay() {
     $data = $this->getCommitData();
-    return $data->getAuthorName();
+    return $data->getAuthorString();
   }
 
   private function getRawCommitterStringForDisplay() {
     $data = $this->getCommitData();
-    return $data->getCommitDetail('committer');
+    return $data->getCommitterString();
   }
 
   public function newCommitRef(PhabricatorUser $viewer) {
@@ -898,12 +898,7 @@
       $committer_user_phid = null;
     }
 
-    $author_epoch = $data->getCommitDetail('authorEpoch');
-    if ($author_epoch) {
-      $author_epoch = (int)$author_epoch;
-    } else {
-      $author_epoch = null;
-    }
+    $author_epoch = $data->getAuthorEpoch();
 
     $audit_status = $this->getAuditStatusObject();
 
diff --git a/src/applications/repository/storage/PhabricatorRepositoryCommitData.php b/src/applications/repository/storage/PhabricatorRepositoryCommitData.php
--- a/src/applications/repository/storage/PhabricatorRepositoryCommitData.php
+++ b/src/applications/repository/storage/PhabricatorRepositoryCommitData.php
@@ -92,13 +92,55 @@
     return array_values($holds);
   }
 
-  public function setCommitRef(DiffusionCommitRef $ref) {
-    $this->setCommitDetail('commitRef', $ref->newDictionary());
+  public function getAuthorString() {
+    $author = phutil_string_cast($this->authorName);
+
+    if (strlen($author)) {
+      return $author;
+    }
+
+    return null;
   }
 
-  public function newCommitRef() {
-    $map = $this->getCommitDetail('commitRef', array());
-    return DiffusionCommitRef::neWFromDictionary($map);
+  public function getAuthorDisplayName() {
+    return $this->getCommitDetailString('authorName');
+  }
+
+  public function getAuthorEmail() {
+    return $this->getCommitDetailString('authorEmail');
+  }
+
+  public function getAuthorEpoch() {
+    $epoch = $this->getCommitDetail('authorEpoch');
+
+    if ($epoch) {
+      return (int)$epoch;
+    }
+
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  public function getCommitterString() {
+    return $this->getCommitDetailString('committer');
+  }
+
+  public function getCommitterDisplayName() {
+    return $this->getCommitDetailString('committerName');
+  }
+
+  public function getCommitterEmail() {
+    return $this->getCommitDetailString('committerEmail');
+  }
+
+  private function getCommitDetailString($key) {
+    $string = $this->getCommitDetail($key);
+    $string = phutil_string_cast($string);
+
+    if (strlen($string)) {
+      return $string;
+    }
+
+    return null;
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/applications/repository/worker/PhabricatorRepositoryCommitPublishWorker.php b/src/applications/repository/worker/PhabricatorRepositoryCommitPublishWorker.php
--- a/src/applications/repository/worker/PhabricatorRepositoryCommitPublishWorker.php
+++ b/src/applications/repository/worker/PhabricatorRepositoryCommitPublishWorker.php
@@ -116,9 +116,9 @@
         array(
           'description'   => $data->getCommitMessage(),
           'summary'       => $data->getSummary(),
-          'authorName'    => $data->getAuthorName(),
+          'authorName'    => $data->getAuthorString(),
           'authorPHID'    => $commit->getAuthorPHID(),
-          'committerName' => $data->getCommitDetail('committer'),
+          'committerName' => $data->getCommitterString(),
           'committerPHID' => $data->getCommitDetail('committerPHID'),
         ));