diff --git a/lib/controllers/git-tab-controller.js b/lib/controllers/git-tab-controller.js
index 1045eb6f8d..60cf360cd3 100644
--- a/lib/controllers/git-tab-controller.js
+++ b/lib/controllers/git-tab-controller.js
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ export default class GitTabController extends React.Component {
   static getDerivedStateFromProps(props, state) {
     return {
       editingIdentity: state.editingIdentity ||
-        (!props.fetchInProgress && !props.repository.showGitTabLoading() && !props.repositoryDrift) &&
+        (!props.fetchInProgress && props.repository.isPresent() && !props.repositoryDrift) &&
         (props.username === '' || props.email === ''),
     };
   }
diff --git a/styles/git-identity.less b/styles/git-identity.less
index c37375c6d6..9de8483119 100644
--- a/styles/git-identity.less
+++ b/styles/git-identity.less
@@ -17,10 +17,11 @@
 
   &-text {
     width: 90%;
-    margin-bottom: @component-padding * 3;
+    margin-bottom: @component-padding * 2;
 
     .github-AtomTextEditor-container {
-      margin: @component-padding/2 0;
+      margin: @component-padding 0;
+      height: inherit;
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/test/controllers/git-tab-controller.test.js b/test/controllers/git-tab-controller.test.js
index 7e60629b6a..d04a79c832 100644
--- a/test/controllers/git-tab-controller.test.js
+++ b/test/controllers/git-tab-controller.test.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import path from 'path';
 import React from 'react';
 import {mount} from 'enzyme';
 import dedent from 'dedent-js';
+import temp from 'temp';
 
 import GitTabController from '../../lib/controllers/git-tab-controller';
 import {gitTabControllerProps} from '../fixtures/props/git-tab-props';
@@ -119,6 +120,28 @@ describe('GitTabController', function() {
       assert.isFalse(wrapper.find('GitTabView').prop('editingIdentity'));
     });
 
+    it('is not shown for an absent repository', async function() {
+      const wrapper = mount(await buildApp(Repository.absent(), {
+        fetchInProgress: false,
+        username: '',
+        email: '',
+      }));
+
+      assert.isFalse(wrapper.find('GitTabView').prop('editingIdentity'));
+    });
+
+    it('is not shown for an empty repository', async function() {
+      const nongit = temp.mkdirSync();
+      const repository = await buildRepository(nongit);
+      const wrapper = mount(await buildApp(repository, {
+        fetchInProgress: false,
+        username: '',
+        email: '',
+      }));
+
+      assert.isFalse(wrapper.find('GitTabView').prop('editingIdentity'));
+    });
+
     it('is shown by default when username or email are empty', async function() {
       const repository = await buildRepository(await cloneRepository('three-files'));
       const wrapper = mount(await buildApp(repository, {