diff --git a/editor/js/ui/projects/projects.js b/editor/js/ui/projects/projects.js
index 6a0309883..be3324873 100644
--- a/editor/js/ui/projects/projects.js
+++ b/editor/js/ui/projects/projects.js
@@ -67,6 +67,22 @@ RED.projects = (function() {
                 var gitEmailInput;
                 return {
                     content: function(options) {
+                        var isGlobalConfig = false;
+                        var existingGitSettings = RED.settings.get('git');
+                        if (existingGitSettings && existingGitSettings.user) {
+                            existingGitSettings = existingGitSettings.user;
+                        } else if (RED.settings.git && RED.settings.git.globalUser) {
+                            isGlobalConfig = true;
+                            existingGitSettings = RED.settings.git.globalUser;
+                        }
+
+                        var validateForm = function() {
+                            var name = gitUsernameInput.val().trim();
+                            var email = gitEmailInput.val().trim();
+                            var valid = name.length > 0 && email.length > 0;
+                            $("#projects-dialog-git-config").prop('disabled',!valid).toggleClass('disabled ui-button-disabled ui-state-disabled',!valid);
+
+                        }
 
                         var container = $('<div class="projects-dialog-screen-start"></div>');
                         migrateProjectHeader.appendTo(container);
@@ -75,23 +91,26 @@ RED.projects = (function() {
                         $('<p>').text("Setup your version control client").appendTo(body);
                         $('<p>').text("Node-RED uses the open source tool Git for version control. It tracks changes to your project files and lets you push them to remote repositories.").appendTo(body);
                         $('<p>').text("When you commit a set of changes, Git records who made the changes with a username and email address. The Username can be anything you want - it does not need to be your real name.").appendTo(body);
-                        $('<p>').text("If your Git client is already configured, you can skip this step.").appendTo(body);
-
-                        var currentGitSettings = RED.settings.get('git') || {};
-                        currentGitSettings.user = currentGitSettings.user || {};
 
+                        if (isGlobalConfig) {
+                            $('<p>').text("Your Git client is already configured with the details below.").appendTo(body);
+                        }
+                        $('<p>').text("You can change these settings later under the 'Git config' tab of the settings dialog.").appendTo(body);
 
                         var row = $('<div class="form-row"></div>').appendTo(body);
                         $('<label for="">Username</label>').appendTo(row);
-                        gitUsernameInput = $('<input type="text">').val(currentGitSettings.user.name||"").appendTo(row);
+                        gitUsernameInput = $('<input type="text">').val(existingGitSettings.name||"").appendTo(row);
                         // $('<div style="position:relative;"></div>').text("This does not need to be your real name").appendTo(row);
+                        gitUsernameInput.on("change keyup paste",validateForm);
 
                         row = $('<div class="form-row"></div>').appendTo(body);
                         $('<label for="">Email</label>').appendTo(row);
-                        gitEmailInput = $('<input type="text">').val(currentGitSettings.user.email||"").appendTo(row);
+                        gitEmailInput = $('<input type="text">').val(existingGitSettings.email||"").appendTo(row);
+                        gitEmailInput.on("change keyup paste",validateForm);
                         // $('<div style="position:relative;"></div>').text("Something something email").appendTo(row);
                         setTimeout(function() {
                             gitUsernameInput.focus();
+                            validateForm();
                         },50);
                         return container;
                     },
@@ -104,6 +123,7 @@ RED.projects = (function() {
                             }
                         },
                         {
+                            id: "projects-dialog-git-config",
                             text: "Next", // TODO: nls
                             class: "primary",
                             click: function() {
diff --git a/red/api/editor/settings.js b/red/api/editor/settings.js
index 9aeafb1ca..c22f8ea31 100644
--- a/red/api/editor/settings.js
+++ b/red/api/editor/settings.js
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ module.exports = {
                 flow: runtime.storage.projects.getFlowFilename(),
                 credentials: runtime.storage.projects.getCredentialsFilename()
             }
+            safeSettings.git = {
+                globalUser: runtime.storage.projects.getGlobalGitUser()
+            }
         }
 
         safeSettings.flowEncryptionType = runtime.nodes.getCredentialKeyType();
diff --git a/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/git/index.js b/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/git/index.js
index 071ede76a..076fe8293 100644
--- a/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/git/index.js
+++ b/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/git/index.js
@@ -369,11 +369,27 @@ module.exports = {
     init: function(_settings,_runtime) {
         log = _runtime.log
         return new Promise(function(resolve,reject) {
-            runGitCommand(["--version"]).then(function(output) {
-                var m = / (\d\S+)/.exec(output);
+            Promise.all([
+                runGitCommand(["--version"]),
+                runGitCommand(["config","--global","user.name"]).catch(err=>""),
+                runGitCommand(["config","--global","user.email"]).catch(err=>"")
+            ]).then(function(output) {
+                var m = / (\d\S+)/.exec(output[0]);
                 gitVersion = m[1];
-                resolve(gitVersion);
+                var globalUserName = output[1].trim();
+                var globalUserEmail = output[2].trim();
+                var result = {
+                    version: gitVersion
+                };
+                if (globalUserName && globalUserEmail) {
+                    result.user = {
+                        name: globalUserName,
+                        email: globalUserEmail
+                    }
+                }
+                resolve(result);
             }).catch(function(err) {
+                console.log(err);
                 resolve(null);
             });
         });
diff --git a/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/index.js b/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/index.js
index 3f0ff806b..c9edfe884 100644
--- a/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/index.js
+++ b/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/index.js
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ var projectLogMessages = [];
 var projectsDir;
 var activeProject
 
+var globalGitUser = false;
+
 function init(_settings, _runtime) {
     settings = _settings;
     runtime = _runtime;
@@ -89,11 +91,12 @@ function init(_settings, _runtime) {
 
     if (projectsEnabled) {
         return sshTools.init(settings,runtime).then(function() {
-            gitTools.init(_settings, _runtime).then(function(gitVersion) {
-                if (!gitVersion) {
+            gitTools.init(_settings, _runtime).then(function(gitConfig) {
+                if (!gitConfig) {
                     projectLogMessages.push(log._("storage.localfilesystem.projects.git-not-found"))
                     projectsEnabled = false;
                 } else {
+                    globalGitUser = gitConfig.user;
                     Projects.init(settings,runtime);
                     sshTools.init(settings,runtime);
                     projectsDir = fspath.join(settings.userDir,"projects");
@@ -553,7 +556,7 @@ module.exports = {
     updateRemote: updateRemote,
     getFlowFilename: getFlowFilename,
     getCredentialsFilename: getCredentialsFilename,
-
+    getGlobalGitUser: function() { return globalGitUser },
     getFlows: getFlows,
     saveFlows: saveFlows,
     getCredentials: getCredentials,