diff --git a/src/cli_util.rs b/src/cli_util.rs
index 4baffc533..8aec77f82 100644
--- a/src/cli_util.rs
+++ b/src/cli_util.rs
@@ -797,6 +797,14 @@ impl WorkspaceCommandHelper {
             let git_repo = self.repo.store().git_repo().unwrap();
             git::export_refs(&self.repo, &git_repo)?;
         }
+        let settings = ui.settings();
+        if settings.user_name() == UserSettings::user_name_placeholder()
+            || settings.user_email() == UserSettings::user_email_placeholder()
+        {
+            ui.write_warn(r#"Name and email not configured. Add something like the following to $HOME/.jjconfig.toml:
+  user.name = "Some One"
+  user.email = "someone@example.com""#)?;
+        }
         Ok(())
     }
 }
diff --git a/tests/test_global_opts.rs b/tests/test_global_opts.rs
index 6edaf020f..006875fb4 100644
--- a/tests/test_global_opts.rs
+++ b/tests/test_global_opts.rs
@@ -144,6 +144,35 @@ fn test_invalid_config() {
     "###);
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn test_no_user_configured() {
+    // Test that the user is reminded if they haven't configured their name or email
+    let test_env = TestEnvironment::default();
+    test_env.jj_cmd_success(test_env.env_root(), &["init", "repo", "--git"]);
+    let repo_path = test_env.env_root().join("repo");
+
+    let assert = test_env
+        .jj_cmd(&repo_path, &["describe", "-m", "without name"])
+        .env_remove("JJ_USER")
+        .assert()
+        .success();
+    insta::assert_snapshot!(get_stderr_string(&assert), @r###"
+    Name and email not configured. Add something like the following to $HOME/.jjconfig.toml:
+      user.name = "Some One"
+      user.email = "someone@example.com"
+    "###);
+    let assert = test_env
+        .jj_cmd(&repo_path, &["describe", "-m", "without email"])
+        .env_remove("JJ_EMAIL")
+        .assert()
+        .success();
+    insta::assert_snapshot!(get_stderr_string(&assert), @r###"
+    Name and email not configured. Add something like the following to $HOME/.jjconfig.toml:
+      user.name = "Some One"
+      user.email = "someone@example.com"
+    "###);
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn test_help() {
     // Test that global options are separated out in the help output