diff --git a/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/api/ModifyCommandBuilder.java b/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/api/ModifyCommandBuilder.java
index 9cfcaebd6a..0dbd45d0a0 100644
--- a/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/api/ModifyCommandBuilder.java
+++ b/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/api/ModifyCommandBuilder.java
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ public class ModifyCommandBuilder {
    */
   public String execute() {
     try {
-      Preconditions.checkArgument(request.isValid(), "commit message, author and branch are required");
+      Preconditions.checkArgument(request.isValid(), "commit message, branch and at least one request are required");
       return command.execute(request);
     } finally {
       try {
diff --git a/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/spi/ModifyCommandRequest.java b/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/spi/ModifyCommandRequest.java
index 958cd4a485..94bf84ae70 100644
--- a/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/spi/ModifyCommandRequest.java
+++ b/scm-core/src/main/java/sonia/scm/repository/spi/ModifyCommandRequest.java
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ public class ModifyCommandRequest implements Resetable, Validateable {
 
   @Override
   public boolean isValid() {
-    return StringUtils.isNotEmpty(commitMessage) && StringUtils.isNotEmpty(branch) && author != null && !requests.isEmpty();
+    return StringUtils.isNotEmpty(commitMessage) && StringUtils.isNotEmpty(branch) && !requests.isEmpty();
   }
 
   public interface PartialRequest {