diff --git a/.cirrus.yml b/.cirrus.yml
index fe754032617..4a7c4eaf55e 100644
--- a/.cirrus.yml
+++ b/.cirrus.yml
@@ -21,11 +21,13 @@ persistent_worker_template: &PERSISTENT_WORKER_TEMPLATE
 base_template: &BASE_TEMPLATE
   skip: $CIRRUS_REPO_FULL_NAME == "bitcoin-core/gui" && $CIRRUS_PR == ""  # No need to run on the read-only mirror, unless it is a PR. https://cirrus-ci.org/guide/writing-tasks/#conditional-task-execution
   merge_base_script:
+    # Unconditionally install git (used in fingerprint_script) and set the
+    # default git author name (used in verify-commits.py)
     - bash -c "$PACKAGE_MANAGER_INSTALL git"
-    - if [ "$CIRRUS_PR" = "" ]; then exit 0; fi
-    - git fetch $CIRRUS_REPO_CLONE_URL $CIRRUS_BASE_BRANCH
     - git config --global user.email "ci@ci.ci"
     - git config --global user.name "ci"
+    - if [ "$CIRRUS_PR" = "" ]; then exit 0; fi
+    - git fetch $CIRRUS_REPO_CLONE_URL $CIRRUS_BASE_BRANCH
     - git merge FETCH_HEAD  # Merge base to detect silent merge conflicts
   stateful: false  # https://cirrus-ci.org/guide/writing-tasks/#stateful-tasks