diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 08deb9c..1cc4a76 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -44,6 +44,19 @@ GH_TOKEN=ghp_vervang-mij
 # producten/repos toevoegt aan Scrum4Me.
 GH_PRECLONE_REPOS=madhura68/Scrum4Me,madhura68/scrum4me-mcp
 
+# ----- Git commit-author -------------------------------------
+# Verplicht — Vercel weigert deploys waarvan de commit-author email
+# niet aan een GitHub-account hangt ("commit author email is not
+# valid"). Gebruik de noreply-vorm voor maximale privacy:
+#
+#   github.com → Settings → Emails → "Keep my email private"
+#   formaat: <user-id>+<username>@users.noreply.github.com
+#
+# Voorbeeld voor madhura68:
+#   GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL=12345678+madhura68@users.noreply.github.com
+GIT_AUTHOR_NAME=Scrum4Me Agent
+GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL=vervang-mij@users.noreply.github.com
+
 # ----- Scrum4Me database ------------------------------------
 # Beide URLs uit het Neon-dashboard. DATABASE_URL is pooled,
 # DIRECT_URL is unpooled — scrum4me-mcp gebruikt DATABASE_URL
diff --git a/bin/repo-bootstrap.sh b/bin/repo-bootstrap.sh
index a646d8a..850c42f 100644
--- a/bin/repo-bootstrap.sh
+++ b/bin/repo-bootstrap.sh
@@ -38,9 +38,20 @@ if [[ ! -f "$CREDS_FILE" ]] || ! grep -q "oauth2:${GH_TOKEN}@github.com" "$CREDS
     log "git credentials helper configured at ${CREDS_FILE}"
 fi
 
-# Prevent the token from leaking into commit-author of automated commits.
+# Commit-author identity. GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL MUST be a valid GitHub-linked
+# address — Vercel rejects deployments whose latest commit has an
+# unknown author email ("commit author email is not valid"). Easiest
+# choice: the no-reply form `<id>+<username>@users.noreply.github.com`
+# (find it on github.com → Settings → Emails → "Keep my email private").
+if [[ -z "${GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL:-}" ]]; then
+    log "ERROR: GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL not set. Vercel will reject deploys whose"
+    log "       commit author email isn't tied to a GitHub account."
+    log "       Use the noreply form, e.g.:"
+    log "         GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL=12345678+madhura68@users.noreply.github.com"
+    exit 2
+fi
 git config --global user.name "${GIT_AUTHOR_NAME:-Scrum4Me Agent}"
-git config --global user.email "${GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL:-agent@scrum4me.local}"
+git config --global user.email "${GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL}"
 
 # ----- 2. clone-or-fetch each repo --------------------------------------
 mkdir -p "$HOME/Projects"