diff --git a/regolith/broker.py b/regolith/broker.py
index c8b51bf73..cfe84b90a 100644
--- a/regolith/broker.py
+++ b/regolith/broker.py
@@ -2,11 +2,14 @@
 from regolith.database import dump_database, open_dbs
 from regolith.runcontrol import DEFAULT_RC, load_rcfile, filter_databases
 from regolith.storage import store_client, push
+import os
 
 
 def load_db(rc_file="regolithrc.json"):
     """Create a Broker instance from an rc file"""
     rc = DEFAULT_RC
+    if os.path.exists(rc.user_config):
+        rc._update(load_rcfile(rc.user_config))
     rc._update(load_rcfile(rc_file))
     filter_databases(rc)
     return Broker(rc)
@@ -56,7 +59,7 @@ def add_file(self, document, name, filepath):
         document["files"][name] = output_path
         for db in self.rc.databases:
             dump_database(db, self.db_client, self.rc)
-        push(self.store.store, self.store.path)
+        push(self.store.store, self.store.path, self.rc)
 
     @classmethod
     def from_rc(cls, rc_file="regolithrc.json"):
diff --git a/regolith/storage.py b/regolith/storage.py
index 9e4b01f44..5ff08c020 100644
--- a/regolith/storage.py
+++ b/regolith/storage.py
@@ -81,22 +81,26 @@ def copydocs(store, path, rc):
         shutil.copy2(doc, dst)
 
 
-def push_git(store, path):
+def push_git(store, path, rc):
     """Pushes the local documents via git."""
     storedir, _ = os.path.split(path)
     cmd = ["git", "add", "."]
     subprocess.check_call(cmd, cwd=storedir)
-    cmd = ["git", "commit", "-m", "regolith auto-store commit"]
-    try:
-        subprocess.check_call(cmd, cwd=storedir)
-    except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
-        warn("Could not git commit to " + storedir, RuntimeWarning)
-        return
-    cmd = ["git", "push"]
-    try:
-        subprocess.check_call(cmd, cwd=storedir)
-    except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
-        warn("Could not git push from " + storedir, RuntimeWarning)
+    if "default_user_id" in rc:
+        cmd = ["git", "commit", "-m", f"{rc.default_user_id} regolith auto-store commit"]
+        try:
+            subprocess.check_call(cmd, cwd=storedir)
+        except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
+            warn("Could not git commit to " + storedir, RuntimeWarning)
+            return
+        cmd = ["git", "push"]
+        try:
+            subprocess.check_call(cmd, cwd=storedir)
+        except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
+            warn("Could not git push from " + storedir, RuntimeWarning)
+            return
+    else:
+        print('Please add default_user_id to user.json in .config/regolith folder')
         return
 
 
@@ -110,11 +114,11 @@ def push_hg(store, path):
     client.push()
 
 
-def push(store, path):
+def push(store, path, rc):
     """Pushes the local documents."""
     url = store["url"]
     if url.startswith("git") or url.endswith(".git"):
-        push_git(store, path)
+        push_git(store, path, rc)
     elif url.startswith("hg+"):
         push_hg(store, path)
     elif not os.path.exists(os.path.expanduser(url)):
@@ -179,7 +183,7 @@ def store_client(rc):
     path = storage_path(store, rc)
     sync(store, path)
     yield StorageClient(rc, store, path)
-    push(store, path)
+    push(store, path, rc)
 
 
 def main(rc):