diff --git a/roles/distgit/files/pkgdb_sync_git_branches.cron b/roles/distgit/files/pkgdb_sync_git_branches.cron
deleted file mode 100644
index 01946bd127..0000000000
--- a/roles/distgit/files/pkgdb_sync_git_branches.cron
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-00 45 * * * root /usr/local/bin/pkgdb_sync_git_branches.py
diff --git a/roles/distgit/tasks/main.yml b/roles/distgit/tasks/main.yml
index 847dc8aee4..1e97015774 100644
--- a/roles/distgit/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/distgit/tasks/main.yml
@@ -79,14 +79,6 @@
   - config
   - distgit
 
-- name: pkgdb_sync_git_branches cron job
-  copy: src=pkgdb_sync_git_branches.cron
-        dest=/etc/cron.d/pkgdb_sync_git_branches
-        owner=root mode=644
-  tags:
-  - config
-  - distgit
-
 - name: schedule the update hook check
   cron: >
     name="check-update-hooks" cron_file="ansible-check-update-hooks"
diff --git a/roles/distgit/templates/pkgdb_sync_git_branches.py b/roles/distgit/templates/pkgdb_sync_git_branches.py
index 3f5827b4a3..3b10464974 100644
--- a/roles/distgit/templates/pkgdb_sync_git_branches.py
+++ b/roles/distgit/templates/pkgdb_sync_git_branches.py
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ def _create_branch(pkgname, branch):
                 topic='branch',
                 modname='git',
                 msg=dict(
-                    agent=os.getlogin(),
+                    agent='pkgdb',
                     name=pkgname,
                     branch=branch,
                 ),