diff --git a/crates/gitbutler-branch/src/assets.rs b/crates/gitbutler-branch/src/assets.rs
index 2e2cb4183..e3b0b1a45 100644
--- a/crates/gitbutler-branch/src/assets.rs
+++ b/crates/gitbutler-branch/src/assets.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use futures::future::join_all;
 
-use crate::{Author, VirtualBranch, VirtualBranchCommit};
+use crate::{VirtualBranch, VirtualBranchCommit};
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct Proxy {
@@ -35,22 +35,12 @@ impl Proxy {
         }
     }
 
-    async fn proxy_author(&self, author: Author) -> Author {
-        Author {
-            gravatar_url: self.core_proxy.proxy(&author.gravatar_url).await.unwrap_or_else(|error| {
-                tracing::error!(gravatar_url = %author.gravatar_url, ?error, "failed to proxy gravatar url");
-                author.gravatar_url
-            }),
-            ..author
-        }
-    }
-
     async fn proxy_virtual_branch_commit(
         &self,
         commit: VirtualBranchCommit,
     ) -> VirtualBranchCommit {
         VirtualBranchCommit {
-            author: self.proxy_author(commit.author).await,
+            author: self.core_proxy.proxy_author(commit.author).await,
             ..commit
         }
     }
diff --git a/crates/gitbutler-branch/src/virtual.rs b/crates/gitbutler-branch/src/virtual.rs
index e8b6a8891..df707d0f8 100644
--- a/crates/gitbutler-branch/src/virtual.rs
+++ b/crates/gitbutler-branch/src/virtual.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ use std::os::unix::prelude::PermissionsExt;
 use std::time::SystemTime;
 use std::{
     collections::HashMap,
-    hash::Hash,
     path::{Path, PathBuf},
     time, vec,
 };
@@ -15,6 +14,7 @@ use diffy::{apply_bytes as diffy_apply, Line, Patch};
 use git2::build::TreeUpdateBuilder;
 use git2::ErrorCode;
 use git2_hooks::HookResult;
+use gitbutler_core::virtual_branches::Author;
 use hex::ToHex;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
@@ -195,33 +195,6 @@ impl VirtualBranchHunk {
     }
 }
 
-#[derive(Debug, Serialize, Hash, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
-#[serde(rename_all = "camelCase")]
-pub struct Author {
-    pub name: String,
-    pub email: String,
-    pub gravatar_url: url::Url,
-}
-
-impl From<git2::Signature<'_>> for Author {
-    fn from(value: git2::Signature) -> Self {
-        let name = value.name().unwrap_or_default().to_string();
-        let email = value.email().unwrap_or_default().to_string();
-
-        let gravatar_url = url::Url::parse(&format!(
-            "https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/{:x}?s=100&r=g&d=retro",
-            md5::compute(email.to_lowercase())
-        ))
-        .unwrap();
-
-        Author {
-            name,
-            email,
-            gravatar_url,
-        }
-    }
-}
-
 #[derive(Default, Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 #[serde(rename_all = "camelCase", tag = "type", content = "value")]
 pub enum NameConflitResolution {
diff --git a/crates/gitbutler-core/src/assets.rs b/crates/gitbutler-core/src/assets.rs
index 7a792d35c..873c3a7ac 100644
--- a/crates/gitbutler-core/src/assets.rs
+++ b/crates/gitbutler-core/src/assets.rs
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ impl Proxy {
         }
     }
 
-    async fn proxy_author(&self, author: Author) -> Author {
+    pub async fn proxy_author(&self, author: Author) -> Author {
         Author {
             gravatar_url: self.proxy(&author.gravatar_url).await.unwrap_or_else(|error| {
                 tracing::error!(gravatar_url = %author.gravatar_url, ?error, "failed to proxy gravatar url");
diff --git a/crates/gitbutler-core/src/virtual_branches/author.rs b/crates/gitbutler-core/src/virtual_branches/author.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b4ee295f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/gitbutler-core/src/virtual_branches/author.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+use serde::Serialize;
+
+#[derive(Debug, Serialize, Hash, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
+#[serde(rename_all = "camelCase")]
+pub struct Author {
+    pub name: String,
+    pub email: String,
+    pub gravatar_url: url::Url,
+}
+
+impl From<git2::Signature<'_>> for Author {
+    fn from(value: git2::Signature) -> Self {
+        let name = value.name().unwrap_or_default().to_string();
+        let email = value.email().unwrap_or_default().to_string();
+
+        let gravatar_url = url::Url::parse(&format!(
+            "https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/{:x}?s=100&r=g&d=retro",
+            md5::compute(email.to_lowercase())
+        ))
+        .unwrap();
+
+        Author {
+            name,
+            email,
+            gravatar_url,
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/gitbutler-core/src/virtual_branches/mod.rs b/crates/gitbutler-core/src/virtual_branches/mod.rs
index 354cb7dde..e5304d1d3 100644
--- a/crates/gitbutler-core/src/virtual_branches/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/gitbutler-core/src/virtual_branches/mod.rs
@@ -20,3 +20,6 @@ pub use remote::*;
 mod state;
 pub use state::VirtualBranches as VirtualBranchesState;
 pub use state::VirtualBranchesHandle;
+
+mod author;
+pub use author::Author;