diff --git a/lib/platform/__snapshots__/index.spec.ts.snap b/lib/platform/__snapshots__/index.spec.ts.snap
index b7eb3bbe15110c..b7d428596ea8be 100644
--- a/lib/platform/__snapshots__/index.spec.ts.snap
+++ b/lib/platform/__snapshots__/index.spec.ts.snap
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 // Jest Snapshot v1, https://goo.gl/fbAQLP
 
+exports[`platform escapes names 1`] = `"name [what]"`;
+
 exports[`platform has a list of supported methods for azure 1`] = `
 Array [
   "addAssignees",
@@ -210,3 +212,17 @@ Object {
   "platform": "bitbucket",
 }
 `;
+
+exports[`platform parses bot email 1`] = `
+Object {
+  "address": "some[bot]@users.noreply.github.com",
+  "name": "some[bot]",
+}
+`;
+
+exports[`platform parses bot name and email 1`] = `
+Object {
+  "address": "some[bot]@users.noreply.github.com",
+  "name": "some[bot]",
+}
+`;
diff --git a/lib/platform/index.spec.ts b/lib/platform/index.spec.ts
index 5a1cd17fc14566..ab87556b34a7db 100644
--- a/lib/platform/index.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/platform/index.spec.ts
@@ -116,4 +116,28 @@ describe('platform', () => {
     const bitbucketMethods = Object.keys(bitbucketServer).sort();
     expect(bitbucketMethods).toMatchObject(githubMethods);
   });
+
+  it('returns null if empty email given', () => {
+    expect(platform.parseGitAuthor(undefined)).toBeNull();
+  });
+  it('parses bot email', () => {
+    expect(
+      platform.parseGitAuthor('some[bot]@users.noreply.github.com')
+    ).toMatchSnapshot();
+  });
+  it('parses bot name and email', () => {
+    expect(
+      platform.parseGitAuthor(
+        '"some[bot]" <some[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>'
+      )
+    ).toMatchSnapshot();
+  });
+  it('escapes names', () => {
+    expect(
+      platform.parseGitAuthor('name [what] <name@what.com>').name
+    ).toMatchSnapshot();
+  });
+  it('gives up', () => {
+    expect(platform.parseGitAuthor('a.b.c')).toBeNull();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/lib/platform/index.ts b/lib/platform/index.ts
index 531be8c536bc1e..3e8eb6e41284f0 100644
--- a/lib/platform/index.ts
+++ b/lib/platform/index.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,48 @@ export function setPlatformApi(name: string): void {
   _platform = platforms.get(name);
 }
 
+interface GitAuthor {
+  name?: string;
+  address?: string;
+}
+
+export function parseGitAuthor(input: string): GitAuthor | null {
+  let result: GitAuthor = null;
+  if (!input) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  try {
+    result = addrs.parseOneAddress(input);
+    if (result) {
+      return result;
+    }
+    if (input.includes('[bot]@')) {
+      // invalid github app/bot addresses
+      const parsed = addrs.parseOneAddress(
+        input.replace('[bot]@', '@')
+      ) as addrs.ParsedMailbox;
+      if (parsed?.address) {
+        result = {
+          name: parsed.name || input.replace(/@.*/, ''),
+          address: parsed.address.replace('@', '[bot]@'),
+        };
+        return result;
+      }
+    }
+    if (input.includes('<') && input.includes('>')) {
+      // try wrapping the name part in quotations
+      result = addrs.parseOneAddress('"' + input.replace(/(\s?<)/, '"$1'));
+      if (result) {
+        return result;
+      }
+    }
+  } catch (err) /* istanbul ignore next */ {
+    logger.error({ err }, 'Unknown error parsing gitAuthor');
+  }
+  // give up
+  return null;
+}
+
 export async function initPlatform(
   config: RenovateConfig
 ): Promise<RenovateConfig> {
@@ -56,12 +98,7 @@ export async function initPlatform(
     logger.debug('Using platform gitAuthor: ' + platformInfo.gitAuthor);
     gitAuthor = platformInfo.gitAuthor;
   }
-  let gitAuthorParsed: addrs.ParsedMailbox | null = null;
-  try {
-    gitAuthorParsed = addrs.parseOneAddress(gitAuthor) as addrs.ParsedMailbox;
-  } catch (err) /* istanbul ignore next */ {
-    logger.debug({ gitAuthor, err }, 'Error parsing gitAuthor');
-  }
+  const gitAuthorParsed = parseGitAuthor(gitAuthor);
   // istanbul ignore if
   if (!gitAuthorParsed) {
     throw new Error('Init: gitAuthor is not parsed as valid RFC5322 format');