diff --git a/src/_utils/_git_secret_tools.sh b/src/_utils/_git_secret_tools.sh
index a12c26da..0d23e565 100644
--- a/src/_utils/_git_secret_tools.sh
+++ b/src/_utils/_git_secret_tools.sh
@@ -567,17 +567,6 @@ function _get_encrypted_filename {
 }
 
 
-function _parse_keyring_users {
-  # First argument must be a `sed` pattern
-  local sed_pattern="$1"
-
-  local result
-
-  local secrets_dir_keys
-  secrets_dir_keys=$(_get_secrets_dir_keys)
-  result=$($SECRETS_GPG_COMMAND --homedir "$secrets_dir_keys" --no-permission-warning --list-public-keys --with-colon | sed -n "$sed_pattern")
-  echo "$result"
-}
 
 
 function _get_users_in_keyring {
@@ -585,7 +574,15 @@ function _get_users_in_keyring {
   # `whoknows` command uses it internally.
   # It basically just parses the `gpg` public keys
 
-  _parse_keyring_users 's/.*<\(.*\)>.*/\1/p'
+  local secrets_dir_keys
+  secrets_dir_keys=$(_get_secrets_dir_keys)
+    
+  # pluck out 'uid' lines, fetch 10th field, extract part in <> if it exists (else leave alone)
+  # we use --fixed-list-mode so older versions of gpg emit 'uid:' lines
+  local result
+  result=$($SECRETS_GPG_COMMAND --homedir "$secrets_dir_keys" --no-permission-warning --list-public-keys --with-colon --fixed-list-mode | grep ^uid: | gawk -F':' '{print $10;}' | sed 's/.*<\(.*\)>.*/\1/')
+
+  echo "$result"
 }
 
 
@@ -594,7 +591,9 @@ function _get_recipients {
   # These users are called 'recipients' in the `gpg` terms.
   # It basically just parses the `gpg` public keys
 
-  _parse_keyring_users 's/.*<\(.*\)>.*/-r\1/p'
+  local result
+  result=$(_get_users_in_keyring | sed 's/^/-r/')   # put -r before each user
+  echo "$result"
 }
 
 
diff --git a/tests/_test_base.bash b/tests/_test_base.bash
index fd1ee127..15819052 100644
--- a/tests/_test_base.bash
+++ b/tests/_test_base.bash
@@ -33,9 +33,10 @@ GPGTEST="$SECRETS_GPG_COMMAND --homedir=$TEST_GPG_HOMEDIR --no-permission-warnin
 
 # Personal data:
 
-TEST_DEFAULT_USER="user1"
-TEST_SECOND_USER="user2" # shellcheck disable=2034
-TEST_ATTACKER_USER="attacker1" # shellcheck disable=2034
+# user3 created with '--quick-key-generate' and has only an email, no username.
+TEST_DEFAULT_USER="user3"
+TEST_SECOND_USER="user2"
+TEST_ATTACKER_USER="attacker1"
 
 #TEST_DEFAULT_FILENAME="file_one"  # no spaces
 #TEST_SECOND_FILENAME="file_two"  # no spaces
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/gpg/README.md b/tests/fixtures/gpg/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..22b313d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/gpg/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+== public/private key pairs for test keys
+
+* user1 and user2 are normal gpg key sets for user1@gitsecret.io and 
+  user2@gitsecret.io. They have the passwords 'user1pass' and 'user2pass', 
+  respectively.
+
+* user3 was created by `gpg --quick-generate user3@gitsecret.io` 
+  and therefore has only an email associated with it (no username).  
+  It has the password 'user3pass' as the tests expect.
+  This user was created to fix https://github.com/sobolevn/git-secret/issues/227 ,
+  "keys with no info but the email address not recognized by whoknows"
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/gpg/user3/private.key b/tests/fixtures/gpg/user3/private.key
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..21810192
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/gpg/user3/private.key
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+-----BEGIN PGP PRIVATE KEY BLOCK-----
+
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+=3Kdr
+-----END PGP PRIVATE KEY BLOCK-----
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/gpg/user3/public.key b/tests/fixtures/gpg/user3/public.key
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3a50993b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/gpg/user3/public.key
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
+
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+=XKbN
+-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----