diff --git a/app/models/commit.rb b/app/models/commit.rb
index 9e7fde9503d..176c524cf7b 100644
--- a/app/models/commit.rb
+++ b/app/models/commit.rb
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ class Commit
         max_lines: DIFF_HARD_LIMIT_LINES,
       }
     end
+
+    def from_hash(hash, project)
+      new(Gitlab::Git::Commit.new(hash), project)
+    end
   end
 
   attr_accessor :raw
diff --git a/app/services/git_push_service.rb b/app/services/git_push_service.rb
index 647930d555c..185556c12cc 100644
--- a/app/services/git_push_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/git_push_service.rb
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ class GitPushService < BaseService
 
     @push_commits.each do |commit|
       ProcessCommitWorker.
-        perform_async(project.id, current_user.id, commit.id, default)
+        perform_async(project.id, current_user.id, commit.to_hash, default)
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/app/workers/process_commit_worker.rb b/app/workers/process_commit_worker.rb
index 071741fbacd..e9a5bd7f24e 100644
--- a/app/workers/process_commit_worker.rb
+++ b/app/workers/process_commit_worker.rb
@@ -10,9 +10,10 @@ class ProcessCommitWorker
 
   # project_id - The ID of the project this commit belongs to.
   # user_id - The ID of the user that pushed the commit.
-  # commit_sha - The SHA1 of the commit to process.
+  # commit_hash - Hash containing commit details to use for constructing a
+  #               Commit object without having to use the Git repository.
   # default - The data was pushed to the default branch.
-  def perform(project_id, user_id, commit_sha, default = false)
+  def perform(project_id, user_id, commit_hash, default = false)
     project = Project.find_by(id: project_id)
 
     return unless project
@@ -21,10 +22,7 @@ class ProcessCommitWorker
 
     return unless user
 
-    commit = find_commit(project, commit_sha)
-
-    return unless commit
-
+    commit = build_commit(project, commit_hash)
     author = commit.author || user
 
     process_commit_message(project, commit, user, author, default)
@@ -59,9 +57,18 @@ class ProcessCommitWorker
       update_all(first_mentioned_in_commit_at: commit.committed_date)
   end
 
-  private
+  def build_commit(project, hash)
+    date_suffix = '_date'
 
-  def find_commit(project, sha)
-    project.commit(sha)
+    # When processing Sidekiq payloads various timestamps are stored as Strings.
+    # Commit in turn expects Time-like instances upon input, so we have to
+    # manually parse these values.
+    hash.each do |key, value|
+      if key.to_s.end_with?(date_suffix) && value.is_a?(String)
+        hash[key] = Time.parse(value)
+      end
+    end
+
+    Commit.from_hash(hash, project)
   end
 end
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/process-commit-worker-improvements.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/process-commit-worker-improvements.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0038c6e34e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/process-commit-worker-improvements.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+title: Pass commit data to ProcessCommitWorker to reduce Git overhead
+merge_request: 7744
+author: 
diff --git a/db/migrate/20161124141322_migrate_process_commit_worker_jobs.rb b/db/migrate/20161124141322_migrate_process_commit_worker_jobs.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..453a44e271a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20161124141322_migrate_process_commit_worker_jobs.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+# See http://doc.gitlab.com/ce/development/migration_style_guide.html
+# for more information on how to write migrations for GitLab.
+
+class MigrateProcessCommitWorkerJobs < ActiveRecord::Migration
+  include Gitlab::Database::MigrationHelpers
+
+  class Project < ActiveRecord::Base
+    def self.find_including_path(id)
+      select("projects.*, CONCAT(namespaces.path, '/', projects.path) AS path_with_namespace").
+        joins('INNER JOIN namespaces ON namespaces.id = projects.namespace_id').
+        find_by(id: id)
+    end
+
+    def repository_storage_path
+      Gitlab.config.repositories.storages[repository_storage]
+    end
+
+    def repository_path
+      File.join(repository_storage_path, read_attribute(:path_with_namespace) + '.git')
+    end
+
+    def repository
+      @repository ||= Rugged::Repository.new(repository_path)
+    end
+  end
+
+  DOWNTIME = true
+  DOWNTIME_REASON = 'Existing workers will error until they are using a newer version of the code'
+
+  disable_ddl_transaction!
+
+  def up
+    Sidekiq.redis do |redis|
+      new_jobs = []
+
+      while job = redis.lpop('queue:process_commit')
+        payload = JSON.load(job)
+        project = Project.find_including_path(payload['args'][0])
+
+        next unless project
+
+        begin
+          commit = project.repository.lookup(payload['args'][2])
+        rescue Rugged::OdbError
+          next
+        end
+
+        hash = {
+          id: commit.oid,
+          message: commit.message,
+          parent_ids: commit.parent_ids,
+          authored_date: commit.author[:time],
+          author_name: commit.author[:name],
+          author_email: commit.author[:email],
+          committed_date: commit.committer[:time],
+          committer_email: commit.committer[:email],
+          committer_name: commit.committer[:name]
+        }
+
+        payload['args'][2] = hash
+
+        new_jobs << JSON.dump(payload)
+      end
+
+      redis.multi do |multi|
+        new_jobs.each do |j|
+          multi.lpush('queue:process_commit', j)
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  def down
+    Sidekiq.redis do |redis|
+      new_jobs = []
+
+      while job = redis.lpop('queue:process_commit')
+        payload = JSON.load(job)
+
+        payload['args'][2] = payload['args'][2]['id']
+
+        new_jobs << JSON.dump(payload)
+      end
+
+      redis.multi do |multi|
+        new_jobs.each do |j|
+          multi.lpush('queue:process_commit', j)
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/lib/gitlab/cycle_analytics/events_spec.rb b/spec/lib/gitlab/cycle_analytics/events_spec.rb
index 9aeaa6b3ee8..6062e7af4f5 100644
--- a/spec/lib/gitlab/cycle_analytics/events_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/gitlab/cycle_analytics/events_spec.rb
@@ -321,6 +321,6 @@ describe Gitlab::CycleAnalytics::Events do
     context.update(milestone: milestone)
     mr = create_merge_request_closing_issue(context)
 
-    ProcessCommitWorker.new.perform(project.id, user.id, mr.commits.last.sha)
+    ProcessCommitWorker.new.perform(project.id, user.id, mr.commits.last.to_hash)
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/migrations/migrate_process_commit_worker_jobs_spec.rb b/spec/migrations/migrate_process_commit_worker_jobs_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..52428547a9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/migrations/migrate_process_commit_worker_jobs_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,194 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+require Rails.root.join('db', 'migrate', '20161124141322_migrate_process_commit_worker_jobs.rb')
+
+describe MigrateProcessCommitWorkerJobs do
+  let(:project) { create(:project) }
+  let(:user) { create(:user) }
+  let(:commit) { project.commit.raw.raw_commit }
+
+  describe 'Project' do
+    describe 'find_including_path' do
+      it 'returns Project instances' do
+        expect(described_class::Project.find_including_path(project.id)).
+          to be_an_instance_of(described_class::Project)
+      end
+
+      it 'selects the full path for every Project' do
+        migration_project = described_class::Project.
+          find_including_path(project.id)
+
+        expect(migration_project[:path_with_namespace]).
+          to eq(project.path_with_namespace)
+      end
+    end
+
+    describe '#repository_storage_path' do
+      it 'returns the storage path for the repository' do
+        migration_project = described_class::Project.
+          find_including_path(project.id)
+
+        expect(File.directory?(migration_project.repository_storage_path)).
+          to eq(true)
+      end
+    end
+
+    describe '#repository_path' do
+      it 'returns the path to the repository' do
+        migration_project = described_class::Project.
+          find_including_path(project.id)
+
+        expect(File.directory?(migration_project.repository_path)).to eq(true)
+      end
+    end
+
+    describe '#repository' do
+      it 'returns a Rugged::Repository' do
+        migration_project = described_class::Project.
+          find_including_path(project.id)
+
+        expect(migration_project.repository).
+          to be_an_instance_of(Rugged::Repository)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#up', :redis do
+    let(:migration) { described_class.new }
+
+    def job_count
+      Sidekiq.redis { |r| r.llen('queue:process_commit') }
+    end
+
+    before do
+      Sidekiq.redis do |redis|
+        job = JSON.dump(args: [project.id, user.id, commit.oid])
+        redis.lpush('queue:process_commit', job)
+      end
+    end
+
+    it 'skips jobs using a project that no longer exists' do
+      allow(described_class::Project).to receive(:find_including_path).
+        with(project.id).
+        and_return(nil)
+
+      migration.up
+
+      expect(job_count).to eq(0)
+    end
+
+    it 'skips jobs using commits that no longer exist' do
+      allow_any_instance_of(Rugged::Repository).to receive(:lookup).
+        with(commit.oid).
+        and_raise(Rugged::OdbError)
+
+      migration.up
+
+      expect(job_count).to eq(0)
+    end
+
+    it 'inserts migrated jobs back into the queue' do
+      migration.up
+
+      expect(job_count).to eq(1)
+    end
+
+    context 'a migrated job' do
+      let(:job) do
+        migration.up
+
+        JSON.load(Sidekiq.redis { |r| r.lpop('queue:process_commit') })
+      end
+
+      let(:commit_hash) do
+        job['args'][2]
+      end
+
+      it 'includes the project ID' do
+        expect(job['args'][0]).to eq(project.id)
+      end
+
+      it 'includes the user ID' do
+        expect(job['args'][1]).to eq(user.id)
+      end
+
+      it 'includes the commit ID' do
+        expect(commit_hash['id']).to eq(commit.oid)
+      end
+
+      it 'includes the commit message' do
+        expect(commit_hash['message']).to eq(commit.message)
+      end
+
+      it 'includes the parent IDs' do
+        expect(commit_hash['parent_ids']).to eq(commit.parent_ids)
+      end
+
+      it 'includes the author date' do
+        expect(commit_hash['authored_date']).to eq(commit.author[:time].to_s)
+      end
+
+      it 'includes the author name' do
+        expect(commit_hash['author_name']).to eq(commit.author[:name])
+      end
+
+      it 'includes the author Email' do
+        expect(commit_hash['author_email']).to eq(commit.author[:email])
+      end
+
+      it 'includes the commit date' do
+        expect(commit_hash['committed_date']).to eq(commit.committer[:time].to_s)
+      end
+
+      it 'includes the committer name' do
+        expect(commit_hash['committer_name']).to eq(commit.committer[:name])
+      end
+
+      it 'includes the committer Email' do
+        expect(commit_hash['committer_email']).to eq(commit.committer[:email])
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#down', :redis do
+    let(:migration) { described_class.new }
+
+    def job_count
+      Sidekiq.redis { |r| r.llen('queue:process_commit') }
+    end
+
+    before do
+      Sidekiq.redis do |redis|
+        job = JSON.dump(args: [project.id, user.id, commit.oid])
+        redis.lpush('queue:process_commit', job)
+
+        migration.up
+      end
+    end
+
+    it 'pushes migrated jobs back into the queue' do
+      migration.down
+
+      expect(job_count).to eq(1)
+    end
+
+    context 'a migrated job' do
+      let(:job) do
+        migration.down
+
+        JSON.load(Sidekiq.redis { |r| r.lpop('queue:process_commit') })
+      end
+
+      it 'includes the project ID' do
+        expect(job['args'][0]).to eq(project.id)
+      end
+
+      it 'includes the user ID' do
+        expect(job['args'][1]).to eq(user.id)
+      end
+
+      it 'includes the commit SHA' do
+        expect(job['args'][2]).to eq(commit.oid)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/models/commit_spec.rb b/spec/models/commit_spec.rb
index e3bb3482d67..7194c20d3bf 100644
--- a/spec/models/commit_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/commit_spec.rb
@@ -302,4 +302,21 @@ eos
       expect(commit.uri_type('this/path/doesnt/exist')).to be_nil
     end
   end
+
+  describe '.from_hash' do
+    let(:new_commit) { described_class.from_hash(commit.to_hash, project) }
+
+    it 'returns a Commit' do
+      expect(new_commit).to be_an_instance_of(described_class)
+    end
+
+    it 'wraps a Gitlab::Git::Commit' do
+      expect(new_commit.raw).to be_an_instance_of(Gitlab::Git::Commit)
+    end
+
+    it 'stores the correct commit fields' do
+      expect(new_commit.id).to eq(commit.id)
+      expect(new_commit.message).to eq(commit.message)
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/spec/requests/projects/cycle_analytics_events_spec.rb b/spec/requests/projects/cycle_analytics_events_spec.rb
index 5c90fd9bad9..f5e0fdcda2d 100644
--- a/spec/requests/projects/cycle_analytics_events_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/projects/cycle_analytics_events_spec.rb
@@ -135,6 +135,6 @@ describe 'cycle analytics events' do
 
     merge_merge_requests_closing_issue(issue)
 
-    ProcessCommitWorker.new.perform(project.id, user.id, mr.commits.last.sha)
+    ProcessCommitWorker.new.perform(project.id, user.id, mr.commits.last.to_hash)
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/services/git_push_service_spec.rb b/spec/services/git_push_service_spec.rb
index 9d7702f5c96..e7624e70725 100644
--- a/spec/services/git_push_service_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/git_push_service_spec.rb
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ describe GitPushService, services: true do
         author_email: commit_author.email
       )
 
-      allow_any_instance_of(ProcessCommitWorker).to receive(:find_commit).
+      allow_any_instance_of(ProcessCommitWorker).to receive(:build_commit).
         and_return(commit)
 
       allow(project.repository).to receive(:commits_between).and_return([commit])
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ describe GitPushService, services: true do
         committed_date: commit_time
       )
 
-      allow_any_instance_of(ProcessCommitWorker).to receive(:find_commit).
+      allow_any_instance_of(ProcessCommitWorker).to receive(:build_commit).
         and_return(commit)
 
       allow(project.repository).to receive(:commits_between).and_return([commit])
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ describe GitPushService, services: true do
       allow(project.repository).to receive(:commits_between).
         and_return([closing_commit])
 
-      allow_any_instance_of(ProcessCommitWorker).to receive(:find_commit).
+      allow_any_instance_of(ProcessCommitWorker).to receive(:build_commit).
         and_return(closing_commit)
 
       project.team << [commit_author, :master]
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper.rb b/spec/spec_helper.rb
index ef33c473d38..6ee3307512d 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper.rb
@@ -55,8 +55,12 @@ RSpec.configure do |config|
 
   config.around(:each, :redis) do |example|
     Gitlab::Redis.with(&:flushall)
+    Sidekiq.redis(&:flushall)
+
     example.run
+
     Gitlab::Redis.with(&:flushall)
+    Sidekiq.redis(&:flushall)
   end
 end
 
diff --git a/spec/workers/process_commit_worker_spec.rb b/spec/workers/process_commit_worker_spec.rb
index 3e4fee42240..75c7fc1efd2 100644
--- a/spec/workers/process_commit_worker_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/workers/process_commit_worker_spec.rb
@@ -11,31 +11,25 @@ describe ProcessCommitWorker do
     it 'does not process the commit when the project does not exist' do
       expect(worker).not_to receive(:close_issues)
 
-      worker.perform(-1, user.id, commit.id)
+      worker.perform(-1, user.id, commit.to_hash)
     end
 
     it 'does not process the commit when the user does not exist' do
       expect(worker).not_to receive(:close_issues)
 
-      worker.perform(project.id, -1, commit.id)
-    end
-
-    it 'does not process the commit when the commit no longer exists' do
-      expect(worker).not_to receive(:close_issues)
-
-      worker.perform(project.id, user.id, 'this-should-does-not-exist')
+      worker.perform(project.id, -1, commit.to_hash)
     end
 
     it 'processes the commit message' do
       expect(worker).to receive(:process_commit_message).and_call_original
 
-      worker.perform(project.id, user.id, commit.id)
+      worker.perform(project.id, user.id, commit.to_hash)
     end
 
     it 'updates the issue metrics' do
       expect(worker).to receive(:update_issue_metrics).and_call_original
 
-      worker.perform(project.id, user.id, commit.id)
+      worker.perform(project.id, user.id, commit.to_hash)
     end
   end
 
@@ -106,4 +100,19 @@ describe ProcessCommitWorker do
       expect(metric.first_mentioned_in_commit_at).to eq(commit.committed_date)
     end
   end
+
+  describe '#build_commit' do
+    it 'returns a Commit' do
+      commit = worker.build_commit(project, id: '123')
+
+      expect(commit).to be_an_instance_of(Commit)
+    end
+
+    it 'parses date strings into Time instances' do
+      commit = worker.
+        build_commit(project, id: '123', authored_date: Time.now.to_s)
+
+      expect(commit.authored_date).to be_an_instance_of(Time)
+    end
+  end
 end