diff --git a/joint_teapot/app.py b/joint_teapot/app.py
index 47c1fa0..e4776f6 100644
--- a/joint_teapot/app.py
+++ b/joint_teapot/app.py
@@ -501,6 +501,7 @@ def joj3_check_env(
             "Example: --penalty-config 24=0.75,48=0.5"
         ),
     ),
+    ignore_submitter: bool = Option(False, help="ignore submitter when checking"),
 ) -> None:
     app.pretty_exceptions_enable = False
     set_settings(Settings(_env_file=env_path))
@@ -519,7 +520,7 @@ def joj3_check_env(
         penalty_config,
     )
     count_msg, count_failed = tea.pot.joj3_check_submission_count(
-        env, grading_repo_name, group_config, scoreboard_filename
+        env, grading_repo_name, group_config, scoreboard_filename, ignore_submitter
     )
     echo(
         json.dumps(
diff --git a/joint_teapot/teapot.py b/joint_teapot/teapot.py
index 4abcb81..829b8be 100644
--- a/joint_teapot/teapot.py
+++ b/joint_teapot/teapot.py
@@ -359,7 +359,9 @@ class Teapot:
         grading_repo_name: str,
         group_config: str,
         scoreboard_filename: str,
+        ignore_submitter: bool,
     ) -> Tuple[str, bool]:
+        submitter = env.github_actor
         submitter_repo_name = env.github_repository.split("/")[-1]
         repo: Repo = self.git.get_repo(grading_repo_name)
         now = datetime.now(timezone.utc)
@@ -402,10 +404,11 @@ class Teapot:
                 d = match.groupdict()
                 if (
                     env.joj3_conf_name != d["exercise_name"]
-                    or env.github_actor != d["submitter"]
                     or submitter_repo_name != d["submitter_repo_name"]
                 ):
                     continue
+                if not ignore_submitter and submitter != d["submitter"]:
+                    continue
                 groups_line = next((l for l in lines if l.startswith("groups: ")), None)
                 commit_groups = (
                     groups_line[len("groups: ") :].split(",") if groups_line else []
@@ -432,7 +435,7 @@ class Teapot:
                         continue
                 submit_count += 1
             logger.info(
-                f"submitter {env.github_actor} is submitting for the {submit_count + 1} time, "
+                f"submitter {submitter} is submitting for the {submit_count + 1} time, "
                 f"{min(0, max_count - submit_count - 1)} time(s) remaining, "
                 f"group={name}, "
                 f"time period={time_period} hour(s), "