diff --git a/dr_botzo/gitlab_bot/lib.py b/dr_botzo/gitlab_bot/lib.py
index d4caf40..edecdea 100644
--- a/dr_botzo/gitlab_bot/lib.py
+++ b/dr_botzo/gitlab_bot/lib.py
@@ -142,6 +142,10 @@ class GitlabBot(object):
                 if request_state.needs_reviewer and merge_request.assignee.username in review_candidates:
                     log.debug("unsetting the needs_reviewer flag, the request is already assigned to one")
                     request_state.needs_reviewer = False
+                elif request_state.needs_reviewer and merge_request.assignee.username == merge_request.author.username:
+                    log.info("unsetting the needs_reviewer flag, the request is assigned to the author")
+                    log.info("in this case we are assuming that the author has work to do, and will re/unassign")
+                    request_state.needs_reviewer = False
 
             excluded_accept_candidates = [merge_request.author.username]
             accept_candidates = [x for x in project.code_review_final_merge_assignees.split(',') if x not in excluded_accept_candidates]
@@ -149,6 +153,10 @@ class GitlabBot(object):
                 if request_state.needs_accepter and merge_request.assignee.username in accept_candidates:
                     log.debug("unsetting the needs_accepter flag, the request is already assigned to one")
                     request_state.needs_accepter = False
+                elif request_state.needs_accepter and merge_request.assignee.username == merge_request.author.username:
+                    log.info("unsetting the needs_accepter flag, the request is assigned to the author")
+                    log.info("in this case we are assuming that the author has work to do, and will re/unassign")
+                    request_state.needs_accepter = False
 
             log.debug("%s", request_state.__dict__)