diff --git a/graph.c b/graph.c
index e1f6d3bddb..f53135485f 100644
--- a/graph.c
+++ b/graph.c
@@ -842,27 +842,55 @@ static void graph_output_commit_char(struct git_graph *graph, struct strbuf *sb)
 }
 
 /*
- * Draw an octopus merge and return the number of characters written.
+ * Draw the horizontal dashes of an octopus merge and return the number of
+ * characters written.
  */
 static int graph_draw_octopus_merge(struct git_graph *graph,
 				    struct strbuf *sb)
 {
 	/*
-	 * Here dashless_commits represents the number of parents
-	 * which don't need to have dashes (because their edges fit
-	 * neatly under the commit).
+	 * Here dashless_parents represents the number of parents which don't
+	 * need to have dashes (the edges labeled "0" and "1").  And
+	 * dashful_parents are the remaining ones.
+	 *
+	 * | *---.
+	 * | |\ \ \
+	 * | | | | |
+	 * x 0 1 2 3
+	 *
 	 */
-	const int dashless_commits = 2;
-	int col_num, i;
-	int num_dashes =
-		((graph->num_parents - dashless_commits) * 2) - 1;
-	for (i = 0; i < num_dashes; i++) {
-		col_num = (i / 2) + dashless_commits + graph->commit_index;
-		strbuf_write_column(sb, &graph->new_columns[col_num], '-');
+	const int dashless_parents = 2;
+	int dashful_parents = graph->num_parents - dashless_parents;
+
+	/*
+	 * Usually, we add one new column for each parent (like the diagram
+	 * above) but sometimes the first parent goes into an existing column,
+	 * like this:
+	 *
+	 * | *---.
+	 * | |\ \ \
+	 * |/ / / /
+	 * x 0 1 2
+	 *
+	 * In which case the number of parents will be one greater than the
+	 * number of added columns.
+	 */
+	int added_cols = (graph->num_new_columns - graph->num_columns);
+	int parent_in_old_cols = graph->num_parents - added_cols;
+
+	/*
+	 * In both cases, commit_index corresponds to the edge labeled "0".
+	 */
+	int first_col = graph->commit_index + dashless_parents
+	    - parent_in_old_cols;
+
+	int i;
+	for (i = 0; i < dashful_parents; i++) {
+		strbuf_write_column(sb, &graph->new_columns[i+first_col], '-');
+		strbuf_write_column(sb, &graph->new_columns[i+first_col],
+				    i == dashful_parents-1 ? '.' : '-');
 	}
-	col_num = (i / 2) + dashless_commits + graph->commit_index;
-	strbuf_write_column(sb, &graph->new_columns[col_num], '.');
-	return num_dashes + 1;
+	return 2 * dashful_parents;
 }
 
 static void graph_output_commit_line(struct git_graph *graph, struct strbuf *sb)
diff --git a/t/t4214-log-graph-octopus.sh b/t/t4214-log-graph-octopus.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..dab96c89aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/t4214-log-graph-octopus.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test_description='git log --graph of skewed left octopus merge.'
+
+. ./test-lib.sh
+
+test_expect_success 'set up merge history' '
+	cat >expect.uncolored <<-\EOF &&
+	* left
+	| *---.   octopus-merge
+	| |\ \ \
+	|/ / / /
+	| | | * 4
+	| | * | 3
+	| | |/
+	| * | 2
+	| |/
+	* | 1
+	|/
+	* initial
+	EOF
+	cat >expect.colors <<-\EOF &&
+	* left
+	<RED>|<RESET> *<BLUE>-<RESET><BLUE>-<RESET><MAGENTA>-<RESET><MAGENTA>.<RESET>   octopus-merge
+	<RED>|<RESET> <RED>|<RESET><YELLOW>\<RESET> <BLUE>\<RESET> <MAGENTA>\<RESET>
+	<RED>|<RESET><RED>/<RESET> <YELLOW>/<RESET> <BLUE>/<RESET> <MAGENTA>/<RESET>
+	<RED>|<RESET> <YELLOW>|<RESET> <BLUE>|<RESET> * 4
+	<RED>|<RESET> <YELLOW>|<RESET> * <MAGENTA>|<RESET> 3
+	<RED>|<RESET> <YELLOW>|<RESET> <MAGENTA>|<RESET><MAGENTA>/<RESET>
+	<RED>|<RESET> * <MAGENTA>|<RESET> 2
+	<RED>|<RESET> <MAGENTA>|<RESET><MAGENTA>/<RESET>
+	* <MAGENTA>|<RESET> 1
+	<MAGENTA>|<RESET><MAGENTA>/<RESET>
+	* initial
+	EOF
+	test_commit initial &&
+	for i in 1 2 3 4 ; do
+		git checkout master -b $i || return $?
+		# Make tag name different from branch name, to avoid
+		# ambiguity error when calling checkout.
+		test_commit $i $i $i tag$i || return $?
+	done &&
+	git checkout 1 -b merge &&
+	test_tick &&
+	git merge -m octopus-merge 1 2 3 4 &&
+	git checkout 1 -b L &&
+	test_commit left
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'log --graph with tricky octopus merge with colors' '
+	test_config log.graphColors red,green,yellow,blue,magenta,cyan &&
+	git log --color=always --graph --date-order --pretty=tformat:%s --all >actual.colors.raw &&
+	test_decode_color <actual.colors.raw | sed "s/ *\$//" >actual.colors &&
+	test_cmp expect.colors actual.colors
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'log --graph with tricky octopus merge, no color' '
+	git log --color=never --graph --date-order --pretty=tformat:%s --all >actual.raw &&
+	sed "s/ *\$//" actual.raw >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect.uncolored actual
+'
+
+# Repeat the previous two tests with "normal" octopus merge (i.e.,
+# without the first parent skewing to the "left" branch column).
+
+test_expect_success 'log --graph with normal octopus merge, no color' '
+	cat >expect.uncolored <<-\EOF &&
+	*---.   octopus-merge
+	|\ \ \
+	| | | * 4
+	| | * | 3
+	| | |/
+	| * | 2
+	| |/
+	* | 1
+	|/
+	* initial
+	EOF
+	git log --color=never --graph --date-order --pretty=tformat:%s merge >actual.raw &&
+	sed "s/ *\$//" actual.raw >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect.uncolored actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'log --graph with normal octopus merge with colors' '
+	cat >expect.colors <<-\EOF &&
+	*<YELLOW>-<RESET><YELLOW>-<RESET><BLUE>-<RESET><BLUE>.<RESET>   octopus-merge
+	<RED>|<RESET><GREEN>\<RESET> <YELLOW>\<RESET> <BLUE>\<RESET>
+	<RED>|<RESET> <GREEN>|<RESET> <YELLOW>|<RESET> * 4
+	<RED>|<RESET> <GREEN>|<RESET> * <BLUE>|<RESET> 3
+	<RED>|<RESET> <GREEN>|<RESET> <BLUE>|<RESET><BLUE>/<RESET>
+	<RED>|<RESET> * <BLUE>|<RESET> 2
+	<RED>|<RESET> <BLUE>|<RESET><BLUE>/<RESET>
+	* <BLUE>|<RESET> 1
+	<BLUE>|<RESET><BLUE>/<RESET>
+	* initial
+	EOF
+	test_config log.graphColors red,green,yellow,blue,magenta,cyan &&
+	git log --color=always --graph --date-order --pretty=tformat:%s merge >actual.colors.raw &&
+	test_decode_color <actual.colors.raw | sed "s/ *\$//" >actual.colors &&
+	test_cmp expect.colors actual.colors
+'
+test_done