diff --git a/builtin/merge.c b/builtin/merge.c
index b49c310866..f50270efb1 100644
--- a/builtin/merge.c
+++ b/builtin/merge.c
@@ -843,16 +843,14 @@ static void prepare_to_commit(struct commit_list *remoteheads)
 static int merge_trivial(struct commit *head, struct commit_list *remoteheads)
 {
 	unsigned char result_tree[20], result_commit[20];
-	struct commit_list *parent = xmalloc(sizeof(*parent));
+	struct commit_list *parents, **pptr = &parents;
 
 	write_tree_trivial(result_tree);
 	printf(_("Wonderful.\n"));
-	parent->item = head;
-	parent->next = xmalloc(sizeof(*parent->next));
-	parent->next->item = remoteheads->item;
-	parent->next->next = NULL;
+	pptr = commit_list_append(head, pptr);
+	pptr = commit_list_append(remoteheads->item, pptr);
 	prepare_to_commit(remoteheads);
-	if (commit_tree(merge_msg.buf, merge_msg.len, result_tree, parent,
+	if (commit_tree(merge_msg.buf, merge_msg.len, result_tree, parents,
 			result_commit, NULL, sign_commit))
 		die(_("failed to write commit object"));
 	finish(head, remoteheads, result_commit, "In-index merge");