diff --git a/git-commit.sh b/git-commit.sh
index 351d13cb1e..802dd7243e 100755
--- a/git-commit.sh
+++ b/git-commit.sh
@@ -635,9 +635,12 @@ fi
 PARENTS="-p HEAD"
 if test -z "$initial_commit"
 then
+	rloga='commit'
 	if [ -f "$GIT_DIR/MERGE_HEAD" ]; then
+		rloga='commit (merge)'
 		PARENTS="-p HEAD "`sed -e 's/^/-p /' "$GIT_DIR/MERGE_HEAD"`
 	elif test -n "$amend"; then
+		rloga='commit (amend)'
 		PARENTS=$(git-cat-file commit HEAD |
 			sed -n -e '/^$/q' -e 's/^parent /-p /p')
 	fi
@@ -649,6 +652,7 @@ else
 	fi
 	PARENTS=""
 	current=
+	rloga='commit (initial)'
 fi
 
 if test -z "$no_edit"
@@ -724,7 +728,7 @@ then
 	fi &&
 	commit=$(cat "$GIT_DIR"/COMMIT_MSG | git-commit-tree $tree $PARENTS) &&
 	rlogm=$(sed -e 1q "$GIT_DIR"/COMMIT_MSG) &&
-	git-update-ref -m "commit: $rlogm" HEAD $commit $current &&
+	git-update-ref -m "$rloga: $rlogm" HEAD $commit $current &&
 	rm -f -- "$GIT_DIR/MERGE_HEAD" &&
 	if test -f "$NEXT_INDEX"
 	then
diff --git a/t/t1400-update-ref.sh b/t/t1400-update-ref.sh
index df3e993365..6a3515dd71 100755
--- a/t/t1400-update-ref.sh
+++ b/t/t1400-update-ref.sh
@@ -188,17 +188,30 @@ test_expect_success \
 	 echo OTHER >F &&
 	 GIT_AUTHOR_DATE="2005-05-26 23:41" \
 	 GIT_COMMITTER_DATE="2005-05-26 23:41" git-commit -F M -a &&
-	 h_OTHER=$(git-rev-parse --verify HEAD)
+	 h_OTHER=$(git-rev-parse --verify HEAD) &&
+	 echo FIXED >F &&
+	 EDITOR=true \
+	 GIT_AUTHOR_DATE="2005-05-26 23:44" \
+	 GIT_COMMITTER_DATE="2005-05-26 23:44" git-commit --amend &&
+	 h_FIXED=$(git-rev-parse --verify HEAD) &&
+	 echo TEST+FIXED >F &&
+	 echo Merged initial commit and a later commit. >M &&
+	 echo $h_TEST >.git/MERGE_HEAD &&
+	 GIT_AUTHOR_DATE="2005-05-26 23:45" \
+	 GIT_COMMITTER_DATE="2005-05-26 23:45" git-commit -F M &&
+	 h_MERGED=$(git-rev-parse --verify HEAD)
 	 rm -f M'
 
 cat >expect <<EOF
-$Z $h_TEST $GIT_COMMITTER_NAME <$GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL> 1117150200 +0000	commit: add
+$Z $h_TEST $GIT_COMMITTER_NAME <$GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL> 1117150200 +0000	commit (initial): add
 $h_TEST $h_OTHER $GIT_COMMITTER_NAME <$GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL> 1117150860 +0000	commit: The other day this did not work.
+$h_OTHER $h_FIXED $GIT_COMMITTER_NAME <$GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL> 1117151040 +0000	commit (amend): The other day this did not work.
+$h_FIXED $h_MERGED $GIT_COMMITTER_NAME <$GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL> 1117151100 +0000	commit (merge): Merged initial commit and a later commit.
 EOF
 test_expect_success \
 	'git-commit logged updates' \
 	'diff expect .git/logs/$m'
-unset h_TEST h_OTHER
+unset h_TEST h_OTHER h_FIXED h_MERGED
 
 test_expect_success \
 	'git-cat-file blob master:F (expect OTHER)' \