diff --git a/Documentation/git-rebase.txt b/Documentation/git-rebase.txt
index a67df4caba..9e136ee16e 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-rebase.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-rebase.txt
@@ -563,16 +563,6 @@ BEHAVIORAL DIFFERENCES
     The `--keep-empty` option exists for interactive rebases to allow
     it to keep commits that started empty.
 
-  * empty commit messages:
-
-    am-based rebase will silently apply commits with empty commit
-    messages.
-
-    merge-based and interactive-based rebases will by default halt
-    on any such commits.  The `--allow-empty-message` option exists to
-    allow interactive-based rebases to apply such commits without
-    halting.
-
   * directory rename detection:
 
     merge-based and interactive-based rebases work fine with
diff --git a/git-rebase.sh b/git-rebase.sh
index 18ac8226c4..031dbd2ec8 100755
--- a/git-rebase.sh
+++ b/git-rebase.sh
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ rebase_cousins=
 preserve_merges=
 autosquash=
 keep_empty=
-allow_empty_message=
+allow_empty_message=--allow-empty-message
 signoff=
 test "$(git config --bool rebase.autosquash)" = "true" && autosquash=t
 case "$(git config --bool commit.gpgsign)" in
diff --git a/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh b/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
index 352a52e59d..81ce9fe7f9 100755
--- a/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
+++ b/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
@@ -553,15 +553,16 @@ test_expect_success '--continue tries to commit, even for "edit"' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'aborted --continue does not squash commits after "edit"' '
+	test_when_finished "git rebase --abort" &&
 	old=$(git rev-parse HEAD) &&
 	test_tick &&
 	set_fake_editor &&
 	FAKE_LINES="edit 1" git rebase -i HEAD^ &&
 	echo "edited again" > file7 &&
 	git add file7 &&
-	test_must_fail env FAKE_COMMIT_MESSAGE=" " git rebase --continue &&
-	test $old = $(git rev-parse HEAD) &&
-	git rebase --abort
+	echo all the things >>conflict &&
+	test_must_fail git rebase --continue &&
+	test $old = $(git rev-parse HEAD)
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'auto-amend only edited commits after "edit"' '
diff --git a/t/t3405-rebase-malformed.sh b/t/t3405-rebase-malformed.sh
index cb7c6de84a..da94dddc86 100755
--- a/t/t3405-rebase-malformed.sh
+++ b/t/t3405-rebase-malformed.sh
@@ -77,19 +77,14 @@ test_expect_success 'rebase commit with diff in message' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'rebase -m commit with empty message' '
-	test_must_fail git rebase -m master empty-message-merge &&
-	git rebase --abort &&
-	git rebase -m --allow-empty-message master empty-message-merge
+	git rebase -m master empty-message-merge
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'rebase -i commit with empty message' '
 	git checkout diff-in-message &&
 	set_fake_editor &&
-	test_must_fail env FAKE_COMMIT_MESSAGE=" " FAKE_LINES="reword 1" \
-		git rebase -i HEAD^ &&
-	git rebase --abort &&
-	FAKE_COMMIT_MESSAGE=" " FAKE_LINES="reword 1" \
-		git rebase -i --allow-empty-message HEAD^
+	env FAKE_COMMIT_MESSAGE=" " FAKE_LINES="reword 1" \
+		git rebase -i HEAD^
 '
 
 test_done