diff --git a/extensions/git/src/commands.ts b/extensions/git/src/commands.ts
index eb45f107f4b..9bc9d3fc222 100755
--- a/extensions/git/src/commands.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/commands.ts
@@ -1292,22 +1292,24 @@ export class CommandCenter {
 	private async commitWithAnyInput(repository: Repository, opts?: CommitOptions): Promise<void> {
 		const message = repository.inputBox.value;
 		const getCommitMessage = async () => {
-			if (message) {
-				return message;
+			let _message: string | undefined = message;
+			if (!_message) {
+				let value: string | undefined = undefined;
+
+				if (opts && opts.amend && repository.HEAD && repository.HEAD.commit) {
+					value = (await repository.getCommit(repository.HEAD.commit)).message;
+				}
+
+				_message = await window.showInputBox({
+					value,
+					placeHolder: localize('commit message', "Commit message"),
+					prompt: localize('provide commit message', "Please provide a commit message"),
+					ignoreFocusOut: true
+				});
 			}
 
-			let value: string | undefined = undefined;
+			return _message ? repository.cleanUpCommitEditMessage(_message) : _message;
 
-			if (opts && opts.amend && repository.HEAD && repository.HEAD.commit) {
-				value = (await repository.getCommit(repository.HEAD.commit)).message;
-			}
-
-			return await window.showInputBox({
-				value,
-				placeHolder: localize('commit message', "Commit message"),
-				prompt: localize('provide commit message', "Please provide a commit message"),
-				ignoreFocusOut: true
-			});
 		};
 
 		const didCommit = await this.smartCommit(repository, getCommitMessage, opts);
@@ -1328,7 +1330,7 @@ export class CommandCenter {
 			return;
 		}
 
-		const didCommit = await this.smartCommit(repository, async () => repository.inputBox.value);
+		const didCommit = await this.smartCommit(repository, async () => repository.cleanUpCommitEditMessage(repository.inputBox.value));
 
 		if (didCommit) {
 			repository.inputBox.value = await repository.getCommitTemplate();
diff --git a/extensions/git/src/git.ts b/extensions/git/src/git.ts
index 26f5ae804d8..8fedd55af10 100644
--- a/extensions/git/src/git.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/git.ts
@@ -1514,6 +1514,24 @@ export class Repository {
 		}
 	}
 
+	cleanupCommitEditMessage(message: string): string {
+		//TODO: Support core.commentChar
+		return message.replace(/^\s*#.*$\n?/gm, '').trim();
+	}
+
+
+	async getMergeMessage(): Promise<string | undefined> {
+		const mergeMsgPath = path.join(this.repositoryRoot, '.git', 'MERGE_MSG');
+		try {
+			const raw = await readfile(mergeMsgPath, 'utf8');
+			return raw.trim();
+		}
+		catch {
+			return undefined;
+		}
+
+	}
+
 	async getCommitTemplate(): Promise<string> {
 		try {
 			const result = await this.run(['config', '--get', 'commit.template']);
@@ -1532,7 +1550,7 @@ export class Repository {
 			}
 
 			const raw = await readfile(templatePath, 'utf8');
-			return raw.replace(/^\s*#.*$\n?/gm, '').trim();
+			return raw.trim();
 
 		} catch (err) {
 			return '';
diff --git a/extensions/git/src/repository.ts b/extensions/git/src/repository.ts
index 1fb29e03f67..8f7eebeb2bb 100644
--- a/extensions/git/src/repository.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/repository.ts
@@ -1105,6 +1105,10 @@ export class Repository implements Disposable {
 		return await this.run(Operation.GetCommitTemplate, async () => this.repository.getCommitTemplate());
 	}
 
+	async cleanUpCommitEditMessage(editMessage: string): Promise<string> {
+		return this.repository.cleanupCommitEditMessage(editMessage);
+	}
+
 	async ignore(files: Uri[]): Promise<void> {
 		return await this.run(Operation.Ignore, async () => {
 			const ignoreFile = `${this.repository.root}${path.sep}.gitignore`;
@@ -1257,8 +1261,11 @@ export class Repository implements Disposable {
 		const config = workspace.getConfiguration('git');
 		const shouldIgnore = config.get<boolean>('ignoreLimitWarning') === true;
 		const useIcons = !config.get<boolean>('decorations.enabled', true);
-
 		this.isRepositoryHuge = didHitLimit;
+		const mergeMessage = await this.repository.getMergeMessage();
+		if (mergeMessage) {
+			this.inputBox.value = mergeMessage;
+		}
 
 		if (didHitLimit && !shouldIgnore && !this.didWarnAboutLimit) {
 			const knownHugeFolderPaths = await this.findKnownHugeFolderPathsToIgnore();