diff --git a/extensions/git/src/commands.ts b/extensions/git/src/commands.ts
index 40141bae166..49ba5956cd0 100755
--- a/extensions/git/src/commands.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/commands.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 import { Uri, commands, Disposable, window, workspace, QuickPickItem, OutputChannel, Range, WorkspaceEdit, Position, LineChange, SourceControlResourceState, TextDocumentShowOptions, ViewColumn, ProgressLocation, TextEditor, MessageOptions, WorkspaceFolder } from 'vscode';
 import { Git, CommitOptions, Stash, ForcePushMode } from './git';
-import { Repository, Resource, ResourceGroupType } from './repository';
+import { Repository, Resource, ResourceGroupType, getBranchName } from './repository';
 import { Model } from './model';
 import { toGitUri, fromGitUri } from './uri';
 import { grep, isDescendant, pathEquals } from './util';
@@ -1371,9 +1371,16 @@ export class CommandCenter {
 				value = (await repository.getCommit(repository.HEAD.commit)).message;
 			}
 
+			let placeHolder;
+			const branchName = getBranchName(repository.HEAD, repository.refs);
+			if (branchName) {
+				placeHolder = localize('commitMessageWithHeadLabel2', "Message (commit on '{0}')", branchName);
+			} else {
+				placeHolder = localize('commit message', "Commit message");
+			}
 			return await window.showInputBox({
 				value,
-				placeHolder: localize('commit message', "Commit message"),
+				placeHolder,
 				prompt: localize('provide commit message', "Please provide a commit message"),
 				ignoreFocusOut: true
 			});
diff --git a/extensions/git/src/repository.ts b/extensions/git/src/repository.ts
index fadd1ac6e74..851be585b41 100644
--- a/extensions/git/src/repository.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/repository.ts
@@ -1643,15 +1643,11 @@ export class Repository implements Disposable {
 	}
 
 	private updateInputBoxPlaceholder(): void {
-		const HEAD = this.HEAD;
-
-		if (HEAD) {
-			const tag = this.refs.filter(iref => iref.type === RefType.Tag && iref.commit === HEAD.commit)[0];
-			const tagName = tag && tag.name;
-			const head = HEAD.name || tagName || (HEAD.commit || '').substr(0, 8);
+		const branchName = getBranchName(this.HEAD, this.refs);
 
+		if (branchName) {
 			// '{0}' will be replaced by the corresponding key-command later in the process, which is why it needs to stay.
-			this._sourceControl.inputBox.placeholder = localize('commitMessageWithHeadLabel', "Message ({0} to commit on '{1}')", "{0}", head);
+			this._sourceControl.inputBox.placeholder = localize('commitMessageWithHeadLabel', "Message ({0} to commit on '{1}')", "{0}", branchName);
 		} else {
 			this._sourceControl.inputBox.placeholder = localize('commitMessage', "Message ({0} to commit)");
 		}
@@ -1661,3 +1657,16 @@ export class Repository implements Disposable {
 		this.disposables = dispose(this.disposables);
 	}
 }
+
+export function getBranchName(HEAD: Repository['HEAD'], refs: Repository['refs']): string | undefined {
+	if (HEAD === undefined) {
+		return;
+	}
+	const tag = refs.filter(iref => iref.type === RefType.Tag && iref.commit === HEAD.commit)[0];
+	const tagName = tag && tag.name;
+	const branchName = HEAD.name || tagName || HEAD.commit;
+	if (branchName === undefined) {
+		return;
+	}
+	return branchName.substr(0, 8);
+}