diff --git a/extensions/git/package.json b/extensions/git/package.json
index 1bdcfd44215..96014fb5deb 100644
--- a/extensions/git/package.json
+++ b/extensions/git/package.json
@@ -388,6 +388,11 @@
           "type": "boolean",
           "description": "%config.autofetch%",
           "default": true
+        },
+        "git.enableLongCommitWarning": {
+          "type": "boolean",
+          "description": "%config.enableLongCommitWarning%",
+          "default": true
         }
       }
     }
diff --git a/extensions/git/package.nls.json b/extensions/git/package.nls.json
index 7e4884918a6..ed4c311189f 100644
--- a/extensions/git/package.nls.json
+++ b/extensions/git/package.nls.json
@@ -25,5 +25,6 @@
 	"command.showOutput": "Show Git Output",
 	"config.path": "Path to the git executable",
 	"config.autorefresh": "Whether auto refreshing is enabled",
-	"config.autofetch": "Whether auto fetching is enabled"
+	"config.autofetch": "Whether auto fetching is enabled",
+	"config.enableLongCommitWarning": "Whether long commit messages should be warned about"
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/extensions/git/src/commit.ts b/extensions/git/src/commit.ts
index 7010838f6f7..bcc06c3d7c3 100644
--- a/extensions/git/src/commit.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/commit.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 'use strict';
 
-import { workspace, window, languages, Disposable, Uri, TextDocumentChangeEvent, HoverProvider, Hover, TextEditor, Position, TextDocument, Range, TextEditorDecorationType, WorkspaceEdit } from 'vscode';
+import { workspace, window, languages, Disposable, Uri, HoverProvider, Hover, TextEditor, Position, TextDocument, Range, TextEditorDecorationType, WorkspaceEdit } from 'vscode';
 import { Model } from './model';
 import { filterEvent } from './util';
 import * as nls from 'vscode-nls';
@@ -77,18 +77,19 @@ export class CommitController implements HoverProvider {
 		this.editor = editor;
 
 		const onDidChange = filterEvent(workspace.onDidChangeTextDocument, e => e.document && isSCMInput(e.document.uri));
-		onDidChange(this.onSCMInputChange, this, this.disposables);
+		onDidChange(this.update, this, this.disposables);
 
+		workspace.onDidChangeConfiguration(this.update, this, this.disposables);
 		languages.registerHoverProvider({ scheme: 'scm' }, this);
 	}
 
-	private onSCMInputChange(e: TextDocumentChangeEvent): void {
+	private update(): void {
 		this.diagnostics = [];
 
-		const range = e.document.lineAt(0).range;
+		const range = this.editor.document.lineAt(0).range;
 		const length = range.end.character - range.start.character;
 
-		if (length > 80) {
+		if (workspace.getConfiguration('git').get<boolean>('enableLongCommitWarning') && length > 80) {
 			const message = localize('too long', "You should keep the first line under 50 characters.\n\nYou can use more lines for extra information.");
 			this.diagnostics.push({ range, message });
 		}