diff --git a/builtin/commit.c b/builtin/commit.c
index 781af2e206c106..8f9340ddeae083 100644
--- a/builtin/commit.c
+++ b/builtin/commit.c
@@ -175,6 +175,16 @@ static int opt_parse_porcelain(const struct option *opt, const char *arg, int un
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int mention_abandoned_message;
+static void maybe_mention_abandoned_message(void)
+{
+	if (!mention_abandoned_message)
+		return;
+	advise(_("Your commit message has been saved in '%s' and will be\n"
+		 "overwritten by the next invocation of \"git commit\"."),
+	       git_path_commit_editmsg());
+}
+
 static int opt_parse_m(const struct option *opt, const char *arg, int unset)
 {
 	struct strbuf *buf = opt->value;
@@ -1107,6 +1117,8 @@ static int prepare_to_commit(const char *index_file, const char *prefix,
 			exit(1);
 		}
 		strvec_clear(&env);
+		atexit(maybe_mention_abandoned_message);
+		mention_abandoned_message = 1;
 	}
 
 	if (!no_verify &&
@@ -1811,11 +1823,13 @@ int cmd_commit(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	if (message_is_empty(&sb, cleanup_mode) && !allow_empty_message) {
 		rollback_index_files();
 		fprintf(stderr, _("Aborting commit due to empty commit message.\n"));
+		mention_abandoned_message = 0;
 		exit(1);
 	}
 	if (template_untouched(&sb, template_file, cleanup_mode) && !allow_empty_message) {
 		rollback_index_files();
 		fprintf(stderr, _("Aborting commit; you did not edit the message.\n"));
+		mention_abandoned_message = 0;
 		exit(1);
 	}
 
@@ -1854,6 +1868,7 @@ int cmd_commit(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		die("%s", err.buf);
 	}
 
+	mention_abandoned_message = 0;
 	sequencer_post_commit_cleanup(the_repository, 0);
 	unlink(git_path_merge_head(the_repository));
 	unlink(git_path_merge_msg(the_repository));
diff --git a/t/t7500-commit-template-squash-signoff.sh b/t/t7500-commit-template-squash-signoff.sh
index 4dca8d97a772d6..c476a26235bb8c 100755
--- a/t/t7500-commit-template-squash-signoff.sh
+++ b/t/t7500-commit-template-squash-signoff.sh
@@ -396,13 +396,12 @@ test_expect_success 'consecutive amend! commits remove amend! line from commit m
 
 test_expect_success 'deny to create amend! commit if its commit msg body is empty' '
 	commit_for_rebase_autosquash_setup &&
-	echo "Aborting commit due to empty commit message body." >expected &&
 	(
 		set_fake_editor &&
 		test_must_fail env FAKE_COMMIT_MESSAGE="amend! target message subject line" \
 			git commit --fixup=amend:HEAD~ 2>actual
 	) &&
-	test_cmp expected actual
+	grep "Aborting commit due to empty commit message body" actual
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'amend! commit allows empty commit msg body with --allow-empty-message' '