diff --git a/sequencer.c b/sequencer.c
index 0b14e20012..ddb41a62d9 100644
--- a/sequencer.c
+++ b/sequencer.c
@@ -903,7 +903,7 @@ static int run_git_commit(const char *defmsg, struct replay_opts *opts,
 	if ((flags & ALLOW_EMPTY))
 		argv_array_push(&cmd.args, "--allow-empty");
 
-	if (opts->allow_empty_message)
+	if (!(flags & EDIT_MSG))
 		argv_array_push(&cmd.args, "--allow-empty-message");
 
 	if (cmd.err == -1) {
@@ -1317,7 +1317,7 @@ static int try_to_commit(struct strbuf *msg, const char *author,
 
 	if (cleanup != COMMIT_MSG_CLEANUP_NONE)
 		strbuf_stripspace(msg, cleanup == COMMIT_MSG_CLEANUP_ALL);
-	if (!opts->allow_empty_message && message_is_empty(msg, cleanup)) {
+	if ((flags & EDIT_MSG) && message_is_empty(msg, cleanup)) {
 		res = 1; /* run 'git commit' to display error message */
 		goto out;
 	}
diff --git a/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh b/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
index 86bba5ed7c..ff89b6341a 100755
--- a/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
+++ b/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
@@ -569,16 +569,15 @@ 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 &&
-	echo all the things >>conflict &&
-	test_must_fail git rebase --continue &&
-	test $old = $(git rev-parse HEAD)
+	test_must_fail env FAKE_COMMIT_MESSAGE=" " git rebase --continue &&
+	test $old = $(git rev-parse HEAD) &&
+	git rebase --abort
 '
 
 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 da94dddc86..860e63e444 100755
--- a/t/t3405-rebase-malformed.sh
+++ b/t/t3405-rebase-malformed.sh
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ test_expect_success 'rebase -m commit with empty message' '
 test_expect_success 'rebase -i commit with empty message' '
 	git checkout diff-in-message &&
 	set_fake_editor &&
-	env FAKE_COMMIT_MESSAGE=" " FAKE_LINES="reword 1" \
+	test_must_fail env FAKE_COMMIT_MESSAGE=" " FAKE_LINES="reword 1" \
 		git rebase -i HEAD^
 '
 
diff --git a/t/t3505-cherry-pick-empty.sh b/t/t3505-cherry-pick-empty.sh
index fbdc47cfbd..5f911bb529 100755
--- a/t/t3505-cherry-pick-empty.sh
+++ b/t/t3505-cherry-pick-empty.sh
@@ -11,17 +11,14 @@ test_expect_success setup '
 	test_tick &&
 	git commit -m "first" &&
 
-	git checkout -b empty-branch &&
-	test_tick &&
-	git commit --allow-empty -m "empty" &&
-
+	git checkout -b empty-message-branch &&
 	echo third >> file1 &&
 	git add file1 &&
 	test_tick &&
 	git commit --allow-empty-message -m "" &&
 
 	git checkout master &&
-	git checkout -b empty-branch2 &&
+	git checkout -b empty-change-branch &&
 	test_tick &&
 	git commit --allow-empty -m "empty"
 
@@ -29,7 +26,7 @@ test_expect_success setup '
 
 test_expect_success 'cherry-pick an empty commit' '
 	git checkout master &&
-	test_expect_code 1 git cherry-pick empty-branch^
+	test_expect_code 1 git cherry-pick empty-change-branch
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'index lockfile was removed' '
@@ -37,8 +34,9 @@ test_expect_success 'index lockfile was removed' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'cherry-pick a commit with an empty message' '
+	test_when_finished "git reset --hard empty-message-branch~1" &&
 	git checkout master &&
-	test_expect_code 1 git cherry-pick empty-branch
+	git cherry-pick empty-message-branch
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'index lockfile was removed' '
@@ -47,7 +45,7 @@ test_expect_success 'index lockfile was removed' '
 
 test_expect_success 'cherry-pick a commit with an empty message with --allow-empty-message' '
 	git checkout -f master &&
-	git cherry-pick --allow-empty-message empty-branch
+	git cherry-pick --allow-empty-message empty-message-branch
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'cherry pick an empty non-ff commit without --allow-empty' '
@@ -55,12 +53,12 @@ test_expect_success 'cherry pick an empty non-ff commit without --allow-empty' '
 	echo fourth >>file2 &&
 	git add file2 &&
 	git commit -m "fourth" &&
-	test_must_fail git cherry-pick empty-branch2
+	test_must_fail git cherry-pick empty-change-branch
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'cherry pick an empty non-ff commit with --allow-empty' '
 	git checkout master &&
-	git cherry-pick --allow-empty empty-branch2
+	git cherry-pick --allow-empty empty-change-branch
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'cherry pick with --keep-redundant-commits' '