diff --git a/Documentation/git-merge.txt b/Documentation/git-merge.txt
index 6b308ab6d0..615e6bacde 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-merge.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-merge.txt
@@ -288,7 +288,10 @@ After seeing a conflict, you can do two things:
 
  * Resolve the conflicts.  Git will mark the conflicts in
    the working tree.  Edit the files into shape and
-   'git add' them to the index.  Use 'git commit' to seal the deal.
+   'git add' them to the index.  Use 'git commit' or
+   'git merge --continue' to seal the deal. The latter command
+   checks whether there is a (interrupted) merge in progress
+   before calling 'git commit'.
 
 You can work through the conflict with a number of tools:
 
diff --git a/builtin/merge.c b/builtin/merge.c
index 7b7320dede..7df3fe3927 100644
--- a/builtin/merge.c
+++ b/builtin/merge.c
@@ -759,15 +759,19 @@ N_("Please enter a commit message to explain why this merge is necessary,\n"
    "Lines starting with '%c' will be ignored, and an empty message aborts\n"
    "the commit.\n");
 
+static void write_merge_heads(struct commit_list *);
 static void prepare_to_commit(struct commit_list *remoteheads)
 {
 	struct strbuf msg = STRBUF_INIT;
 	strbuf_addbuf(&msg, &merge_msg);
 	strbuf_addch(&msg, '\n');
+	if (squash)
+		BUG("the control must not reach here under --squash");
 	if (0 < option_edit)
 		strbuf_commented_addf(&msg, _(merge_editor_comment), comment_line_char);
 	if (signoff)
 		append_signoff(&msg, ignore_non_trailer(msg.buf, msg.len), 0);
+	write_merge_heads(remoteheads);
 	write_file_buf(git_path_merge_msg(), msg.buf, msg.len);
 	if (run_commit_hook(0 < option_edit, get_index_file(), "prepare-commit-msg",
 			    git_path_merge_msg(), "merge", NULL))
@@ -909,7 +913,7 @@ static int setup_with_upstream(const char ***argv)
 	return i;
 }
 
-static void write_merge_state(struct commit_list *remoteheads)
+static void write_merge_heads(struct commit_list *remoteheads)
 {
 	struct commit_list *j;
 	struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
@@ -925,8 +929,6 @@ static void write_merge_state(struct commit_list *remoteheads)
 		strbuf_addf(&buf, "%s\n", oid_to_hex(oid));
 	}
 	write_file_buf(git_path_merge_head(), buf.buf, buf.len);
-	strbuf_addch(&merge_msg, '\n');
-	write_file_buf(git_path_merge_msg(), merge_msg.buf, merge_msg.len);
 
 	strbuf_reset(&buf);
 	if (fast_forward == FF_NO)
@@ -934,6 +936,13 @@ static void write_merge_state(struct commit_list *remoteheads)
 	write_file_buf(git_path_merge_mode(), buf.buf, buf.len);
 }
 
+static void write_merge_state(struct commit_list *remoteheads)
+{
+	write_merge_heads(remoteheads);
+	strbuf_addch(&merge_msg, '\n');
+	write_file_buf(git_path_merge_msg(), merge_msg.buf, merge_msg.len);
+}
+
 static int default_edit_option(void)
 {
 	static const char name[] = "GIT_MERGE_AUTOEDIT";
diff --git a/t/t7600-merge.sh b/t/t7600-merge.sh
index 2ebda509ac..80194b79f9 100755
--- a/t/t7600-merge.sh
+++ b/t/t7600-merge.sh
@@ -774,4 +774,19 @@ test_expect_success 'merge can be completed with --continue' '
 	verify_parents $c0 $c1
 '
 
+write_script .git/FAKE_EDITOR <<EOF
+# kill -TERM command added below.
+EOF
+
+test_expect_success EXECKEEPSPID 'killed merge can be completed with --continue' '
+	git reset --hard c0 &&
+	! "$SHELL_PATH" -c '\''
+	  echo kill -TERM $$ >> .git/FAKE_EDITOR
+	  GIT_EDITOR=.git/FAKE_EDITOR
+	  export GIT_EDITOR
+	  exec git merge --no-ff --edit c1'\'' &&
+	git merge --continue &&
+	verify_parents $c0 $c1
+'
+
 test_done