diff --git a/builtin/branch.c b/builtin/branch.c
index 5f150b4e8a..8813d2e31c 100644
--- a/builtin/branch.c
+++ b/builtin/branch.c
@@ -152,21 +152,22 @@ static int delete_branches(int argc, const char **argv, int force, int kinds,
 	struct commit *rev, *head_rev = NULL;
 	unsigned char sha1[20];
 	char *name = NULL;
-	const char *fmt, *remote;
+	const char *fmt;
 	int i;
 	int ret = 0;
+	int remote_branch = 0;
 	struct strbuf bname = STRBUF_INIT;
 
 	switch (kinds) {
 	case REF_REMOTE_BRANCH:
 		fmt = "refs/remotes/%s";
-		/* TRANSLATORS: This is "remote " in "remote branch '%s' not found" */
-		remote = _("remote ");
+		/* For subsequent UI messages */
+		remote_branch = 1;
+
 		force = 1;
 		break;
 	case REF_LOCAL_BRANCH:
 		fmt = "refs/heads/%s";
-		remote = "";
 		break;
 	default:
 		die(_("cannot use -a with -d"));
@@ -190,8 +191,9 @@ static int delete_branches(int argc, const char **argv, int force, int kinds,
 
 		name = xstrdup(mkpath(fmt, bname.buf));
 		if (read_ref(name, sha1)) {
-			error(_("%sbranch '%s' not found."),
-					remote, bname.buf);
+			error(remote_branch
+			      ? _("remote branch '%s' not found.")
+			      : _("branch '%s' not found."), bname.buf);
 			ret = 1;
 			continue;
 		}
@@ -212,14 +214,18 @@ static int delete_branches(int argc, const char **argv, int force, int kinds,
 		}
 
 		if (delete_ref(name, sha1, 0)) {
-			error(_("Error deleting %sbranch '%s'"), remote,
+			error(remote_branch
+			      ? _("Error deleting remote branch '%s'")
+			      : _("Error deleting branch '%s'"),
 			      bname.buf);
 			ret = 1;
 		} else {
 			struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
 			if (!quiet)
-				printf(_("Deleted %sbranch %s (was %s).\n"),
-				       remote, bname.buf,
+				printf(remote_branch
+				       ? _("Deleted remote branch %s (was %s).\n")
+				       : _("Deleted branch %s (was %s).\n"),
+				       bname.buf,
 				       find_unique_abbrev(sha1, DEFAULT_ABBREV));
 			strbuf_addf(&buf, "branch.%s", bname.buf);
 			if (git_config_rename_section(buf.buf, NULL) < 0)
diff --git a/builtin/commit.c b/builtin/commit.c
index b257ae8774..01780293aa 100644
--- a/builtin/commit.c
+++ b/builtin/commit.c
@@ -194,24 +194,6 @@ static void determine_whence(struct wt_status *s)
 		s->whence = whence;
 }
 
-static const char *whence_s(void)
-{
-	const char *s = "";
-
-	switch (whence) {
-	case FROM_COMMIT:
-		break;
-	case FROM_MERGE:
-		s = _("merge");
-		break;
-	case FROM_CHERRY_PICK:
-		s = _("cherry-pick");
-		break;
-	}
-
-	return s;
-}
-
 static void rollback_index_files(void)
 {
 	switch (commit_style) {
@@ -453,8 +435,12 @@ static char *prepare_index(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix,
 	 */
 	commit_style = COMMIT_PARTIAL;
 
-	if (whence != FROM_COMMIT)
-		die(_("cannot do a partial commit during a %s."), whence_s());
+	if (whence != FROM_COMMIT) {
+		if (whence == FROM_MERGE)
+			die(_("cannot do a partial commit during a merge."));
+		else if (whence == FROM_CHERRY_PICK)
+			die(_("cannot do a partial commit during a cherry-pick."));
+	}
 
 	memset(&partial, 0, sizeof(partial));
 	partial.strdup_strings = 1;
@@ -796,28 +782,31 @@ static int prepare_to_commit(const char *index_file, const char *prefix,
 		char *ai_tmp, *ci_tmp;
 		if (whence != FROM_COMMIT)
 			status_printf_ln(s, GIT_COLOR_NORMAL,
-				_("\n"
-				"It looks like you may be committing a %s.\n"
-				"If this is not correct, please remove the file\n"
-				"	%s\n"
-				"and try again.\n"
-				""),
-				whence_s(),
+			    whence == FROM_MERGE
+				? _("\n"
+					"It looks like you may be committing a merge.\n"
+					"If this is not correct, please remove the file\n"
+					"	%s\n"
+					"and try again.\n")
+				: _("\n"
+					"It looks like you may be committing a cherry-pick.\n"
+					"If this is not correct, please remove the file\n"
+					"	%s\n"
+					"and try again.\n"),
 				git_path(whence == FROM_MERGE
 					 ? "MERGE_HEAD"
 					 : "CHERRY_PICK_HEAD"));
 
 		fprintf(s->fp, "\n");
-		status_printf(s, GIT_COLOR_NORMAL,
-			_("Please enter the commit message for your changes."));
 		if (cleanup_mode == CLEANUP_ALL)
-			status_printf_more(s, GIT_COLOR_NORMAL,
-				_(" Lines starting\n"
-				"with '#' will be ignored, and an empty"
+			status_printf(s, GIT_COLOR_NORMAL,
+				_("Please enter the commit message for your changes."
+				" Lines starting\nwith '#' will be ignored, and an empty"
 				" message aborts the commit.\n"));
 		else /* CLEANUP_SPACE, that is. */
-			status_printf_more(s, GIT_COLOR_NORMAL,
-				_(" Lines starting\n"
+			status_printf(s, GIT_COLOR_NORMAL,
+				_("Please enter the commit message for your changes."
+				" Lines starting\n"
 				"with '#' will be kept; you may remove them"
 				" yourself if you want to.\n"
 				"An empty message aborts the commit.\n"));
@@ -1072,8 +1061,12 @@ static int parse_and_validate_options(int argc, const char *argv[],
 	/* Sanity check options */
 	if (amend && !current_head)
 		die(_("You have nothing to amend."));
-	if (amend && whence != FROM_COMMIT)
-		die(_("You are in the middle of a %s -- cannot amend."), whence_s());
+	if (amend && whence != FROM_COMMIT) {
+		if (whence == FROM_MERGE)
+			die(_("You are in the middle of a merge -- cannot amend."));
+		else if (whence == FROM_CHERRY_PICK)
+			die(_("You are in the middle of a cherry-pick -- cannot amend."));
+	}
 	if (fixup_message && squash_message)
 		die(_("Options --squash and --fixup cannot be used together"));
 	if (use_message)