diff --git a/src/ViewModels/Repository.cs b/src/ViewModels/Repository.cs
index e303facd5..4d3b5541c 100644
--- a/src/ViewModels/Repository.cs
+++ b/src/ViewModels/Repository.cs
@@ -481,7 +481,10 @@ public void Close()
         {
             var commitMessage = _workingCopy.CommitMessage;
             if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(commitMessage) && _workingCopy.InProgressContext != null)
+            {
                 File.WriteAllText(Path.Combine(GitDir, "MERGE_MSG"), commitMessage);
+                commitMessage = string.Empty; // Clears this from ui-state, since it is already saved in MERGE_MSG file.
+            }
 
             _uiStates.LastCommitMessage = commitMessage;
             _uiStates.Save();
diff --git a/src/ViewModels/WorkingCopy.cs b/src/ViewModels/WorkingCopy.cs
index ad663a01b..9b8508bd5 100644
--- a/src/ViewModels/WorkingCopy.cs
+++ b/src/ViewModels/WorkingCopy.cs
@@ -817,6 +817,8 @@ private void UpdateInProgressState()
 
                 if (oldType != null && IsAutoLoadedCommitMessage())
                     CommitMessage = string.Empty;
+                else if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(_commitMessage))
+                    LoadCommitMessageFromFile(Path.Combine(_repo.GitDir, "MERGE_MSG"));
 
                 return;
             }