diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/commits_helper.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/commits_helper.go
index 9d2fcd164..5404ac5c5 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/commits_helper.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/commits_helper.go
@@ -157,11 +157,8 @@ func (self *CommitsHelper) OpenCommitMessagePanel(opts *OpenCommitMessagePanelOp
 	self.c.Context().Push(self.c.Contexts().CommitMessage, types.OnFocusOpts{})
 }
 
-func (self *CommitsHelper) OnCommitSuccess() {
-	// if we have a preserved message we want to clear it on success
-	if self.c.Contexts().CommitMessage.GetPreserveMessage() {
-		self.c.Contexts().CommitMessage.SetPreservedMessageAndLogError("")
-	}
+func (self *CommitsHelper) ClearPreservedCommitMessage() {
+	self.c.Contexts().CommitMessage.SetPreservedMessageAndLogError("")
 }
 
 func (self *CommitsHelper) HandleCommitConfirm() error {
diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/tags_helper.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/tags_helper.go
index dccc26e00..022b7969b 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/tags_helper.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/tags_helper.go
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ func (self *TagsHelper) OpenCreateTagPrompt(ref string, onCreate func()) error {
 		}
 
 		return self.gpg.WithGpgHandling(command, git_commands.TagGpgSign, self.c.Tr.CreatingTag, func() error {
-			self.commitsHelper.OnCommitSuccess()
 			return nil
 		}, []types.RefreshableView{types.COMMITS, types.TAGS})
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/working_tree_helper.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/working_tree_helper.go
index 4d0d1e9da..9bff3dbc7 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/working_tree_helper.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/working_tree_helper.go
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func (self *WorkingTreeHelper) handleCommit(summary string, description string,
 	self.c.LogAction(self.c.Tr.Actions.Commit)
 	return self.gpgHelper.WithGpgHandling(cmdObj, git_commands.CommitGpgSign, self.c.Tr.CommittingStatus,
 		func() error {
-			self.commitsHelper.OnCommitSuccess()
+			self.commitsHelper.ClearPreservedCommitMessage()
 			return nil
 		}, nil)
 }
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ func (self *WorkingTreeHelper) switchFromCommitMessagePanelToEditor(filepath str
 	// access to the last message that the user typed, and it might be very
 	// different from what was last in the commit panel. So the best we can do
 	// here is to always clear the remembered commit message.
-	self.commitsHelper.OnCommitSuccess()
+	self.commitsHelper.ClearPreservedCommitMessage()
 
 	self.c.LogAction(self.c.Tr.Actions.Commit)
 	return self.c.RunSubprocessAndRefresh(
@@ -136,6 +136,10 @@ func (self *WorkingTreeHelper) switchFromCommitMessagePanelToEditor(filepath str
 // their editor rather than via the popup panel
 func (self *WorkingTreeHelper) HandleCommitEditorPress() error {
 	return self.WithEnsureCommittableFiles(func() error {
+		// See reasoning in switchFromCommitMessagePanelToEditor for why it makes sense
+		// to clear this message before calling into the editor
+		self.commitsHelper.ClearPreservedCommitMessage()
+
 		self.c.LogAction(self.c.Tr.Actions.Commit)
 		return self.c.RunSubprocessAndRefresh(
 			self.c.Git().Commit.CommitEditorCmdObj(),