diff --git a/ZHgalGrWSF b/ZHgalGrWSF
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f1f0d2371
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ZHgalGrWSF
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+GaUMygWjJa
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/commit_message_panel.go b/commit_message_panel.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..49551c1eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/commit_message_panel.go
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+package main
+
+import "github.com/jesseduffield/gocui"
+
+func handleCommitConfirm(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
+	message := trimmedContent(v)
+	if message == "" {
+		return createErrorPanel(g, "You cannot commit without a commit message")
+	}
+	if output, err := gitCommit(g, message); err != nil {
+		if err == errNoUsername {
+			return createErrorPanel(g, err.Error())
+		}
+		return createErrorPanel(g, output)
+	}
+	refreshFiles(g)
+	g.SetViewOnBottom("commitMessage")
+	switchFocus(g, v, getFilesView(g))
+	return refreshCommits(g)
+}
+
+func handleCommitClose(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
+	g.SetViewOnBottom("commitMessage")
+	return switchFocus(g, v, getFilesView(g))
+}
+
+func handleNewlineCommitMessage(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
+	// resising ahead of time so that the top line doesn't get hidden to make
+	// room for the cursor on the second line
+	x0, y0, x1, y1 := getConfirmationPanelDimensions(g, v.Buffer())
+	if _, err := g.SetView("commitMessage", x0, y0, x1, y1+1, 0); err != nil {
+		if err != gocui.ErrUnknownView {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
+	v.EditNewLine()
+	return nil
+}
+
+func handleCommitFocused(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
+	return renderString(g, "options", "esc: close, enter: confirm")
+}
diff --git a/confirmation_panel.go b/confirmation_panel.go
index 7ae55eaf9..03e078155 100644
--- a/confirmation_panel.go
+++ b/confirmation_panel.go
@@ -56,6 +56,10 @@ func getConfirmationPanelDimensions(g *gocui.Gui, prompt string) (int, int, int,
 }
 
 func createPromptPanel(g *gocui.Gui, currentView *gocui.View, title string, initialValue *[]byte, handleConfirm func(*gocui.Gui, *gocui.View) error) error {
+	g.SetViewOnBottom("commitMessage")
+	if initialValue == nil {
+		initialValue = &[]byte{}
+	}
 	// only need to fit one line
 	x0, y0, x1, y1 := getConfirmationPanelDimensions(g, "")
 	if confirmationView, err := g.SetView("confirmation", x0, y0, x1, y1, 0); err != nil {
@@ -63,9 +67,7 @@ func createPromptPanel(g *gocui.Gui, currentView *gocui.View, title string, init
 			return err
 		}
 
-		g.Cursor = true
-
-		handleConfirmAndClear := func(gui *gocui.Gui, view *gocui.View) error {
+		handleConfirm := func(gui *gocui.Gui, view *gocui.View) error {
 			*initialValue = nil
 			return handleConfirm(g, view)
 		}
@@ -79,15 +81,31 @@ func createPromptPanel(g *gocui.Gui, currentView *gocui.View, title string, init
 
 		confirmationView.Editable = true
 		confirmationView.Title = title
-		confirmationView.Write(*initialValue)
-		confirmationView.SetCursor(len(*initialValue), 0)
+		restorePreviousBuffer(confirmationView, initialValue)
 		switchFocus(g, currentView, confirmationView)
-		return setKeyBindings(g, handleConfirmAndClear, handleClose)
+		return setKeyBindings(g, handleConfirm, handleClose)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
 
+func restorePreviousBuffer(confirmationView *gocui.View, initialValue *[]byte) {
+	confirmationView.Write(*initialValue)
+	x, y := getCursorPositionFromBuffer(initialValue)
+	devLog("New cursor position:", x, y)
+	confirmationView.SetCursor(0, 0)
+	confirmationView.MoveCursor(x, y, false)
+}
+
+func getCursorPositionFromBuffer(initialValue *[]byte) (int, int) {
+	split := strings.Split(string(*initialValue), "\n")
+	lastLine := split[len(split)-1]
+	x := len(lastLine)
+	y := len(split)
+	return x, y
+}
+
 func createConfirmationPanel(g *gocui.Gui, currentView *gocui.View, title, prompt string, handleConfirm, handleClose func(*gocui.Gui, *gocui.View) error) error {
+	g.SetViewOnBottom("commitMessage")
 	g.Update(func(g *gocui.Gui) error {
 		// delete the existing confirmation panel if it exists
 		if view, _ := g.View("confirmation"); view != nil {
@@ -154,15 +172,20 @@ func trimTrailingNewline(str string) string {
 	return str
 }
 
-func resizeConfirmationPanel(g *gocui.Gui) error {
+func resizeConfirmationPanel(g *gocui.Gui, viewName string) error {
 	// If the confirmation panel is already displayed, just resize the width,
 	// otherwise continue
-	if v, err := g.View("confirmation"); err == nil {
+	g.Update(func(g *gocui.Gui) error {
+		v, err := g.View(viewName)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil
+		}
 		content := trimTrailingNewline(v.Buffer())
 		x0, y0, x1, y1 := getConfirmationPanelDimensions(g, content)
-		if _, err = g.SetView("confirmation", x0, y0, x1, y1, 0); err != nil {
+		if _, err := g.SetView(viewName, x0, y0, x1, y1, 0); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-	}
+		return nil
+	})
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/files_panel.go b/files_panel.go
index b2de2c226..75e20885f 100644
--- a/files_panel.go
+++ b/files_panel.go
@@ -15,9 +15,8 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	savedCommitMessage = &[]byte{}
-	errNoFiles         = errors.New("No changed files")
-	errNoUsername      = errors.New(`No username set. Please do: git config --global user.name "Your Name"`)
+	errNoFiles    = errors.New("No changed files")
+	errNoUsername = errors.New(`No username set. Please do: git config --global user.name "Your Name"`)
 )
 
 func stagedFiles(files []GitFile) []GitFile {
@@ -178,19 +177,11 @@ func handleCommitPress(g *gocui.Gui, filesView *gocui.View) error {
 	if len(stagedFiles(state.GitFiles)) == 0 && !state.HasMergeConflicts {
 		return createErrorPanel(g, "There are no staged files to commit")
 	}
-	createPromptPanel(g, filesView, "Commit message", savedCommitMessage, func(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
-		message := trimmedContent(v)
-		if message == "" {
-			return createErrorPanel(g, "You cannot commit without a commit message")
-		}
-		if output, err := gitCommit(g, message); err != nil {
-			if err == errNoUsername {
-				return createErrorPanel(g, err.Error())
-			}
-			return createErrorPanel(g, output)
-		}
-		refreshFiles(g)
-		return refreshCommits(g)
+	commitMessageView := getCommitMessageView(g)
+	g.Update(func(g *gocui.Gui) error {
+		g.SetViewOnTop("commitMessage")
+		switchFocus(g, filesView, commitMessageView)
+		return nil
 	})
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/gitcommands.go b/gitcommands.go
index 2d073aec9..798627c24 100644
--- a/gitcommands.go
+++ b/gitcommands.go
@@ -107,13 +107,11 @@ func mergeGitStatusFiles(oldGitFiles, newGitFiles []GitFile) []GitFile {
 }
 
 func runDirectCommand(command string) (string, error) {
-	timeStart := time.Now()
 	commandLog(command)
 
 	cmdOut, err := exec.
 		Command(state.Platform.shell, state.Platform.shellArg, command).
 		CombinedOutput()
-	devLog("run direct command time for command: ", command, time.Now().Sub(timeStart))
 	return sanitisedCommandOutput(cmdOut, err)
 }
 
@@ -218,12 +216,9 @@ func sanitisedCommandOutput(output []byte, err error) (string, error) {
 }
 
 func runCommand(command string) (string, error) {
-	commandStartTime := time.Now()
 	commandLog(command)
 	splitCmd := strings.Split(command, " ")
-	devLog(splitCmd)
 	cmdOut, err := exec.Command(splitCmd[0], splitCmd[1:]...).CombinedOutput()
-	devLog("run command time: ", time.Now().Sub(commandStartTime))
 	return sanitisedCommandOutput(cmdOut, err)
 }
 
diff --git a/gui.go b/gui.go
index 4cf7d7df5..b6258ec95 100644
--- a/gui.go
+++ b/gui.go
@@ -199,15 +199,26 @@ func layout(g *gocui.Gui) error {
 		if err != gocui.ErrUnknownView {
 			return err
 		}
-		v.BgColor = gocui.ColorDefault
 		v.FgColor = gocui.ColorBlue
 		v.Frame = false
 	}
 
-	if err = resizeConfirmationPanel(g); err != nil {
-		return err
+	if getCommitMessageView(g) == nil {
+		// doesn't matter where this view starts because it will be hidden
+		if commitMessageView, err := g.SetView("commitMessage", 0, 0, width, height, 0); err != nil {
+			if err != gocui.ErrUnknownView {
+				return err
+			}
+			g.SetViewOnBottom("commitMessage")
+			commitMessageView.Title = "Commit message"
+			commitMessageView.FgColor = gocui.ColorWhite
+			commitMessageView.Editable = true
+		}
 	}
 
+	resizeConfirmationPanel(g, "commitMessage")
+	resizeConfirmationPanel(g, "confirmation")
+
 	if v, err := g.SetView("version", width-len(version)-1, optionsTop, width, optionsTop+2, 0); err != nil {
 		if err != gocui.ErrUnknownView {
 			return err
diff --git a/keybindings.go b/keybindings.go
index 07309790f..bc4a67015 100644
--- a/keybindings.go
+++ b/keybindings.go
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@ func keybindings(g *gocui.Gui) error {
 		{ViewName: "stash", Key: gocui.KeySpace, Modifier: gocui.ModNone, Handler: handleStashApply},
 		{ViewName: "stash", Key: 'g', Modifier: gocui.ModNone, Handler: handleStashPop},
 		{ViewName: "stash", Key: 'd', Modifier: gocui.ModNone, Handler: handleStashDrop},
+		{ViewName: "commitMessage", Key: gocui.KeyEnter, Modifier: gocui.ModNone, Handler: handleCommitConfirm},
+		{ViewName: "commitMessage", Key: gocui.KeyEsc, Modifier: gocui.ModNone, Handler: handleCommitClose},
+		{ViewName: "commitMessage", Key: gocui.KeyTab, Modifier: gocui.ModNone, Handler: handleNewlineCommitMessage},
 	}
 
 	// Would make these keybindings global but that interferes with editing
diff --git a/view_helpers.go b/view_helpers.go
index 2f5f2caf0..fdf3a802f 100644
--- a/view_helpers.go
+++ b/view_helpers.go
@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@ func newLineFocused(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
 		return handleBranchSelect(g, v)
 	case "confirmation":
 		return nil
+	case "commitMessage":
+		return handleCommitFocused(g, v)
 	case "main":
 		// TODO: pull this out into a 'view focused' function
 		refreshMergePanel(g)
@@ -215,3 +217,19 @@ func loader() string {
 	index := nanos / 50000000 % int64(len(characters))
 	return characters[index : index+1]
 }
+
+// TODO: refactor properly
+func getFilesView(g *gocui.Gui) *gocui.View {
+	v, _ := g.View("files")
+	return v
+}
+
+func getCommitsView(g *gocui.Gui) *gocui.View {
+	v, _ := g.View("commits")
+	return v
+}
+
+func getCommitMessageView(g *gocui.Gui) *gocui.View {
+	v, _ := g.View("commitMessage")
+	return v
+}