diff --git a/git-rebase--interactive.sh b/git-rebase--interactive.sh
index 23ded48322..f7ae02ccb5 100755
--- a/git-rebase--interactive.sh
+++ b/git-rebase--interactive.sh
@@ -482,6 +482,25 @@ get_saved_options () {
 	test -f "$DOTEST"/rebase-root && REBASE_ROOT=t
 }
 
+LF='
+'
+parse_onto () {
+	case "$1" in
+	*...*)
+		if	left=${1%...*} right=${1#*...} &&
+			onto=$(git merge-base --all ${left:-HEAD} ${right:-HEAD})
+		then
+			case "$onto" in
+			?*"$LF"?* | '')
+				exit 1 ;;
+			esac
+			echo "$onto"
+			exit 0
+		fi
+	esac
+	git rev-parse --verify "$1^0"
+}
+
 while test $# != 0
 do
 	case "$1" in
@@ -589,7 +608,7 @@ first and then run 'git rebase --continue' again."
 		;;
 	--onto)
 		shift
-		ONTO=$(git rev-parse --verify "$1") ||
+		ONTO=$(parse_onto "$1") ||
 			die "Does not point to a valid commit: $1"
 		;;
 	--)
diff --git a/t/t3415-rebase-onto-threedots.sh b/t/t3415-rebase-onto-threedots.sh
index b09e907c35..ddf2f64853 100755
--- a/t/t3415-rebase-onto-threedots.sh
+++ b/t/t3415-rebase-onto-threedots.sh
@@ -72,4 +72,34 @@ test_expect_success 'rebase --onto master...side' '
 	test_must_fail git rebase --onto master...side J
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'rebase -i --onto master...topic' '
+	git reset --hard &&
+	git checkout topic &&
+	git reset --hard G &&
+	set_fake_editor &&
+	EXPECT_COUNT=1 git rebase -i --onto master...topic F &&
+	git rev-parse HEAD^1 >actual &&
+	git rev-parse C^0 >expect &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'rebase -i --onto master...' '
+	git reset --hard &&
+	git checkout topic &&
+	git reset --hard G &&
+	set_fake_editor &&
+	EXPECT_COUNT=1 git rebase -i --onto master... F &&
+	git rev-parse HEAD^1 >actual &&
+	git rev-parse C^0 >expect &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'rebase -i --onto master...side' '
+	git reset --hard &&
+	git checkout side &&
+	git reset --hard K &&
+
+	test_must_fail git rebase -i --onto master...side J
+'
+
 test_done