diff --git a/t/t7609-merge-co-error-msgs.sh b/t/t7609-merge-co-error-msgs.sh
index 0e4a682c64..6729cb379f 100755
--- a/t/t7609-merge-co-error-msgs.sh
+++ b/t/t7609-merge-co-error-msgs.sh
@@ -37,14 +37,14 @@ EOF
 
 test_expect_success 'untracked files overwritten by merge (fast and non-fast forward)' '
 	test_must_fail git merge branch 2>out &&
-	test_cmp out expect &&
+	test_i18ncmp out expect &&
 	git commit --allow-empty -m empty &&
 	(
 		GIT_MERGE_VERBOSITY=0 &&
 		export GIT_MERGE_VERBOSITY &&
 		test_must_fail git merge branch 2>out2
 	) &&
-	test_cmp out2 expect &&
+	test_i18ncmp out2 expect &&
 	git reset --hard HEAD^
 '
 
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ error: Your local changes to the following files would be overwritten by merge:
 	four
 	three
 	two
-Please, commit your changes or stash them before you can merge.
+Please commit your changes or stash them before you can merge.
 error: The following untracked working tree files would be overwritten by merge:
 	five
 Please move or remove them before you can merge.
@@ -65,14 +65,14 @@ test_expect_success 'untracked files or local changes ovewritten by merge' '
 	git add three &&
 	git add four &&
 	test_must_fail git merge branch 2>out &&
-	test_cmp out expect
+	test_i18ncmp out expect
 '
 
 cat >expect <<\EOF
 error: Your local changes to the following files would be overwritten by checkout:
 	rep/one
 	rep/two
-Please, commit your changes or stash them before you can switch branches.
+Please commit your changes or stash them before you can switch branches.
 Aborting
 EOF
 
@@ -87,21 +87,21 @@ test_expect_success 'cannot switch branches because of local changes' '
 	echo uno >rep/one &&
 	echo dos >rep/two &&
 	test_must_fail git checkout branch 2>out &&
-	test_cmp out expect
+	test_i18ncmp out expect
 '
 
 cat >expect <<\EOF
 error: Your local changes to the following files would be overwritten by checkout:
 	rep/one
 	rep/two
-Please, commit your changes or stash them before you can switch branches.
+Please commit your changes or stash them before you can switch branches.
 Aborting
 EOF
 
 test_expect_success 'not uptodate file porcelain checkout error' '
 	git add rep/one rep/two &&
 	test_must_fail git checkout branch 2>out &&
-	test_cmp out expect
+	test_i18ncmp out expect
 '
 
 cat >expect <<\EOF
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ test_expect_success 'not_uptodate_dir porcelain checkout error' '
 	>rep/untracked-file &&
 	>rep2/untracked-file &&
 	test_must_fail git checkout branch 2>out &&
-	test_cmp out ../expect
+	test_i18ncmp out ../expect
 '
 
 test_done
diff --git a/unpack-trees.c b/unpack-trees.c
index 4bc6b4f272..aea9aa749f 100644
--- a/unpack-trees.c
+++ b/unpack-trees.c
@@ -58,27 +58,61 @@ void setup_unpack_trees_porcelain(struct unpack_trees_options *opts,
 	int i;
 	const char **msgs = opts->msgs;
 	const char *msg;
-	const char *cmd2 = strcmp(cmd, "checkout") ? cmd : "switch branches";
 
-	if (advice_commit_before_merge)
-		msg = _("Your local changes to the following files would be overwritten by %s:\n%%s"
-			"Please, commit your changes or stash them before you can %s.");
+	if (!strcmp(cmd, "checkout"))
+		msg = advice_commit_before_merge
+		      ? _("Your local changes to the following files would be overwritten by checkout:\n%%s"
+			  "Please commit your changes or stash them before you can switch branches.")
+		      : _("Your local changes to the following files would be overwritten by checkout:\n%%s");
+	else if (!strcmp(cmd, "merge"))
+		msg = advice_commit_before_merge
+		      ? _("Your local changes to the following files would be overwritten by merge:\n%%s"
+			  "Please commit your changes or stash them before you can merge.")
+		      : _("Your local changes to the following files would be overwritten by merge:\n%%s");
 	else
-		msg = _("Your local changes to the following files would be overwritten by %s:\n%%s");
+		msg = advice_commit_before_merge
+		      ? _("Your local changes to the following files would be overwritten by %s:\n%%s"
+			  "Please commit your changes or stash them before you can %s.")
+		      : _("Your local changes to the following files would be overwritten by %s:\n%%s");
 	msgs[ERROR_WOULD_OVERWRITE] = msgs[ERROR_NOT_UPTODATE_FILE] =
-		xstrfmt(msg, cmd, cmd2);
+		xstrfmt(msg, cmd, cmd);
 
 	msgs[ERROR_NOT_UPTODATE_DIR] =
 		_("Updating the following directories would lose untracked files in it:\n%s");
 
-	if (advice_commit_before_merge)
-		msg = _("The following untracked working tree files would be %s by %s:\n%%s"
-			"Please move or remove them before you can %s.");
+	if (!strcmp(cmd, "checkout"))
+		msg = advice_commit_before_merge
+		      ? _("The following untracked working tree files would be removed by checkout:\n%%s"
+			  "Please move or remove them before you can switch branches.")
+		      : _("The following untracked working tree files would be removed by checkout:\n%%s");
+	else if (!strcmp(cmd, "merge"))
+		msg = advice_commit_before_merge
+		      ? _("The following untracked working tree files would be removed by merge:\n%%s"
+			  "Please move or remove them before you can merge.")
+		      : _("The following untracked working tree files would be removed by merge:\n%%s");
 	else
-		msg = _("The following untracked working tree files would be %s by %s:\n%%s");
+		msg = advice_commit_before_merge
+		      ? _("The following untracked working tree files would be removed by %s:\n%%s"
+			  "Please move or remove them before you can %s.")
+		      : _("The following untracked working tree files would be removed by %s:\n%%s");
+	msgs[ERROR_WOULD_LOSE_UNTRACKED_REMOVED] = xstrfmt(msg, cmd, cmd);
 
-	msgs[ERROR_WOULD_LOSE_UNTRACKED_REMOVED] = xstrfmt(msg, "removed", cmd, cmd2);
-	msgs[ERROR_WOULD_LOSE_UNTRACKED_OVERWRITTEN] = xstrfmt(msg, "overwritten", cmd, cmd2);
+	if (!strcmp(cmd, "checkout"))
+		msg = advice_commit_before_merge
+		      ? _("The following untracked working tree files would be overwritten by checkout:\n%%s"
+			  "Please move or remove them before you can switch branches.")
+		      : _("The following untracked working tree files would be overwritten by checkout:\n%%s");
+	else if (!strcmp(cmd, "merge"))
+		msg = advice_commit_before_merge
+		      ? _("The following untracked working tree files would be overwritten by merge:\n%%s"
+			  "Please move or remove them before you can merge.")
+		      : _("The following untracked working tree files would be overwritten by merge:\n%%s");
+	else
+		msg = advice_commit_before_merge
+		      ? _("The following untracked working tree files would be overwritten by %s:\n%%s"
+			  "Please move or remove them before you can %s.")
+		      : _("The following untracked working tree files would be overwritten by %s:\n%%s");
+	msgs[ERROR_WOULD_LOSE_UNTRACKED_OVERWRITTEN] = xstrfmt(msg, cmd, cmd);
 
 	/*
 	 * Special case: ERROR_BIND_OVERLAP refers to a pair of paths, we