diff --git a/builtin/commit.c b/builtin/commit.c
index 8d1cac0629..3d614a2ace 100644
--- a/builtin/commit.c
+++ b/builtin/commit.c
@@ -1648,6 +1648,7 @@ int cmd_commit(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		usage_with_options(builtin_commit_usage, builtin_commit_options);
 
 	status_init_config(&s, git_commit_config);
+	s.commit_template = 1;
 	status_format = STATUS_FORMAT_NONE; /* Ignore status.short */
 	s.colopts = 0;
 
diff --git a/t/t7501-commit.sh b/t/t7501-commit.sh
index 0b6da7ae1f..fa61b1a4ee 100755
--- a/t/t7501-commit.sh
+++ b/t/t7501-commit.sh
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ test_expect_success 'initial status' '
 	echo bongo bongo >file &&
 	git add file &&
 	git status >actual &&
-	test_i18ngrep "Initial commit" actual
+	test_i18ngrep "No commits yet" actual
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'fail initial amend' '
diff --git a/t/t7508-status.sh b/t/t7508-status.sh
index 5edcc6edfe..db709048c2 100755
--- a/t/t7508-status.sh
+++ b/t/t7508-status.sh
@@ -1499,4 +1499,34 @@ test_expect_success 'git commit -m will commit a staged but ignored submodule' '
 	git config -f .gitmodules  --remove-section submodule.subname
 '
 
+test_expect_success '"No commits yet" should be noted in status output' '
+	git checkout --orphan empty-branch-1 &&
+	git status >output &&
+	test_i18ngrep "No commits yet" output
+'
+
+test_expect_success '"No commits yet" should not be noted in status output' '
+	git checkout --orphan empty-branch-2 &&
+	test_commit test-commit-1 &&
+	git status >output &&
+	test_i18ngrep ! "No commits yet" output
+'
+
+test_expect_success '"Initial commit" should be noted in commit template' '
+	git checkout --orphan empty-branch-3 &&
+	touch to_be_committed_1 &&
+	git add to_be_committed_1 &&
+	git commit --dry-run >output &&
+	test_i18ngrep "Initial commit" output
+'
+
+test_expect_success '"Initial commit" should not be noted in commit template' '
+	git checkout --orphan empty-branch-4 &&
+	test_commit test-commit-2 &&
+	touch to_be_committed_2 &&
+	git add to_be_committed_2 &&
+	git commit --dry-run >output &&
+	test_i18ngrep ! "Initial commit" output
+'
+
 test_done
diff --git a/wt-status.c b/wt-status.c
index 068de38b51..c711ef86e2 100644
--- a/wt-status.c
+++ b/wt-status.c
@@ -1578,7 +1578,10 @@ static void wt_longstatus_print(struct wt_status *s)
 
 	if (s->is_initial) {
 		status_printf_ln(s, color(WT_STATUS_HEADER, s), "%s", "");
-		status_printf_ln(s, color(WT_STATUS_HEADER, s), _("Initial commit"));
+		status_printf_ln(s, color(WT_STATUS_HEADER, s),
+				 s->commit_template
+				 ? _("Initial commit")
+				 : _("No commits yet"));
 		status_printf_ln(s, color(WT_STATUS_HEADER, s), "%s", "");
 	}
 
@@ -1748,7 +1751,7 @@ static void wt_shortstatus_print_tracking(struct wt_status *s)
 #define LABEL(string) (s->no_gettext ? (string) : _(string))
 
 	if (s->is_initial)
-		color_fprintf(s->fp, header_color, LABEL(N_("Initial commit on ")));
+		color_fprintf(s->fp, header_color, LABEL(N_("No commits yet on ")));
 
 	if (!strcmp(s->branch, "HEAD")) {
 		color_fprintf(s->fp, color(WT_STATUS_NOBRANCH, s), "%s",
diff --git a/wt-status.h b/wt-status.h
index 8a3864783b..2389f08390 100644
--- a/wt-status.h
+++ b/wt-status.h
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ struct wt_status {
 	char color_palette[WT_STATUS_MAXSLOT][COLOR_MAXLEN];
 	unsigned colopts;
 	int null_termination;
+	int commit_template;
 	int show_branch;
 	int hints;