diff --git a/git-p4.py b/git-p4.py
index c969d9235b..4ae6aa30f0 100755
--- a/git-p4.py
+++ b/git-p4.py
@@ -2102,47 +2102,47 @@ class P4Submit(Command, P4UserMap):
         tmpFile.write(submitTemplate)
         tmpFile.close()
 
-        if self.prepare_p4_only:
-            #
-            # Leave the p4 tree prepared, and the submit template around
-            # and let the user decide what to do next
-            #
-            print()
-            print("P4 workspace prepared for submission.")
-            print("To submit or revert, go to client workspace")
-            print("  " + self.clientPath)
-            print()
-            print("To submit, use \"p4 submit\" to write a new description,")
-            print("or \"p4 submit -i <%s\" to use the one prepared by" \
-                  " \"git p4\"." % fileName)
-            print("You can delete the file \"%s\" when finished." % fileName)
-
-            if self.preserveUser and p4User and not self.p4UserIsMe(p4User):
-                print("To preserve change ownership by user %s, you must\n" \
-                      "do \"p4 change -f <change>\" after submitting and\n" \
-                      "edit the User field.")
-            if pureRenameCopy:
-                print("After submitting, renamed files must be re-synced.")
-                print("Invoke \"p4 sync -f\" on each of these files:")
-                for f in pureRenameCopy:
-                    print("  " + f)
-
-            print()
-            print("To revert the changes, use \"p4 revert ...\", and delete")
-            print("the submit template file \"%s\"" % fileName)
-            if filesToAdd:
-                print("Since the commit adds new files, they must be deleted:")
-                for f in filesToAdd:
-                    print("  " + f)
-            print()
-            return True
-
-        #
-        # Let the user edit the change description, then submit it.
-        #
         submitted = False
 
         try:
+
+            if self.prepare_p4_only:
+                #
+                # Leave the p4 tree prepared, and the submit template around
+                # and let the user decide what to do next
+                #
+                submitted = True
+                print("")
+                print("P4 workspace prepared for submission.")
+                print("To submit or revert, go to client workspace")
+                print("  " + self.clientPath)
+                print("")
+                print("To submit, use \"p4 submit\" to write a new description,")
+                print("or \"p4 submit -i <%s\" to use the one prepared by" \
+                      " \"git p4\"." % fileName)
+                print("You can delete the file \"%s\" when finished." % fileName)
+
+                if self.preserveUser and p4User and not self.p4UserIsMe(p4User):
+                    print("To preserve change ownership by user %s, you must\n" \
+                          "do \"p4 change -f <change>\" after submitting and\n" \
+                          "edit the User field.")
+                if pureRenameCopy:
+                    print("After submitting, renamed files must be re-synced.")
+                    print("Invoke \"p4 sync -f\" on each of these files:")
+                    for f in pureRenameCopy:
+                        print("  " + f)
+
+                print("")
+                print("To revert the changes, use \"p4 revert ...\", and delete")
+                print("the submit template file \"%s\"" % fileName)
+                if filesToAdd:
+                    print("Since the commit adds new files, they must be deleted:")
+                    for f in filesToAdd:
+                        print("  " + f)
+                print("")
+                sys.stdout.flush()
+                return True
+
             if self.edit_template(fileName):
                 # read the edited message and submit
                 tmpFile = open(fileName, "rb")
@@ -2150,7 +2150,15 @@ class P4Submit(Command, P4UserMap):
                 tmpFile.close()
                 if self.isWindows:
                     message = message.replace("\r\n", "\n")
-                submitTemplate = message[:message.index(separatorLine)]
+                if message.find(separatorLine) != -1:
+                    submitTemplate = message[:message.index(separatorLine)]
+                else:
+                    submitTemplate = message
+
+                if len(submitTemplate.strip()) == 0:
+                    print("Changelist is empty, aborting this changelist.")
+                    sys.stdout.flush()
+                    return False
 
                 if update_shelve:
                     p4_write_pipe(['shelve', '-r', '-i'], submitTemplate)
@@ -2174,19 +2182,21 @@ class P4Submit(Command, P4UserMap):
                 submitted = True
 
         finally:
-            # skip this patch
+            # Revert changes if we skip this patch
             if not submitted or self.shelve:
                 if self.shelve:
                     print ("Reverting shelved files.")
                 else:
                     print ("Submission cancelled, undoing p4 changes.")
+                sys.stdout.flush()
                 for f in editedFiles | filesToDelete:
                     p4_revert(f)
                 for f in filesToAdd:
                     p4_revert(f)
                     os.remove(f)
 
-        os.remove(fileName)
+            if not self.prepare_p4_only:
+                os.remove(fileName)
         return submitted
 
     # Export git tags as p4 labels. Create a p4 label and then tag