diff --git a/builtin/commit.c b/builtin/commit.c
index aff6bf7aad..9c299d7925 100644
--- a/builtin/commit.c
+++ b/builtin/commit.c
@@ -1736,19 +1736,19 @@ int cmd_commit(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	if (verbose || /* Truncate the message just before the diff, if any. */
 	    cleanup_mode == CLEANUP_SCISSORS)
 		strbuf_setlen(&sb, wt_status_locate_end(sb.buf, sb.len));
-
 	if (cleanup_mode != CLEANUP_NONE)
 		strbuf_stripspace(&sb, cleanup_mode == CLEANUP_ALL);
-	if (template_untouched(&sb) && !allow_empty_message) {
-		rollback_index_files();
-		fprintf(stderr, _("Aborting commit; you did not edit the message.\n"));
-		exit(1);
-	}
+
 	if (message_is_empty(&sb) && !allow_empty_message) {
 		rollback_index_files();
 		fprintf(stderr, _("Aborting commit due to empty commit message.\n"));
 		exit(1);
 	}
+	if (template_untouched(&sb) && !allow_empty_message) {
+		rollback_index_files();
+		fprintf(stderr, _("Aborting commit; you did not edit the message.\n"));
+		exit(1);
+	}
 
 	if (amend) {
 		const char *exclude_gpgsig[2] = { "gpgsig", NULL };