diff --git a/builtin/merge.c b/builtin/merge.c
index 878f82a410..1d4fbd3288 100644
--- a/builtin/merge.c
+++ b/builtin/merge.c
@@ -1185,9 +1185,6 @@ int cmd_merge(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		 * to forbid "git merge" into a branch yet to be born.
 		 * We do the same for "git pull".
 		 */
-		if (argc != 1)
-			die(_("Can merge only exactly one commit into "
-				"empty head"));
 		if (squash)
 			die(_("Squash commit into empty head not supported yet"));
 		if (fast_forward == FF_NO)
@@ -1197,6 +1194,8 @@ int cmd_merge(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		remote_head = remoteheads->item;
 		if (!remote_head)
 			die(_("%s - not something we can merge"), argv[0]);
+		if (remoteheads->next)
+			die(_("Can merge only exactly one commit into empty head"));
 		read_empty(remote_head->object.sha1, 0);
 		update_ref("initial pull", "HEAD", remote_head->object.sha1,
 			   NULL, 0, UPDATE_REFS_DIE_ON_ERR);