diff --git a/Documentation/git-merge.txt b/Documentation/git-merge.txt
index e2954aa76e..0f79665ea6 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-merge.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-merge.txt
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ SYNOPSIS
 --------
 [verse]
 'git-merge' [-n] [--no-commit] [--squash] [-s <strategy>]...
-	[--reflog-action=<action>]
 	-m=<msg> <remote> <remote>...
 
 DESCRIPTION
@@ -37,11 +36,6 @@ include::merge-options.txt[]
 	least one <remote>.  Specifying more than one <remote>
 	obviously means you are trying an Octopus.
 
---reflog-action=<action>::
-	This is used internally when `git-pull` calls this command
-	to record that the merge was created by `pull` command
-	in the `ref-log` entry that results from the merge.
-
 include::merge-strategies.txt[]
 
 
diff --git a/git-am.sh b/git-am.sh
index 0126a77b92..c3bbd78eab 100755
--- a/git-am.sh
+++ b/git-am.sh
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ USAGE='[--signoff] [--dotest=<dir>] [--utf8] [--binary] [--3way]
   [--interactive] [--whitespace=<option>] <mbox>...
   or, when resuming [--skip | --resolved]'
 . git-sh-setup
+set_reflog_action am
 
 git var GIT_COMMITTER_IDENT >/dev/null || exit
 
@@ -101,7 +102,6 @@ It does not apply to blobs recorded in its index."
 }
 
 prec=4
-rloga=am
 dotest=.dotest sign= utf8= keep= skip= interactive= resolved= binary= ws= resolvemsg=
 
 while case "$#" in 0) break;; esac
@@ -141,9 +141,6 @@ do
 	--resolvemsg=*)
 	resolvemsg=$(echo "$1" | sed -e "s/^--resolvemsg=//"); shift ;;
 
-	--reflog-action=*)
-	rloga=`expr "z$1" : 'z-[^=]*=\(.*\)'`; shift ;;
-
 	--)
 	shift; break ;;
 	-*)
@@ -452,7 +449,7 @@ do
 	parent=$(git-rev-parse --verify HEAD) &&
 	commit=$(git-commit-tree $tree -p $parent <"$dotest/final-commit") &&
 	echo Committed: $commit &&
-	git-update-ref -m "$rloga: $SUBJECT" HEAD $commit $parent ||
+	git-update-ref -m "$GIT_REFLOG_ACTION: $SUBJECT" HEAD $commit $parent ||
 	stop_here $this
 
 	if test -x "$GIT_DIR"/hooks/post-applypatch
diff --git a/git-fetch.sh b/git-fetch.sh
index ffbd44f0e1..7fb47f69fb 100755
--- a/git-fetch.sh
+++ b/git-fetch.sh
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 USAGE='<fetch-options> <repository> <refspec>...'
 SUBDIRECTORY_OK=Yes
 . git-sh-setup
+set_reflog_action "fetch $*"
+
 TOP=$(git-rev-parse --show-cdup)
 if test ! -z "$TOP"
 then
@@ -17,7 +19,6 @@ LF='
 '
 IFS="$LF"
 
-rloga=fetch
 no_tags=
 tags=
 append=
@@ -59,9 +60,6 @@ do
 	-k|--k|--ke|--kee|--keep)
 		keep='-k -k'
 		;;
-	--reflog-action=*)
-		rloga=`expr "z$1" : 'z-[^=]*=\(.*\)'`
-		;;
 	-*)
 		usage
 		;;
@@ -86,9 +84,6 @@ refs=
 rref=
 rsync_slurped_objects=
 
-rloga="$rloga $remote_nick"
-test "$remote_nick" = "$remote" || rloga="$rloga $remote"
-
 if test "" = "$append"
 then
 	: >"$GIT_DIR/FETCH_HEAD"
@@ -172,12 +167,12 @@ update_local_ref () {
 		else
 			echo >&2 "* $1: updating with $3"
 			echo >&2 "  $label_: $newshort_"
-			git-update-ref -m "$rloga: updating tag" "$1" "$2"
+			git-update-ref -m "$GIT_REFLOG_ACTION: updating tag" "$1" "$2"
 		fi
 	else
 		echo >&2 "* $1: storing $3"
 		echo >&2 "  $label_: $newshort_"
-		git-update-ref -m "$rloga: storing tag" "$1" "$2"
+		git-update-ref -m "$GIT_REFLOG_ACTION: storing tag" "$1" "$2"
 	fi
 	;;
 
@@ -200,7 +195,7 @@ update_local_ref () {
 	    *,$local)
 		echo >&2 "* $1: fast forward to $3"
 		echo >&2 "  old..new: $oldshort_..$newshort_"
-		git-update-ref -m "$rloga: fast-forward" "$1" "$2" "$local"
+		git-update-ref -m "$GIT_REFLOG_ACTION: fast-forward" "$1" "$2" "$local"
 		;;
 	    *)
 		false
@@ -210,7 +205,7 @@ update_local_ref () {
 		*,t,*)
 			echo >&2 "* $1: forcing update to non-fast forward $3"
 			echo >&2 "  old...new: $oldshort_...$newshort_"
-			git-update-ref -m "$rloga: forced-update" "$1" "$2" "$local"
+			git-update-ref -m "$GIT_REFLOG_ACTION: forced-update" "$1" "$2" "$local"
 			;;
 		*)
 			echo >&2 "* $1: not updating to non-fast forward $3"
@@ -222,7 +217,7 @@ update_local_ref () {
 	else
 	    echo >&2 "* $1: storing $3"
 	    echo >&2 "  $label_: $newshort_"
-	    git-update-ref -m "$rloga: storing head" "$1" "$2"
+	    git-update-ref -m "$GIT_REFLOG_ACTION: storing head" "$1" "$2"
 	fi
 	;;
     esac
@@ -465,7 +460,7 @@ case "$orig_head" in
 	if test "$curr_head" != "$orig_head"
 	then
 	    git-update-ref \
-			-m "$rloga: Undoing incorrectly fetched HEAD." \
+			-m "$GIT_REFLOG_ACTION: Undoing incorrectly fetched HEAD." \
 			HEAD "$orig_head"
 		die "Cannot fetch into the current branch."
 	fi
diff --git a/git-merge.sh b/git-merge.sh
index 7dd0a11236..e8db52725c 100755
--- a/git-merge.sh
+++ b/git-merge.sh
@@ -3,9 +3,10 @@
 # Copyright (c) 2005 Junio C Hamano
 #
 
-USAGE='[-n] [--no-commit] [--squash] [-s <strategy>] [--reflog-action=<action>] [-m=<merge-message>] <commit>+'
+USAGE='[-n] [--no-commit] [--squash] [-s <strategy>] [-m=<merge-message>] <commit>+'
 
 . git-sh-setup
+set_reflog_action "merge $*"
 
 LF='
 '
@@ -57,10 +58,10 @@ squash_message () {
 finish () {
 	if test '' = "$2"
 	then
-		rlogm="$rloga"
+		rlogm="$GIT_REFLOG_ACTION"
 	else
 		echo "$2"
-		rlogm="$rloga: $2"
+		rlogm="$GIT_REFLOG_ACTION: $2"
 	fi
 	case "$squash" in
 	t)
@@ -109,7 +110,7 @@ merge_name () {
 
 case "$#" in 0) usage ;; esac
 
-rloga= have_message=
+have_message=
 while case "$#" in 0) break ;; esac
 do
 	case "$1" in
@@ -139,9 +140,6 @@ do
 			die "available strategies are: $all_strategies" ;;
 		esac
 		;;
-	--reflog-action=*)
-		rloga=`expr "z$1" : 'z-[^=]*=\(.*\)'`
-		;;
 	-m=*|--m=*|--me=*|--mes=*|--mess=*|--messa=*|--messag=*|--message=*)
 		merge_msg=`expr "z$1" : 'z-[^=]*=\(.*\)'`
 		have_message=t
@@ -213,7 +211,6 @@ head=$(git-rev-parse --verify "$head_arg"^0) || usage
 
 # All the rest are remote heads
 test "$#" = 0 && usage ;# we need at least one remote head.
-test "$rloga" = '' && rloga="merge: $@"
 
 remoteheads=
 for remote
diff --git a/git-pull.sh b/git-pull.sh
index 1703091bbb..fd4ffb858a 100755
--- a/git-pull.sh
+++ b/git-pull.sh
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 USAGE='[-n | --no-summary] [--no-commit] [-s strategy]... [<fetch-options>] <repo> <head>...'
 LONG_USAGE='Fetch one or more remote refs and merge it/them into the current HEAD.'
 . git-sh-setup
+set_reflog_action "pull $*"
 
 strategy_args= no_summary= no_commit= squash=
 while case "$#,$1" in 0) break ;; *,-*) ;; *) break ;; esac
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ do
 done
 
 orig_head=$(git-rev-parse --verify HEAD 2>/dev/null)
-git-fetch --update-head-ok --reflog-action=pull "$@" || exit 1
+git-fetch --update-head-ok "$@" || exit 1
 
 curr_head=$(git-rev-parse --verify HEAD 2>/dev/null)
 if test "$curr_head" != "$orig_head"
@@ -118,6 +119,5 @@ case "$strategy_args" in
 esac
 
 merge_name=$(git-fmt-merge-msg <"$GIT_DIR/FETCH_HEAD") || exit
-git-merge "--reflog-action=pull $*" \
-	$no_summary $no_commit $squash $strategy_args \
+git-merge $no_summary $no_commit $squash $strategy_args \
 	"$merge_name" HEAD $merge_head
diff --git a/git-rebase.sh b/git-rebase.sh
index ece31425d0..5c7c4a6901 100755
--- a/git-rebase.sh
+++ b/git-rebase.sh
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ Example:       git-rebase master~1 topic
   D---E---F---G master          D---E---F---G master
 '
 . git-sh-setup
+set_reflog_action rebase
 
 RESOLVEMSG="
 When you have resolved this problem run \"git rebase --continue\".
@@ -132,8 +133,7 @@ do
 			finish_rb_merge
 			exit
 		fi
-		git am --resolved --3way --resolvemsg="$RESOLVEMSG" \
-			--reflog-action=rebase
+		git am --resolved --3way --resolvemsg="$RESOLVEMSG"
 		exit
 		;;
 	--skip)
@@ -156,8 +156,7 @@ do
 			finish_rb_merge
 			exit
 		fi
-		git am -3 --skip --resolvemsg="$RESOLVEMSG" \
-			--reflog-action=rebase
+		git am -3 --skip --resolvemsg="$RESOLVEMSG"
 		exit
 		;;
 	--abort)
@@ -306,8 +305,7 @@ fi
 if test -z "$do_merge"
 then
 	git-format-patch -k --stdout --full-index --ignore-if-in-upstream "$upstream"..ORIG_HEAD |
-	git am --binary -3 -k --resolvemsg="$RESOLVEMSG" \
-		--reflog-action=rebase
+	git am --binary -3 -k --resolvemsg="$RESOLVEMSG"
 	exit $?
 fi
 
diff --git a/git-sh-setup.sh b/git-sh-setup.sh
index 42f9b1c125..87b939c0e4 100755
--- a/git-sh-setup.sh
+++ b/git-sh-setup.sh
@@ -20,6 +20,14 @@ usage() {
 	die "Usage: $0 $USAGE"
 }
 
+set_reflog_action() {
+	if [ -z "${GIT_REFLOG_ACTION:+set}" ]
+	then
+		GIT_REFLOG_ACTION="$*"
+		export GIT_REFLOG_ACTION
+	fi
+}
+
 if [ -z "$LONG_USAGE" ]
 then
 	LONG_USAGE="Usage: $0 $USAGE"