verbose=
 signoff=
 force_author=
+only_include_assumed=
 while case "$#" in 0) break;; esac
 do
   case "$1" in
 0,)
   ;;
 *,)
-  echo >&2 "assuming --only paths..."
+  only_include_assumed="# Explicit paths specified without -i nor -o; assuming --only paths..."
   also=
-
-  # If we are going to launch an editor, the message won't be
-  # shown without this...
-  test -z "$log_given$status_only" && sleep 1
   ;;
 esac
 unset only
        ;;
 ,t)
        save_index &&
+       git-ls-files --error-unmatch -- "$@" >/dev/null || exit
+
        git-diff-files --name-only -z -- "$@"  |
        (
                cd "$TOP"
                refuse_partial "Different in index and the last commit:
 $dirty_in_index"
            fi
-           commit_only=`git-ls-files -- "$@"`
+           commit_only=`git-ls-files --error-unmatch -- "$@"` || exit
 
            # Build the temporary index and update the real index
            # the same way.
        PARENTS=""
 fi
 
-run_status >>"$GIT_DIR"/COMMIT_EDITMSG
+{
+       test -z "$only_include_assumed" || echo "$only_include_assumed"
+       run_status
+} >>"$GIT_DIR"/COMMIT_EDITMSG
 if [ "$?" != "0" -a ! -f "$GIT_DIR/MERGE_HEAD" ]
 then
        rm -f "$GIT_DIR/COMMIT_EDITMSG"