if (ignore_submodule_arg &&
                            !strcmp(ignore_submodule_arg, "all"))
                                diff_flags |= DIFF_OPT_IGNORE_SUBMODULES;
-                       commitable = index_differs_from(parent, diff_flags);
+                       commitable = index_differs_from(parent, diff_flags, 1);
                }
        }
        strbuf_release(&committer_ident);
 
        return 0;
 }
 
-int index_differs_from(const char *def, int diff_flags)
+int index_differs_from(const char *def, int diff_flags,
+                      int ita_invisible_in_index)
 {
        struct rev_info rev;
        struct setup_revision_opt opt;
        DIFF_OPT_SET(&rev.diffopt, QUICK);
        DIFF_OPT_SET(&rev.diffopt, EXIT_WITH_STATUS);
        rev.diffopt.flags |= diff_flags;
+       rev.diffopt.ita_invisible_in_index = ita_invisible_in_index;
        run_diff_index(&rev, 1);
        if (rev.pending.alloc)
                free(rev.pending.objects);
 
 
 extern void diff_no_index(struct rev_info *, int, const char **);
 
-extern int index_differs_from(const char *def, int diff_flags);
+extern int index_differs_from(const char *def, int diff_flags, int ita_invisible_in_index);
 
 /*
  * Fill the contents of the filespec "df", respecting any textconv defined by
 
                unborn = get_sha1("HEAD", head);
                if (unborn)
                        hashcpy(head, EMPTY_TREE_SHA1_BIN);
-               if (index_differs_from(unborn ? EMPTY_TREE_SHA1_HEX : "HEAD", 0))
+               if (index_differs_from(unborn ? EMPTY_TREE_SHA1_HEX : "HEAD", 0, 0))
                        return error_dirty_index(opts);
        }
        discard_cache();
                if (ret)
                        return ret;
        }
-       if (index_differs_from("HEAD", 0))
+       if (index_differs_from("HEAD", 0, 0))
                return error_dirty_index(opts);
        todo_list = todo_list->next;
        return pick_commits(todo_list, opts);
 
        )
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'commit: ita entries ignored in empty commit check' '
+       git init empty-subsequent-commit &&
+       (
+               cd empty-subsequent-commit &&
+               test_commit one &&
+               : >two &&
+               git add -N two &&
+               test_must_fail git commit -m nothing-new-here
+       )
+'
+
 test_done