* 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)
                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);