diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/Reflog.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/Reflog.java
index e2797bd5a..a09bb11fd 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/Reflog.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/Reflog.java
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@ import org.eclipse.jgit.api.Git;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.api.ReflogCommand;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.internal.storage.file.ReflogEntry;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Constants;
-import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.ObjectId;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Repository;
 import org.kohsuke.args4j.Argument;
 
@@ -77,12 +76,7 @@ class Reflog extends TextBuiltin {
 		s.append(ref == null ? Constants.HEAD : Repository.shortenRefName(ref));
 		s.append("@{" + i + "}:"); //$NON-NLS-1$ //$NON-NLS-2$
 		s.append(" "); //$NON-NLS-1$
-		// temporary workaround for bug 393463
-		if (entry.getOldId().equals(ObjectId.zeroId()))
-			s.append(entry.getComment().replaceFirst("^commit:", //$NON-NLS-1$
-					"commit (initial):")); //$NON-NLS-1$
-		else
-			s.append(entry.getComment());
+		s.append(entry.getComment());
 		return s.toString();
 	}
 }
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/MergeCommandTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/MergeCommandTest.java
index dfd5c5476..cf9573e44 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/MergeCommandTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/MergeCommandTest.java
@@ -96,10 +96,10 @@ public class MergeCommandTest extends RepositoryTestCase {
 		MergeResult result = git.merge().include(db.getRef(Constants.HEAD)).call();
 		assertEquals(MergeResult.MergeStatus.ALREADY_UP_TO_DATE, result.getMergeStatus());
 		// no reflog entry written by merge
-		assertEquals("commit: initial commit",
+		assertEquals("commit (initial): initial commit",
 				db
 				.getReflogReader(Constants.HEAD).getLastEntry().getComment());
-		assertEquals("commit: initial commit",
+		assertEquals("commit (initial): initial commit",
 				db
 				.getReflogReader(db.getBranch()).getLastEntry().getComment());
 	}
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/ReflogCommandTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/ReflogCommandTest.java
index a30b4963f..318d1f98b 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/ReflogCommandTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/api/ReflogCommandTest.java
@@ -90,7 +90,8 @@ public class ReflogCommandTest extends RepositoryTestCase {
 		assertNotNull(reflog);
 		assertEquals(3, reflog.size());
 		ReflogEntry[] reflogs = reflog.toArray(new ReflogEntry[reflog.size()]);
-		assertEquals(reflogs[2].getComment(), "commit: Initial commit");
+		assertEquals(reflogs[2].getComment(),
+				"commit (initial): Initial commit");
 		assertEquals(reflogs[2].getNewId(), commit1.getId());
 		assertEquals(reflogs[2].getOldId(), ObjectId.zeroId());
 		assertEquals(reflogs[1].getComment(),
@@ -136,7 +137,8 @@ public class ReflogCommandTest extends RepositoryTestCase {
 		assertNotNull(reflog);
 		assertEquals(4, reflog.size());
 		ReflogEntry[] reflogs = reflog.toArray(new ReflogEntry[reflog.size()]);
-		assertEquals(reflogs[3].getComment(), "commit: Initial commit");
+		assertEquals(reflogs[3].getComment(),
+				"commit (initial): Initial commit");
 		assertEquals(reflogs[3].getNewId(), commit1.getId());
 		assertEquals(reflogs[3].getOldId(), ObjectId.zeroId());
 		assertEquals(reflogs[2].getComment(),
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/api/CommitCommand.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/api/CommitCommand.java
index 26a64ebcf..1f68a7df2 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/api/CommitCommand.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/api/CommitCommand.java
@@ -228,7 +228,8 @@ public class CommitCommand extends GitCommand<RevCommit> {
 							ru.setRefLogMessage(reflogComment, false);
 						} else {
 							String prefix = amend ? "commit (amend): " //$NON-NLS-1$
-									: "commit: ";
+									: parents.size() == 0 ? "commit (initial): "
+											: "commit: ";
 							ru.setRefLogMessage(
 									prefix + revCommit.getShortMessage(), false);
 						}