diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/merge/MergeMessageFormatterTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/merge/MergeMessageFormatterTest.java
index 2fbcd093d..04cfa2519 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/merge/MergeMessageFormatterTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/merge/MergeMessageFormatterTest.java
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ import java.util.Arrays;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.ObjectId;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.ObjectIdRef;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Ref;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.SymbolicRef;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Ref.Storage;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.RefUpdate;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.SampleDataRepositoryTestCase;
@@ -166,4 +167,13 @@ public class MergeMessageFormatterTest extends SampleDataRepositoryTestCase {
 		String message = formatter.format(Arrays.asList(a), b);
 		assertEquals("Merge branch 'a' into b", message);
 	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testIntoSymbolicRefHeadPointingToMaster() throws IOException {
+		Ref a = db.getRef("refs/heads/a");
+		Ref master = db.getRef("refs/heads/master");
+		SymbolicRef head = new SymbolicRef("HEAD", master);
+		String message = formatter.format(Arrays.asList(a), head);
+		assertEquals("Merge branch 'a'", message);
+	}
 }
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/merge/MergeMessageFormatter.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/merge/MergeMessageFormatter.java
index cb2f8a522..cdd7a2f37 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/merge/MergeMessageFormatter.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/merge/MergeMessageFormatter.java
@@ -113,7 +113,8 @@ public class MergeMessageFormatter {
 
 		sb.append(StringUtils.join(listings, ", "));
 
-		if (!target.getName().equals(Constants.R_HEADS + Constants.MASTER)) {
+		String targetName = target.getLeaf().getName();
+		if (!targetName.equals(Constants.R_HEADS + Constants.MASTER)) {
 			String targetShortName = Repository
 					.shortenRefName(target.getName());
 			sb.append(" into " + targetShortName);