From b385a4e164ee585135c89184db33a5f5c0d66bd4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Stefan Haller <stefan@haller-berlin.de>
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2026 09:13:48 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] Add "Clear commit message" to the commit menu

Many users don't know that they can clear the commit message panel
quickly by holding down ctrl+u. They hold down backspace instead, and
for a long message this takes a long time.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
---
 pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/commits_helper.go |  8 ++++
 pkg/i18n/english.go                           |  2 +
 .../tests/commit/clear_commit_message.go      | 39 +++++++++++++++++++
 pkg/integration/tests/test_list.go            |  1 +
 4 files changed, 50 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 pkg/integration/tests/commit/clear_commit_message.go

diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/commits_helper.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/commits_helper.go
index 601fc45a9..3d58e6aec 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/commits_helper.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/commits_helper.go
@@ -263,6 +263,14 @@ func (self *CommitsHelper) OpenCommitMenu(suggestionFunc func(string) []*types.S
 			},
 			Keys: menuKey('V'),
 		},
+		{
+			Label: self.c.Tr.ClearCommitMessage,
+			OnPress: func() error {
+				self.setSummaryAndDescriptionInView("", "")
+				return nil
+			},
+			Keys: menuKey('d'),
+		},
 	}
 	return self.c.Menu(types.CreateMenuOptions{
 		Title: self.c.Tr.CommitMenuTitle,
diff --git a/pkg/i18n/english.go b/pkg/i18n/english.go
index d923c6e3b..d8aad8b99 100644
--- a/pkg/i18n/english.go
+++ b/pkg/i18n/english.go
@@ -768,6 +768,7 @@ type TranslationSet struct {
 	CopyCommitMessageToClipboard          string
 	PasteCommitMessageFromClipboard       string
 	SurePasteCommitMessage                string
+	ClearCommitMessage                    string
 	CommitMessage                         string
 	CommitMessageBody                     string
 	CommitSubject                         string
@@ -2006,6 +2007,7 @@ func EnglishTranslationSet() *TranslationSet {
 		CopyCommitMessageToClipboard:             "Copy commit message to clipboard",
 		PasteCommitMessageFromClipboard:          "Paste commit message from clipboard",
 		SurePasteCommitMessage:                   "Pasting will overwrite the current commit message, continue?",
+		ClearCommitMessage:                       "Clear commit message",
 		CommitMessage:                            "Commit message (subject and body)",
 		CommitMessageBody:                        "Commit message body",
 		CommitSubject:                            "Commit subject",
diff --git a/pkg/integration/tests/commit/clear_commit_message.go b/pkg/integration/tests/commit/clear_commit_message.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1c5909357
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/integration/tests/commit/clear_commit_message.go
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+package commit
+
+import (
+	"github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/pkg/config"
+	. "github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/pkg/integration/components"
+)
+
+var ClearCommitMessage = NewIntegrationTest(NewIntegrationTestArgs{
+	Description:  "Clear the commit message in the commit message panel",
+	ExtraCmdArgs: []string{},
+	Skip:         false,
+	SetupConfig:  func(config *config.AppConfig) {},
+	SetupRepo: func(shell *Shell) {
+		shell.CreateFileAndAdd("file", "file content")
+	},
+	Run: func(t *TestDriver, keys config.KeybindingConfig) {
+		t.Views().Files().
+			Focus().
+			Press(keys.Files.CommitChanges)
+
+		t.ExpectPopup().CommitMessagePanel().
+			Type("subject").
+			SwitchToDescription().
+			Type("first line").
+			AddNewline().
+			Type("second line").
+			SwitchToSummary().
+			OpenCommitMenu()
+
+		t.ExpectPopup().Menu().Title(Equals("Commit Menu")).
+			Select(Contains("Clear commit message")).
+			Confirm()
+
+		t.ExpectPopup().CommitMessagePanel().
+			Content(Equals("")).
+			SwitchToDescription().
+			Content(Equals(""))
+	},
+})
diff --git a/pkg/integration/tests/test_list.go b/pkg/integration/tests/test_list.go
index 6c8e83b6a..c6ee9564f 100644
--- a/pkg/integration/tests/test_list.go
+++ b/pkg/integration/tests/test_list.go
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ var tests = []*components.IntegrationTest{
 	commit.CheckoutFileFromCommit,
 	commit.CheckoutFileFromRangeSelectionOfCommits,
 	commit.CheckoutFileWithLocalModifications,
+	commit.ClearCommitMessage,
 	commit.Commit,
 	commit.CommitAllWithNestedRepository,
 	commit.CommitDuringSquashMerge,