diff --git a/src/features/vcs/__tests__/commitMode.test.ts b/src/features/vcs/__tests__/commitMode.test.ts
index 103842eaa..f128c4ef0 100644
--- a/src/features/vcs/__tests__/commitMode.test.ts
+++ b/src/features/vcs/__tests__/commitMode.test.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 
 const vcsLog = vi.fn();
 const fsReadText = vi.fn();
+const vcsConfigGet = vi.fn(async (_repo: unknown, _key: string) => ({ status: "ok", data: null as string | null }));
 
 vi.mock("@/platform/ipc", async (importOriginal) => {
   const real = await importOriginal<typeof import("@/platform/ipc")>();
@@ -10,7 +11,7 @@ vi.mock("@/platform/ipc", async (importOriginal) => {
     commands: {
       ...real.commands,
       vcsLog: (repo: unknown, query: unknown) => vcsLog(repo, query),
-      vcsConfigGet: async () => ({ status: "ok", data: null }),
+      vcsConfigGet: (repo: unknown, key: string) => vcsConfigGet(repo, key),
       fsReadText: (path: string) => fsReadText(path),
     },
   };
@@ -18,7 +19,13 @@ vi.mock("@/platform/ipc", async (importOriginal) => {
 
 import { gitTabs, shownTab, stashTabOf, stashTabs } from "../gitTabs";
 import { pushDialogNeeded } from "../commitUi";
-import { installPreparedMessage, keepMessageAfterCommit, messageAfterCommit, useCommit } from "../commitStore";
+import {
+  installPreparedMessage,
+  keepMessageAfterCommit,
+  messageAfterCommit,
+  templatePath,
+  useCommit,
+} from "../commitStore";
 import { closeLogTab, emptyFilters, openLogTab, selectGitTab, setLogFilters, useGitLog } from "../logStore";
 import { useVcs } from "../store";
 
@@ -95,6 +102,43 @@ describe("commit message after a commit", () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe("commit template", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    fsReadText.mockReset();
+    vcsConfigGet.mockImplementation(async (_repo, key) => ({
+      status: "ok",
+      data: key === "commit.template" ? ".gitmessage" : null,
+    }));
+    useCommit.setState({ message: "" });
+  });
+
+  it("resolves the configured path as git does", () => {
+    expect(templatePath("~/.gitmessage", "/p", "/home/me/")).toBe("/home/me/.gitmessage");
+    expect(templatePath("/etc/msg", "/p", "")).toBe("/etc/msg");
+    expect(templatePath("C:\\msg.txt", "/p", "")).toBe("C:\\msg.txt");
+    expect(templatePath(".gitmessage", "/p", "")).toBe("/p/.gitmessage");
+  });
+
+  it("fills the empty message field, and again after a commit clears it", async () => {
+    fsReadText.mockResolvedValue({ status: "ok", data: "feat: \n\n# Why:\nRefs: \n" });
+    useVcs.setState({ root: "/p", branch: null });
+    const dispose = installPreparedMessage();
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(useCommit.getState().message).toBe("feat: \n\nRefs:"));
+    expect(fsReadText).toHaveBeenCalledWith("/p/.gitmessage");
+
+    keepMessageAfterCommit("feat: x", true);
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(useCommit.getState().message).toBe("feat: \n\nRefs:"));
+    // A kept message stays; a typed one is never replaced.
+    keepMessageAfterCommit("feat: x", false);
+    useCommit.setState({ message: "typed" });
+    useVcs.setState({ root: "/q" });
+    useCommit.setState({ message: "typed" });
+    await Promise.resolve();
+    expect(useCommit.getState().message).toBe("typed");
+    dispose();
+  });
+});
+
 describe("log tabs of their own", () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     vcsLog.mockReset().mockResolvedValue({ status: "ok", data: [] });
diff --git a/src/features/vcs/commitStore.ts b/src/features/vcs/commitStore.ts
index aa0536c74..968371ea4 100644
--- a/src/features/vcs/commitStore.ts
+++ b/src/features/vcs/commitStore.ts
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@ export function keepMessageAfterCommit(committed: string, clear: boolean) {
   const message = messageAfterCommit(committed, clear);
   keptMessage = message || null;
   useCommit.setState({ message });
+  if (!message) void loadTemplate();
 }
 
 /** The field holds nothing the user typed: empty, or what the last commit left there. */
@@ -200,9 +201,35 @@ export function preparedMessageText(raw: string): string {
     .trim();
 }
 
+/** `commit.template` resolved as git does: `~/` in the home directory, a relative path in the repository. */
+export function templatePath(value: string, root: string, home: string): string {
+  if (value === "~" || value.startsWith("~/")) return home.replace(/[/\\]$/, "") + value.slice(1);
+  if (value.startsWith("/") || /^[A-Za-z]:[\\/]/.test(value)) return value;
+  return `${root}/${value}`;
+}
+
+/** Fills an empty message field with the repository's commit template (`commit.template`), without its `#` lines. */
+async function loadTemplate() {
+  const root = useVcs.getState().root;
+  if (!root || useCommit.getState().message.trim()) return;
+  try {
+    const value = await call(commands.vcsConfigGet(root, "commit.template"));
+    if (!value) return;
+    const home = value.startsWith("~") ? await (await import("@tauri-apps/api/path")).homeDir() : "";
+    const text = preparedMessageText(await call(commands.fsReadText(templatePath(value, root, home))));
+    if (!text || useVcs.getState().root !== root || useCommit.getState().message.trim()) return;
+    // Not typed: a prepared merge message may replace it.
+    keptMessage = text;
+    useCommit.setState({ message: text });
+  } catch {
+    // No readable template: the field stays empty.
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * Like IDEA, pre-fills the commit message (unless something was typed) with the
- * message git prepared for a merge / cherry-pick / revert that stopped (e.g. on conflicts).
+ * message git prepared for a merge / cherry-pick / revert that stopped (e.g. on conflicts),
+ * otherwise with the commit template.
  */
 export function installPreparedMessage(): () => void {
   const load = async () => {
@@ -217,6 +244,7 @@ export function installPreparedMessage(): () => void {
   };
   const op = (s = useVcs.getState()) => s.branch?.operation ?? null;
   if (PREPARED_MESSAGE_OPS.has(op() ?? "")) void load();
+  else void loadTemplate();
   return useVcs.subscribe((s, prev) => {
     if (s.root !== prev.root) {
       // Another repository: nothing typed or ticked for the previous one carries over (Amend least of all).
@@ -233,6 +261,7 @@ export function installPreparedMessage(): () => void {
         selectedShelf: null,
       });
       if (PREPARED_MESSAGE_OPS.has(op(s) ?? "")) void load();
+      else void loadTemplate();
       return;
     }
     const now = op(s);