diff --git a/sequencer.c b/sequencer.c
index 407ee4e90fea68..ad0ab75c8d4dd7 100644
--- a/sequencer.c
+++ b/sequencer.c
@@ -2510,9 +2510,15 @@ static int do_pick_commit(struct repository *r,
 		*check_todo = !!(flags & EDIT_MSG);
 		if (!res && reword) {
 fast_forward_edit:
-			res = run_git_commit(NULL, opts, EDIT_MSG |
-					     VERIFY_MSG | AMEND_MSG |
-					     (flags & ALLOW_EMPTY));
+			/*
+			 * To reword we amend the commit we just
+			 * picked or fast-forwarded. As the commit has
+			 * already been picked we want to use the same
+			 * set of commit flags regardless of how we
+			 * got here.
+			 */
+			flags = EDIT_MSG | VERIFY_MSG | AMEND_MSG | ALLOW_EMPTY;
+			res = run_git_commit(NULL, opts, flags);
 			*check_todo = 1;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh b/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
index ecfc02062cd046..2aee9789a2fae2 100755
--- a/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
+++ b/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
@@ -791,6 +791,20 @@ test_expect_success 'reword' '
 	grep "C changed" actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'reword fast-forwarded empty commit' '
+	git commit --allow-empty -m "empty commit" --only &&
+	(
+		set_fake_editor &&
+		FAKE_COMMIT_AMEND=edited FAKE_LINES="reword 1" \
+			git rebase -i HEAD^
+	) &&
+	test_commit_message HEAD <<-\EOF
+	empty commit
+
+	edited
+	EOF
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'no uncommitted changes when rewording and the todo list is reloaded' '
 	git checkout E &&
 	test_when_finished "git checkout @{-1}" &&
diff --git a/t/t3430-rebase-merges.sh b/t/t3430-rebase-merges.sh
index 2593711fecdc9f..b84d68c4b96bc9 100755
--- a/t/t3430-rebase-merges.sh
+++ b/t/t3430-rebase-merges.sh
@@ -610,4 +610,24 @@ test_expect_success 'truncate label names' '
 	grep "label 0123456789-$" out
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'reword fast-forwarded empty merge commit' '
+	oid="$(git commit-tree -m "D1" -p A D^{tree})" &&
+	oid="$(git commit-tree -m "empty merge" -p D -p $oid D^{tree})" &&
+
+	write_script sequence-editor.sh <<-\EOF &&
+	sed /^merge/s/-C/-c/ "$1" >"$1.tmp"
+	mv "$1.tmp" "$1"
+	EOF
+
+	(
+		test_set_sequence_editor "$(pwd)/sequence-editor.sh" &&
+		GIT_EDITOR="echo edited >>" git rebase -i -r D $oid
+	) &&
+	test_commit_message HEAD <<-\EOF
+	empty merge
+
+	edited
+	EOF
+'
+
 test_done