diff --git a/platform/vcs-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/VcsConfiguration.java b/platform/vcs-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/VcsConfiguration.java
index 0bb1cb05f874..2ef1bc8fa21a 100644
--- a/platform/vcs-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/VcsConfiguration.java
+++ b/platform/vcs-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/VcsConfiguration.java
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ public final class VcsConfiguration implements PersistentStateComponent<Element>
   }
 
   public boolean FORCE_NON_EMPTY_COMMENT = false;
+  public boolean CLEAR_INITIAL_COMMIT_MESSAGE = false;
 
   private final ArrayList<String> myLastCommitMessages = new ArrayList<String>();
   public String LAST_COMMIT_MESSAGE = null;
diff --git a/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/changes/ui/CommitChangeListDialog.java b/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/changes/ui/CommitChangeListDialog.java
index 3693b6221be9..16c165644ae2 100644
--- a/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/changes/ui/CommitChangeListDialog.java
+++ b/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/changes/ui/CommitChangeListDialog.java
@@ -321,20 +321,8 @@ public class CommitChangeListDialog extends DialogWrapper implements CheckinProj
 
     myCommitMessageArea = new CommitMessage(project);
 
-    if (comment != null) {
-      setCommitMessage(comment);
-      myLastKnownComment = comment;
-      myLastSelectedListName = initialSelection == null ? myBrowser.getSelectedChangeList().getName() : initialSelection.getName();
-    } else {
-      updateComment();
-
-      if (StringUtil.isEmptyOrSpaces(myCommitMessageArea.getComment())) {
-        setCommitMessage(VcsConfiguration.getInstance(project).LAST_COMMIT_MESSAGE);
-        final String messageFromVcs = getInitialMessageFromVcs();
-        if (messageFromVcs != null) {
-          myCommitMessageArea.setText(messageFromVcs);
-        }
-      }
+    if (!VcsConfiguration.getInstance(project).CLEAR_INITIAL_COMMIT_MESSAGE) {
+      setComment(project, initialSelection, comment);
     }
 
     myActionName = VcsBundle.message("commit.dialog.title");
@@ -471,6 +459,24 @@ public class CommitChangeListDialog extends DialogWrapper implements CheckinProj
     showDetailsIfSaved();
   }
 
+  private void setComment(Project project, LocalChangeList initialSelection, String comment) {
+    if (comment != null) {
+      setCommitMessage(comment);
+      myLastKnownComment = comment;
+      myLastSelectedListName = initialSelection == null ? myBrowser.getSelectedChangeList().getName() : initialSelection.getName();
+    } else {
+      updateComment();
+
+      if (StringUtil.isEmptyOrSpaces(myCommitMessageArea.getComment())) {
+        setCommitMessage(VcsConfiguration.getInstance(project).LAST_COMMIT_MESSAGE);
+        final String messageFromVcs = getInitialMessageFromVcs();
+        if (messageFromVcs != null) {
+          myCommitMessageArea.setText(messageFromVcs);
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   private void showDetailsIfSaved() {
     String value = PropertiesComponent.getInstance().getValue(DETAILS_SHOW_OPTION);
     if (value != null) {
@@ -710,6 +716,7 @@ public class CommitChangeListDialog extends DialogWrapper implements CheckinProj
   }
 
   private void updateComment() {
+    if (VcsConfiguration.getInstance(getProject()).CLEAR_INITIAL_COMMIT_MESSAGE) return;
     final LocalChangeList list = (LocalChangeList) myBrowser.getSelectedChangeList();
     if (list == null || (list.getName().equals(myLastSelectedListName))) {
       return;
diff --git a/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/configurable/VcsGeneralConfigurationPanel.form b/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/configurable/VcsGeneralConfigurationPanel.form
index 207841e3db13..ac45cac42c5b 100644
--- a/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/configurable/VcsGeneralConfigurationPanel.form
+++ b/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/configurable/VcsGeneralConfigurationPanel.form
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@
           <grid row="0" column="2" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="1" hsize-policy="6" anchor="0" fill="1" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
         </constraints>
       </hspacer>
-      <grid id="aa6eb" layout-manager="GridLayoutManager" row-count="5" column-count="1" same-size-horizontally="false" same-size-vertically="false" hgap="-1" vgap="-1">
+      <grid id="aa6eb" layout-manager="GridLayoutManager" row-count="6" column-count="1" same-size-horizontally="false" same-size-vertically="false" hgap="-1" vgap="-1">
         <margin top="0" left="0" bottom="0" right="0"/>
         <constraints>
           <grid row="2" column="0" row-span="1" col-span="2" vsize-policy="3" hsize-policy="3" anchor="0" fill="3" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@
           </component>
           <grid id="da366" layout-manager="FlowLayout" hgap="5" vgap="2" flow-align="0">
             <constraints>
-              <grid row="4" column="0" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="3" hsize-policy="3" anchor="0" fill="3" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
+              <grid row="5" column="0" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="3" hsize-policy="3" anchor="0" fill="3" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
             </constraints>
             <properties/>
             <border type="none"/>
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@
           </grid>
           <grid id="6c335" layout-manager="FlowLayout" hgap="5" vgap="2" flow-align="0">
             <constraints>
-              <grid row="3" column="0" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="3" hsize-policy="3" anchor="0" fill="3" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
+              <grid row="4" column="0" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="3" hsize-policy="3" anchor="0" fill="3" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
             </constraints>
             <properties/>
             <border type="none"/>
@@ -236,6 +236,14 @@
               </component>
             </children>
           </grid>
+          <component id="65b72" class="javax.swing.JCheckBox" binding="myClearInitialCommitMessage">
+            <constraints>
+              <grid row="3" column="0" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="0" hsize-policy="3" anchor="8" fill="0" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
+            </constraints>
+            <properties>
+              <text value="Clear &amp;initial commit message"/>
+            </properties>
+          </component>
         </children>
       </grid>
     </children>
diff --git a/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/configurable/VcsGeneralConfigurationPanel.java b/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/configurable/VcsGeneralConfigurationPanel.java
index a8007ab2fec8..2b1b63bf1b6f 100644
--- a/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/configurable/VcsGeneralConfigurationPanel.java
+++ b/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/configurable/VcsGeneralConfigurationPanel.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import com.intellij.openapi.vfs.ReadonlyStatusHandler;
 import com.intellij.util.ui.UIUtil;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nls;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
+import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
 
 import javax.swing.*;
 import java.awt.*;
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@ public class VcsGeneralConfigurationPanel implements SearchableConfigurable {
   private JCheckBox myCbOfferToMoveChanges;
   private JComboBox myFailedCommitChangelistCombo;
   private JComboBox myOnPatchCreation;
+  private JCheckBox myClearInitialCommitMessage;
   private ButtonGroup myEmptyChangelistRemovingGroup;
 
   public VcsGeneralConfigurationPanel(final Project project) {
@@ -101,6 +103,7 @@ public class VcsGeneralConfigurationPanel implements SearchableConfigurable {
     VcsConfiguration settings = VcsConfiguration.getInstance(myProject);
 
     settings.FORCE_NON_EMPTY_COMMENT = myForceNonEmptyComment.isSelected();
+    settings.CLEAR_INITIAL_COMMIT_MESSAGE = myClearInitialCommitMessage.isSelected();
     settings.OFFER_MOVE_TO_ANOTHER_CHANGELIST_ON_PARTIAL_COMMIT = myCbOfferToMoveChanges.isSelected();
     settings.REMOVE_EMPTY_INACTIVE_CHANGELISTS = getSelected(myEmptyChangelistRemovingGroup);
     settings.MOVE_TO_FAILED_COMMIT_CHANGELIST = getFailedCommitConfirm();
@@ -120,6 +123,7 @@ public class VcsGeneralConfigurationPanel implements SearchableConfigurable {
     settings.SHOW_PATCH_IN_EXPLORER = getShowPatchValue();
   }
   
+  @Nullable
   private Boolean getShowPatchValue() {
     final int index = myOnPatchCreation.getSelectedIndex();
     if (index == 0) {
@@ -176,6 +180,9 @@ public class VcsGeneralConfigurationPanel implements SearchableConfigurable {
     if (settings.FORCE_NON_EMPTY_COMMENT != myForceNonEmptyComment.isSelected()){
       return true;
     }
+    if (settings.CLEAR_INITIAL_COMMIT_MESSAGE != myClearInitialCommitMessage.isSelected()){
+      return true;
+    }
     if (settings.OFFER_MOVE_TO_ANOTHER_CHANGELIST_ON_PARTIAL_COMMIT != myCbOfferToMoveChanges.isSelected()){
       return true;
     }
@@ -205,6 +212,7 @@ public class VcsGeneralConfigurationPanel implements SearchableConfigurable {
   public void reset() {
     VcsConfiguration settings = VcsConfiguration.getInstance(myProject);
     myForceNonEmptyComment.setSelected(settings.FORCE_NON_EMPTY_COMMENT);
+    myClearInitialCommitMessage.setSelected(settings.CLEAR_INITIAL_COMMIT_MESSAGE);
     myCbOfferToMoveChanges.setSelected(settings.OFFER_MOVE_TO_ANOTHER_CHANGELIST_ON_PARTIAL_COMMIT);
     int id = settings.REMOVE_EMPTY_INACTIVE_CHANGELISTS.getId();
     UIUtil.setSelectedButton(myEmptyChangelistRemovingGroup, id == 0 ? 0 : id == 1 ? 2 : 1);
@@ -291,6 +299,7 @@ public class VcsGeneralConfigurationPanel implements SearchableConfigurable {
     return null;
   }
 
+  @NotNull
   public String getHelpTopic() {
     return "project.propVCSSupport.Confirmation";
   }