diff --git a/platform/vcs-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/changes/CommitSession.java b/platform/vcs-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/changes/CommitSession.java
index f294d2b32ec7..e1ac2fd5555a 100644
--- a/platform/vcs-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/changes/CommitSession.java
+++ b/platform/vcs-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/changes/CommitSession.java
@@ -43,6 +43,11 @@ public interface CommitSession {
 
     public void executionCanceled() {
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public String getHelpId() {
+      return null;
+    }
   };
 
   /**
@@ -57,4 +62,10 @@ public interface CommitSession {
   boolean canExecute(Collection<Change> changes, String commitMessage);
   void execute(Collection<Change> changes, String commitMessage);
   void executionCanceled();
+
+  /**
+   * @return the ID of the help topic to show for the dialog
+   * @since 10.5
+   */
+  String getHelpId();
 }
diff --git a/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/changes/patch/CreatePatchCommitExecutor.java b/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/changes/patch/CreatePatchCommitExecutor.java
index 519fa1c6f415..42ac02e16028 100644
--- a/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/changes/patch/CreatePatchCommitExecutor.java
+++ b/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/changes/patch/CreatePatchCommitExecutor.java
@@ -198,5 +198,10 @@ public class CreatePatchCommitExecutor implements CommitExecutorWithHelp, Projec
 
     public void executionCanceled() {
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public String getHelpId() {
+      return null;
+    }
   }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/changes/shelf/ShelveChangesCommitExecutor.java b/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/changes/shelf/ShelveChangesCommitExecutor.java
index 22c37a6bcdc1..bfb8a1cce25b 100644
--- a/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/changes/shelf/ShelveChangesCommitExecutor.java
+++ b/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/changes/shelf/ShelveChangesCommitExecutor.java
@@ -112,5 +112,10 @@ public class ShelveChangesCommitExecutor implements CommitExecutorWithHelp {
 
     public void executionCanceled() {
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public String getHelpId() {
+      return null;
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/changes/ui/SessionDialog.java b/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/changes/ui/SessionDialog.java
index 2d25392c59a2..0ff88ea86e3c 100644
--- a/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/changes/ui/SessionDialog.java
+++ b/platform/vcs-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vcs/changes/ui/SessionDialog.java
@@ -85,4 +85,14 @@ public class SessionDialog extends DialogWrapper {
     super.dispose();
     myOKButtonUpdateAlarm.cancelAllRequests();
   }
+
+  @Override
+  protected String getHelpId() {
+    try {
+      return mySession.getHelpId();
+    }
+    catch (AbstractMethodError e) {
+      return null;
+    }
+  }
 }