diff --git a/sequencer.c b/sequencer.c
index 888684ba8c..291dc75df3 100644
--- a/sequencer.c
+++ b/sequencer.c
@@ -157,13 +157,18 @@ struct commit_message {
 	const char *message;
 };
 
+static const char *short_commit_name(struct commit *commit)
+{
+	return find_unique_abbrev(commit->object.oid.hash, DEFAULT_ABBREV);
+}
+
 static int get_message(struct commit *commit, struct commit_message *out)
 {
 	const char *abbrev, *subject;
 	int subject_len;
 
 	out->message = logmsg_reencode(commit, NULL, get_commit_output_encoding());
-	abbrev = find_unique_abbrev(commit->object.oid.hash, DEFAULT_ABBREV);
+	abbrev = short_commit_name(commit);
 
 	subject_len = find_commit_subject(out->message, &subject);
 
@@ -647,8 +652,7 @@ static int do_pick_commit(enum todo_command command, struct commit *commit,
 		error(command == TODO_REVERT
 		      ? _("could not revert %s... %s")
 		      : _("could not apply %s... %s"),
-		      find_unique_abbrev(commit->object.oid.hash, DEFAULT_ABBREV),
-		      msg.subject);
+		      short_commit_name(commit), msg.subject);
 		print_advice(res == 1, opts);
 		rerere(opts->allow_rerere_auto);
 		goto leave;
@@ -904,9 +908,7 @@ static int walk_revs_populate_todo(struct todo_list *todo_list,
 		item->offset_in_buf = todo_list->buf.len;
 		subject_len = find_commit_subject(commit_buffer, &subject);
 		strbuf_addf(&todo_list->buf, "%s %s %.*s\n", command_string,
-			find_unique_abbrev(commit->object.oid.hash,
-				DEFAULT_ABBREV),
-			subject_len, subject);
+			short_commit_name(commit), subject_len, subject);
 		unuse_commit_buffer(commit, commit_buffer);
 	}
 	return 0;