diff --git a/git-gui/git-gui.sh b/git-gui/git-gui.sh
index e018e076f8..2f1f305019 100755
--- a/git-gui/git-gui.sh
+++ b/git-gui/git-gui.sh
@@ -769,9 +769,9 @@ if {![regsub {^git version } $_git_version {} _git_version]} {
 set _real_git_version $_git_version
 regsub -- {[\-\.]dirty$} $_git_version {} _git_version
 regsub {\.[0-9]+\.g[0-9a-f]+$} $_git_version {} _git_version
-regsub {\.rc[0-9]+$} $_git_version {} _git_version
+regsub {\.[a-zA-Z]+\.?[0-9]+$} $_git_version {} _git_version
 regsub {\.GIT$} $_git_version {} _git_version
-regsub {\.[a-zA-Z]+\.[0-9]+$} $_git_version {} _git_version
+regsub {\.[a-zA-Z]+\.?[0-9]+$} $_git_version {} _git_version
 
 if {![regexp {^[1-9]+(\.[0-9]+)+$} $_git_version]} {
 	catch {wm withdraw .}
diff --git a/git-gui/lib/commit.tcl b/git-gui/lib/commit.tcl
index 9cc8410595..17aba914af 100644
--- a/git-gui/lib/commit.tcl
+++ b/git-gui/lib/commit.tcl
@@ -115,6 +115,23 @@ proc create_new_commit {} {
 	rescan ui_ready
 }
 
+proc setup_commit_encoding {msg_wt {quiet 0}} {
+	global repo_config
+
+	if {[catch {set enc $repo_config(i18n.commitencoding)}]} {
+		set enc utf-8
+	}
+	set use_enc [tcl_encoding $enc]
+	if {$use_enc ne {}} {
+		fconfigure $msg_wt -encoding $use_enc
+	} else {
+		if {!$quiet} {
+			error_popup [mc "warning: Tcl does not support encoding '%s'." $enc]
+		}
+		fconfigure $msg_wt -encoding utf-8
+	}
+}
+
 proc commit_tree {} {
 	global HEAD commit_type file_states ui_comm repo_config
 	global pch_error
@@ -200,16 +217,7 @@ A good commit message has the following format:
 	set msg_p [gitdir GITGUI_EDITMSG]
 	set msg_wt [open $msg_p w]
 	fconfigure $msg_wt -translation lf
-	if {[catch {set enc $repo_config(i18n.commitencoding)}]} {
-		set enc utf-8
-	}
-	set use_enc [tcl_encoding $enc]
-	if {$use_enc ne {}} {
-		fconfigure $msg_wt -encoding $use_enc
-	} else {
-		error_popup [mc "warning: Tcl does not support encoding '%s'." $enc]
-		fconfigure $msg_wt -encoding utf-8
-	}
+	setup_commit_encoding $msg_wt
 	puts $msg_wt $msg
 	close $msg_wt
 
@@ -362,6 +370,7 @@ A rescan will be automatically started now.
 		append reflogm " ($commit_type)"
 	}
 	set msg_fd [open $msg_p r]
+	setup_commit_encoding $msg_fd 1
 	gets $msg_fd subject
 	close $msg_fd
 	append reflogm {: } $subject
diff --git a/git-gui/lib/diff.tcl b/git-gui/lib/diff.tcl
index bbbf15c875..925b3f56c1 100644
--- a/git-gui/lib/diff.tcl
+++ b/git-gui/lib/diff.tcl
@@ -51,11 +51,16 @@ proc force_diff_encoding {enc} {
 
 proc handle_empty_diff {} {
 	global current_diff_path file_states file_lists
+	global diff_empty_count
 
 	set path $current_diff_path
 	set s $file_states($path)
 	if {[lindex $s 0] ne {_M}} return
 
+	# Prevent infinite rescan loops
+	incr diff_empty_count
+	if {$diff_empty_count > 1} return
+
 	info_popup [mc "No differences detected.
 
 %s has no changes.
@@ -310,6 +315,7 @@ proc read_diff {fd cont_info} {
 	global ui_diff diff_active
 	global is_3way_diff is_conflict_diff current_diff_header
 	global current_diff_queue
+	global diff_empty_count
 
 	$ui_diff conf -state normal
 	while {[gets $fd line] >= 0} {
@@ -415,7 +421,10 @@ proc read_diff {fd cont_info} {
 
 		if {[$ui_diff index end] eq {2.0}} {
 			handle_empty_diff
+		} else {
+			set diff_empty_count 0
 		}
+
 		set callback [lindex $cont_info 1]
 		if {$callback ne {}} {
 			eval $callback