diff --git a/Documentation/git-init.txt b/Documentation/git-init.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..36838c753b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/git-init.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+include::git-init-db.txt[]
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index de746befe5..963a8f64e9 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # The default target of this Makefile is...
-all:
+all::
 
 # Define NO_OPENSSL environment variable if you do not have OpenSSL.
 # This also implies MOZILLA_SHA1.
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ PROGRAMS = \
 	git-update-server-info$X \
 	git-upload-pack$X git-verify-pack$X \
 	git-pack-redundant$X git-var$X \
-	git-describe$X git-merge-tree$X git-imap-send$X \
+	git-merge-tree$X git-imap-send$X \
 	git-merge-recursive$X \
 	$(EXTRA_PROGRAMS)
 
@@ -274,6 +274,7 @@ BUILTIN_OBJS = \
 	builtin-check-ref-format.o \
 	builtin-commit-tree.o \
 	builtin-count-objects.o \
+	builtin-describe.o \
 	builtin-diff.o \
 	builtin-diff-files.o \
 	builtin-diff-index.o \
@@ -604,9 +605,12 @@ export prefix TAR INSTALL DESTDIR SHELL_PATH template_dir
 
 ### Build rules
 
-all: $(ALL_PROGRAMS) $(BUILT_INS) git$X gitk gitweb/gitweb.cgi
+all:: $(ALL_PROGRAMS) $(BUILT_INS) git$X gitk gitweb/gitweb.cgi
+ifneq (,$X)
+	$(foreach p,$(patsubst %$X,%,$(filter %$X,$(ALL_PROGRAMS) $(BUILT_INS) git$X)), rm -f '$p';)
+endif
 
-all:
+all::
 	$(MAKE) -C perl PERL_PATH='$(PERL_PATH_SQ)' prefix='$(prefix_SQ)' all
 	$(MAKE) -C templates
 
@@ -848,6 +852,9 @@ install: all
 			'$(DESTDIR_SQ)$(gitexecdir_SQ)/git$X'; \
 	fi
 	$(foreach p,$(BUILT_INS), rm -f '$(DESTDIR_SQ)$(gitexecdir_SQ)/$p' && ln '$(DESTDIR_SQ)$(gitexecdir_SQ)/git$X' '$(DESTDIR_SQ)$(gitexecdir_SQ)/$p' ;)
+ifneq (,$X)
+	$(foreach p,$(patsubst %$X,%,$(filter %$X,$(ALL_PROGRAMS) $(BUILT_INS) git$X)), rm -f '$(DESTDIR_SQ)$(gitexecdir_SQ)/$p';)
+endif
 
 install-doc:
 	$(MAKE) -C Documentation install
diff --git a/describe.c b/builtin-describe.c
similarity index 97%
rename from describe.c
rename to builtin-describe.c
index f4029ee74e..ad3b469f37 100644
--- a/describe.c
+++ b/builtin-describe.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include "commit.h"
 #include "tag.h"
 #include "refs.h"
+#include "builtin.h"
 
 #define SEEN (1u << 0)
 
@@ -139,7 +140,7 @@ static void describe(const char *arg, int last_one)
 	die("cannot describe '%s'", sha1_to_hex(cmit->object.sha1));
 }
 
-int main(int argc, char **argv)
+int cmd_describe(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
 	int i;
 
@@ -161,7 +162,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 			usage(describe_usage);
 	}
 
-	setup_git_directory();
+	save_commit_buffer = 0;
 
 	if (argc <= i)
 		describe("HEAD", 1);
diff --git a/builtin.h b/builtin.h
index ae32993ce9..818c7bf04d 100644
--- a/builtin.h
+++ b/builtin.h
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ extern int cmd_check_ref_format(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 extern int cmd_cherry(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix);
 extern int cmd_commit_tree(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix);
 extern int cmd_count_objects(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix);
+extern int cmd_describe(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix);
 extern int cmd_diff_files(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix);
 extern int cmd_diff_index(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix);
 extern int cmd_diff(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix);
diff --git a/git-send-email.perl b/git-send-email.perl
index ba39d39384..8dc2ee0cf7 100755
--- a/git-send-email.perl
+++ b/git-send-email.perl
@@ -402,6 +402,15 @@ sub make_message_id
 $cc = "";
 $time = time - scalar $#files;
 
+sub unquote_rfc2047 {
+	local ($_) = @_;
+	if (s/=\?utf-8\?q\?(.*)\?=/$1/g) {
+		s/_/ /g;
+		s/=([0-9A-F]{2})/chr(hex($1))/eg;
+	}
+	return "$_ - unquoted";
+}
+
 sub send_message
 {
 	my @recipients = unique_email_list(@to);
@@ -555,6 +564,7 @@ foreach my $t (@files) {
 	}
 	close F;
 	if (defined $author_not_sender) {
+		$author_not_sender = unquote_rfc2047($author_not_sender);
 		$message = "From: $author_not_sender\n\n$message";
 	}
 
diff --git a/git.c b/git.c
index e7bc79af93..9a0185cc43 100644
--- a/git.c
+++ b/git.c
@@ -220,6 +220,7 @@ static void handle_internal_command(int argc, const char **argv, char **envp)
 		{ "cherry", cmd_cherry, RUN_SETUP },
 		{ "commit-tree", cmd_commit_tree, RUN_SETUP },
 		{ "count-objects", cmd_count_objects, RUN_SETUP },
+		{ "describe", cmd_describe, RUN_SETUP },
 		{ "diff", cmd_diff, RUN_SETUP | USE_PAGER },
 		{ "diff-files", cmd_diff_files, RUN_SETUP },
 		{ "diff-index", cmd_diff_index, RUN_SETUP },
diff --git a/merge-recursive.c b/merge-recursive.c
index 87a27e0379..5237021309 100644
--- a/merge-recursive.c
+++ b/merge-recursive.c
@@ -110,35 +110,6 @@ static void output_commit_title(struct commit *commit)
 	}
 }
 
-static const char *current_index_file = NULL;
-static const char *original_index_file;
-static const char *temporary_index_file;
-static int cache_dirty = 0;
-
-static int flush_cache(void)
-{
-	/* flush temporary index */
-	struct lock_file *lock = xcalloc(1, sizeof(struct lock_file));
-	int fd = hold_lock_file_for_update(lock, current_index_file, 1);
-	if (write_cache(fd, active_cache, active_nr) ||
-			close(fd) || commit_lock_file(lock))
-		die ("unable to write %s", current_index_file);
-	discard_cache();
-	cache_dirty = 0;
-	return 0;
-}
-
-static void setup_index(int temp)
-{
-	current_index_file = temp ? temporary_index_file: original_index_file;
-	if (cache_dirty) {
-		discard_cache();
-		cache_dirty = 0;
-	}
-	unlink(temporary_index_file);
-	discard_cache();
-}
-
 static struct cache_entry *make_cache_entry(unsigned int mode,
 		const unsigned char *sha1, const char *path, int stage, int refresh)
 {
@@ -167,9 +138,6 @@ static int add_cacheinfo(unsigned int mode, const unsigned char *sha1,
 		const char *path, int stage, int refresh, int options)
 {
 	struct cache_entry *ce;
-	if (!cache_dirty)
-		read_cache_from(current_index_file);
-	cache_dirty++;
 	ce = make_cache_entry(mode, sha1 ? sha1 : null_sha1, path, stage, refresh);
 	if (!ce)
 		return error("cache_addinfo failed: %s", strerror(cache_errno));
@@ -187,26 +155,6 @@ static int add_cacheinfo(unsigned int mode, const unsigned char *sha1,
  */
 static int index_only = 0;
 
-static int git_read_tree(struct tree *tree)
-{
-	int rc;
-	struct object_list *trees = NULL;
-	struct unpack_trees_options opts;
-
-	if (cache_dirty)
-		die("read-tree with dirty cache");
-
-	memset(&opts, 0, sizeof(opts));
-	object_list_append(&tree->object, &trees);
-	rc = unpack_trees(trees, &opts);
-	cache_tree_free(&active_cache_tree);
-
-	if (rc == 0)
-		cache_dirty = 1;
-
-	return rc;
-}
-
 static int git_merge_trees(int index_only,
 			   struct tree *common,
 			   struct tree *head,
@@ -216,11 +164,6 @@ static int git_merge_trees(int index_only,
 	struct object_list *trees = NULL;
 	struct unpack_trees_options opts;
 
-	if (!cache_dirty) {
-		read_cache_from(current_index_file);
-		cache_dirty = 1;
-	}
-
 	memset(&opts, 0, sizeof(opts));
 	if (index_only)
 		opts.index_only = 1;
@@ -236,39 +179,37 @@ static int git_merge_trees(int index_only,
 
 	rc = unpack_trees(trees, &opts);
 	cache_tree_free(&active_cache_tree);
-
-	cache_dirty = 1;
-
 	return rc;
 }
 
+static int unmerged_index(void)
+{
+	int i;
+	for (i = 0; i < active_nr; i++) {
+		struct cache_entry *ce = active_cache[i];
+		if (ce_stage(ce))
+			return 1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static struct tree *git_write_tree(void)
 {
 	struct tree *result = NULL;
 
-	if (cache_dirty) {
-		unsigned i;
-		for (i = 0; i < active_nr; i++) {
-			struct cache_entry *ce = active_cache[i];
-			if (ce_stage(ce))
-				return NULL;
-		}
-	} else
-		read_cache_from(current_index_file);
+	if (unmerged_index())
+		return NULL;
 
 	if (!active_cache_tree)
 		active_cache_tree = cache_tree();
 
 	if (!cache_tree_fully_valid(active_cache_tree) &&
-			cache_tree_update(active_cache_tree,
-				active_cache, active_nr, 0, 0) < 0)
+	    cache_tree_update(active_cache_tree,
+			      active_cache, active_nr, 0, 0) < 0)
 		die("error building trees");
 
 	result = lookup_tree(active_cache_tree->sha1);
 
-	flush_cache();
-	cache_dirty = 0;
-
 	return result;
 }
 
@@ -331,10 +272,7 @@ static struct path_list *get_unmerged(void)
 	int i;
 
 	unmerged->strdup_paths = 1;
-	if (!cache_dirty) {
-		read_cache_from(current_index_file);
-		cache_dirty++;
-	}
+
 	for (i = 0; i < active_nr; i++) {
 		struct path_list_item *item;
 		struct stage_data *e;
@@ -469,9 +407,6 @@ static int remove_file(int clean, const char *path, int no_wd)
 	int update_working_directory = !index_only && !no_wd;
 
 	if (update_cache) {
-		if (!cache_dirty)
-			read_cache_from(current_index_file);
-		cache_dirty++;
 		if (remove_file_from_cache(path))
 			return -1;
 	}
@@ -954,8 +889,6 @@ static int process_renames(struct path_list *a_renames,
 	path_list_clear(&a_by_dst, 0);
 	path_list_clear(&b_by_dst, 0);
 
-	if (cache_dirty)
-		flush_cache();
 	return clean_merge;
 }
 
@@ -1083,9 +1016,6 @@ static int process_entry(const char *path, struct stage_data *entry,
 	} else
 		die("Fatal merge failure, shouldn't happen.");
 
-	if (cache_dirty)
-		flush_cache();
-
 	return clean_merge;
 }
 
@@ -1110,9 +1040,7 @@ static int merge_trees(struct tree *head,
 		    sha1_to_hex(head->object.sha1),
 		    sha1_to_hex(merge->object.sha1));
 
-	*result = git_write_tree();
-
-	if (!*result) {
+	if (unmerged_index()) {
 		struct path_list *entries, *re_head, *re_merge;
 		int i;
 		path_list_clear(&current_file_set, 1);
@@ -1138,10 +1066,6 @@ static int merge_trees(struct tree *head,
 		path_list_clear(re_head, 0);
 		path_list_clear(entries, 1);
 
-		if (clean || index_only)
-			*result = git_write_tree();
-		else
-			*result = NULL;
 	} else {
 		clean = 1;
 		printf("merging of trees %s and %s resulted in %s\n",
@@ -1149,6 +1073,8 @@ static int merge_trees(struct tree *head,
 		       sha1_to_hex(merge->object.sha1),
 		       sha1_to_hex((*result)->object.sha1));
 	}
+	if (index_only)
+		*result = git_write_tree();
 
 	return clean;
 }
@@ -1173,10 +1099,10 @@ static int merge(struct commit *h1,
 		 const char *branch1,
 		 const char *branch2,
 		 int call_depth /* =0 */,
-		 struct commit *ancestor /* =None */,
+		 struct commit_list *ca,
 		 struct commit **result)
 {
-	struct commit_list *ca = NULL, *iter;
+	struct commit_list *iter;
 	struct commit *merged_common_ancestors;
 	struct tree *mrtree;
 	int clean;
@@ -1185,10 +1111,10 @@ static int merge(struct commit *h1,
 	output_commit_title(h1);
 	output_commit_title(h2);
 
-	if (ancestor)
-		commit_list_insert(ancestor, &ca);
-	else
-		ca = reverse_commit_list(get_merge_bases(h1, h2, 1));
+	if (!ca) {
+		ca = get_merge_bases(h1, h2, 1);
+		ca = reverse_commit_list(ca);
+	}
 
 	output("found %u common ancestor(s):", commit_list_count(ca));
 	for (iter = ca; iter; iter = iter->next)
@@ -1214,6 +1140,7 @@ static int merge(struct commit *h1,
 		 * merge_trees has always overwritten it: the commited
 		 * "conflicts" were already resolved.
 		 */
+		discard_cache();
 		merge(merged_common_ancestors, iter->item,
 		      "Temporary merge branch 1",
 		      "Temporary merge branch 2",
@@ -1226,25 +1153,21 @@ static int merge(struct commit *h1,
 			die("merge returned no commit");
 	}
 
+	discard_cache();
 	if (call_depth == 0) {
-		setup_index(0 /* $GIT_DIR/index */);
+		read_cache();
 		index_only = 0;
-	} else {
-		setup_index(1 /* temporary index */);
-		git_read_tree(h1->tree);
+	} else
 		index_only = 1;
-	}
 
 	clean = merge_trees(h1->tree, h2->tree, merged_common_ancestors->tree,
 			    branch1, branch2, &mrtree);
 
-	if (!ancestor && (clean || index_only)) {
+	if (index_only) {
 		*result = make_virtual_commit(mrtree, "merged tree");
 		commit_list_insert(h1, &(*result)->parents);
 		commit_list_insert(h2, &(*result)->parents->next);
-	} else
-		*result = NULL;
-
+	}
 	return clean;
 }
 
@@ -1280,19 +1203,16 @@ static struct commit *get_ref(const char *ref)
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
-	static const char *bases[2];
+	static const char *bases[20];
 	static unsigned bases_count = 0;
 	int i, clean;
 	const char *branch1, *branch2;
 	struct commit *result, *h1, *h2;
+	struct commit_list *ca = NULL;
+	struct lock_file *lock = xcalloc(1, sizeof(struct lock_file));
+	int index_fd;
 
 	git_config(git_default_config); /* core.filemode */
-	original_index_file = getenv(INDEX_ENVIRONMENT);
-
-	if (!original_index_file)
-		original_index_file = xstrdup(git_path("index"));
-
-	temporary_index_file = xstrdup(git_path("mrg-rcrsv-tmp-idx"));
 
 	if (argc < 4)
 		die("Usage: %s <base>... -- <head> <remote> ...\n", argv[0]);
@@ -1316,18 +1236,18 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	branch2 = better_branch_name(branch2);
 	printf("Merging %s with %s\n", branch1, branch2);
 
-	if (bases_count == 1) {
-		struct commit *ancestor = get_ref(bases[0]);
-		clean = merge(h1, h2, branch1, branch2, 0, ancestor, &result);
-	} else
-		clean = merge(h1, h2, branch1, branch2, 0, NULL, &result);
+	index_fd = hold_lock_file_for_update(lock, get_index_file(), 1);
 
-	if (cache_dirty)
-		flush_cache();
+	for (i = 0; i < bases_count; i++) {
+		struct commit *ancestor = get_ref(bases[i]);
+		ca = commit_list_insert(ancestor, &ca);
+	}
+	clean = merge(h1, h2, branch1, branch2, 0, ca, &result);
+
+	if (active_cache_changed &&
+	    (write_cache(index_fd, active_cache, active_nr) ||
+	     close(index_fd) || commit_lock_file(lock)))
+			die ("unable to write %s", get_index_file());
 
 	return clean ? 0: 1;
 }
-
-/*
-vim: sw=8 noet
-*/
diff --git a/t/t1410-reflog.sh b/t/t1410-reflog.sh
index 738d1513d4..8e8d526ef2 100755
--- a/t/t1410-reflog.sh
+++ b/t/t1410-reflog.sh
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ test_expect_success setup '
 	check_fsck &&
 
 	chmod +x C &&
+	( test "`git repo-config --bool core.filemode`" != false ||
+	  echo executable >>C ) &&
 	git add C &&
 	test_tick && git commit -m dragon &&
 	L=`git rev-parse --verify HEAD` &&
diff --git a/wt-status.c b/wt-status.c
index 2a002baabd..9e4b9e1172 100644
--- a/wt-status.c
+++ b/wt-status.c
@@ -47,10 +47,11 @@ void wt_status_prepare(struct wt_status *s)
 	s->reference = "HEAD";
 	s->amend = 0;
 	s->verbose = 0;
-	s->commitable = 0;
 	s->untracked = 0;
 
-	s->workdir_clean = 1;
+	s->commitable = 0;
+	s->workdir_dirty = 0;
+	s->workdir_untracked = 0;
 }
 
 static void wt_status_print_cached_header(const char *reference)
@@ -176,7 +177,7 @@ static void wt_status_print_changed_cb(struct diff_queue_struct *q,
 	struct wt_status *s = data;
 	int i;
 	if (q->nr) {
-		s->workdir_clean = 0;
+		s->workdir_dirty = 1;
 		wt_status_print_header("Changed but not added", use_add_msg);
 	}
 	for (i = 0; i < q->nr; i++)
@@ -263,7 +264,7 @@ static void wt_status_print_untracked(struct wt_status *s)
 				continue;
 		}
 		if (!shown_header) {
-			s->workdir_clean = 0;
+			s->workdir_untracked = 1;
 			wt_status_print_header("Untracked files", use_add_msg);
 			shown_header = 1;
 		}
@@ -320,12 +321,14 @@ void wt_status_print(struct wt_status *s)
 	if (!s->commitable) {
 		if (s->amend)
 			printf("# No changes\n");
-		else if (s->workdir_clean)
-			printf(s->is_initial
-			       ? "nothing to commit\n"
-			       : "nothing to commit (working directory matches HEAD)\n");
-		else
+		else if (s->workdir_dirty)
 			printf("no changes added to commit (use \"git add\" and/or \"git commit [-a|-i|-o]\")\n");
+		else if (s->workdir_untracked)
+			printf("nothing added to commit but untracked files present (use \"git add\" to track)\n");
+		else if (s->is_initial)
+			printf("nothing to commit (create/copy files and use \"git add\" to track)\n");
+		else
+			printf("nothing to commit (working directory clean)\n");
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/wt-status.h b/wt-status.h
index 892a86c76a..cfea4ae688 100644
--- a/wt-status.h
+++ b/wt-status.h
@@ -12,11 +12,13 @@ struct wt_status {
 	int is_initial;
 	char *branch;
 	const char *reference;
-	int commitable;
 	int verbose;
 	int amend;
 	int untracked;
-	int workdir_clean;
+	/* These are computed during processing of the individual sections */
+	int commitable;
+	int workdir_dirty;
+	int workdir_untracked;
 };
 
 int git_status_config(const char *var, const char *value);