diff --git a/mercurial/cmdutil.py b/mercurial/cmdutil.py
--- a/mercurial/cmdutil.py
+++ b/mercurial/cmdutil.py
@@ -627,25 +627,30 @@
 
 STATES = (
     # (state, predicate to detect states, helpful message function)
-    ('histedit', fileexistspredicate('histedit-state'), _histeditmsg),
-    ('bisect', fileexistspredicate('bisect.state'), _bisectmsg),
-    ('graft', fileexistspredicate('graftstate'), _graftmsg),
-    ('unshelve', fileexistspredicate('unshelverebasestate'), _unshelvemsg),
-    ('rebase', fileexistspredicate('rebasestate'), _rebasemsg),
+    ('histedit', 'histedit-state', _histeditmsg),
+    ('bisect', 'bisect.state', _bisectmsg),
+    ('graft', 'graftstate', _graftmsg),
+    ('unshelve', 'unshelverebasestate', _unshelvemsg),
+    ('rebase', 'rebasestate', _rebasemsg),
     # The merge state is part of a list that will be iterated over.
     # They need to be last because some of the other unfinished states may also
     # be in a merge or update state (eg. rebase, histedit, graft, etc).
     # We want those to have priority.
-    ('merge', _mergepredicate, _mergemsg),
+    ('merge', None, _mergemsg),
 )
 
 def _getrepostate(repo):
     # experimental config: commands.status.skipstates
     skip = set(repo.ui.configlist('commands', 'status.skipstates'))
-    for state, statedetectionpredicate, msgfn in STATES:
+    for state, filename, msgfn in STATES:
         if state in skip:
             continue
-        if statedetectionpredicate(repo):
+        detected = False
+        if state == 'merge':
+            detected = _mergepredicate(repo)
+        else:
+            detected = repo.vfs.exists(filename)
+        if detected:
             return (state, msgfn)
 
 def morestatus(repo, fm):