diff --git a/mercurial/cmdutil.py b/mercurial/cmdutil.py
--- a/mercurial/cmdutil.py
+++ b/mercurial/cmdutil.py
@@ -617,7 +617,7 @@
 
 def _mergemsg():
     # tweakdefaults requires `update` to have a rev hence the `.`
-     return _helpmessage('hg commit', _updatecleanmsg())
+     return _helpmessage('hg commit', 'hg merge --abort')
 
 def _bisectmsg():
     msg = _('To mark the changeset good:    hg bisect --good\n'
diff --git a/tests/test-conflict.t b/tests/test-conflict.t
--- a/tests/test-conflict.t
+++ b/tests/test-conflict.t
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@
   # To mark files as resolved:  hg resolve --mark FILE
   
   # To continue:    hg commit
-  # To abort:       hg update --clean . (warning: this will discard uncommitted changes)
+  # To abort:       hg merge --abort
   
 
   $ cat a