diff --git a/mercurial/cmdutil.py b/mercurial/cmdutil.py
--- a/mercurial/cmdutil.py
+++ b/mercurial/cmdutil.py
@@ -619,63 +619,8 @@
 
     return _commentlines(msg)
 
-def _helpmessage(continuecmd, abortcmd):
-    msg = _('To continue:    %s\n'
-            'To abort:       %s') % (continuecmd, abortcmd)
-    return _commentlines(msg)
-
-def _rebasemsg():
-    return _helpmessage('hg rebase --continue', 'hg rebase --abort')
-
-def _histeditmsg():
-    return _helpmessage('hg histedit --continue', 'hg histedit --abort')
-
-def _unshelvemsg():
-    return _helpmessage('hg unshelve --continue', 'hg unshelve --abort')
-
-def _graftmsg():
-    return _helpmessage('hg graft --continue', 'hg graft --abort')
-
-def _mergemsg():
-    return _helpmessage('hg commit', 'hg merge --abort')
-
-def _bisectmsg():
-    msg = _('To mark the changeset good:    hg bisect --good\n'
-            'To mark the changeset bad:     hg bisect --bad\n'
-            'To abort:                      hg bisect --reset\n')
-    return _commentlines(msg)
-
-def fileexistspredicate(filename):
-    return lambda repo: repo.vfs.exists(filename)
-
-def _mergepredicate(repo):
-    return len(repo[None].parents()) > 1
-
-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('shelvedstate'), _unshelvemsg),
-    ('rebase', fileexistspredicate('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),
-)
-
-def _getrepostate(repo):
-    # experimental config: commands.status.skipstates
-    skip = set(repo.ui.configlist('commands', 'status.skipstates'))
-    for state, statedetectionpredicate, msgfn in STATES:
-        if state in skip:
-            continue
-        if statedetectionpredicate(repo):
-            return (state, statedetectionpredicate, msgfn)
-
 def morestatus(repo, fm):
-    statetuple = _getrepostate(repo)
+    statetuple = statemod._getrepostate(repo)
     label = 'status.morestatus'
     if statetuple:
         state, statedetectionpredicate, helpfulmsg = statetuple
diff --git a/mercurial/state.py b/mercurial/state.py
--- a/mercurial/state.py
+++ b/mercurial/state.py
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@
             msg = _("use 'hg transplant --continue' or 'hg update' to abort")
         else:
             msg = (_("use 'hg %s --continue' or 'hg %s --abort'") %
-            (self.cmdname,self.cmdname))
+            (self.cmdname, self.cmdname))
         return msg
 
     def msg(self):
@@ -181,3 +181,64 @@
     for s in unfinishedstates:
         if s.clearable and s.isunfinished(repo):
             util.unlink(repo.vfs.join(s.fname))
+
+def _commentlines(raw):
+    '''Surround lineswith a comment char and a new line'''
+    lines = raw.splitlines()
+    commentedlines = ['# %s' % line for line in lines]
+    return '\n'.join(commentedlines) + '\n'
+
+def _helpmessage(continuecmd, abortcmd):
+    msg = _('To continue:    %s\n'
+            'To abort:       %s') % (continuecmd, abortcmd)
+    return _commentlines(msg)
+
+def _rebasemsg():
+    return _helpmessage('hg rebase --continue', 'hg rebase --abort')
+
+def _histeditmsg():
+    return _helpmessage('hg histedit --continue', 'hg histedit --abort')
+
+def _unshelvemsg():
+    return _helpmessage('hg unshelve --continue', 'hg unshelve --abort')
+
+def _graftmsg():
+    return _helpmessage('hg graft --continue', 'hg graft --abort')
+
+def _mergemsg():
+    return _helpmessage('hg commit', 'hg merge --abort')
+
+def _bisectmsg():
+    msg = _('To mark the changeset good:    hg bisect --good\n'
+            'To mark the changeset bad:     hg bisect --bad\n'
+            'To abort:                      hg bisect --reset\n')
+    return _commentlines(msg)
+
+def fileexistspredicate(filename):
+    return lambda repo: repo.vfs.exists(filename)
+
+def _mergepredicate(repo):
+    return len(repo[None].parents()) > 1
+
+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('shelvedstate'), _unshelvemsg),
+    ('rebase', fileexistspredicate('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),
+)
+
+def _getrepostate(repo):
+    # experimental config: commands.status.skipstates
+    skip = set(repo.ui.configlist('commands', 'status.skipstates'))
+    for state, statedetectionpredicate, msgfn in STATES:
+        if state in skip:
+            continue
+        if statedetectionpredicate(repo):
+            return (state, statedetectionpredicate, msgfn)