diff --git a/cli/src/commands/commit.rs b/cli/src/commands/commit.rs
index fa1b80377..6202554b4 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/commit.rs
+++ b/cli/src/commands/commit.rs
@@ -18,9 +18,7 @@ use tracing::instrument;
 
 use crate::cli_util::CommandHelper;
 use crate::command_error::{user_error, CommandError};
-use crate::description_util::{
-    description_template_for_commit, edit_description, join_message_paragraphs,
-};
+use crate::description_util::{description_template, edit_description, join_message_paragraphs};
 use crate::ui::Ui;
 
 /// Update the description and create a new change on top.
@@ -113,8 +111,7 @@ new working-copy commit.
             commit_builder.set_description(command.settings().default_description());
         }
         let temp_commit = commit_builder.write_hidden()?;
-        let template =
-            description_template_for_commit(ui, tx.base_workspace_helper(), "", &temp_commit)?;
+        let template = description_template(ui, tx.base_workspace_helper(), "", &temp_commit)?;
         edit_description(tx.base_repo(), &template, command.settings())?
     };
     commit_builder.set_description(description);
diff --git a/cli/src/commands/describe.rs b/cli/src/commands/describe.rs
index ff3cfe8c5..007fdf20d 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/describe.rs
+++ b/cli/src/commands/describe.rs
@@ -19,9 +19,7 @@ use tracing::instrument;
 
 use crate::cli_util::{CommandHelper, RevisionArg};
 use crate::command_error::CommandError;
-use crate::description_util::{
-    description_template_for_describe, edit_description, join_message_paragraphs,
-};
+use crate::description_util::{description_template, edit_description, join_message_paragraphs};
 use crate::ui::Ui;
 
 /// Update the change description or other metadata
@@ -92,8 +90,7 @@ pub(crate) fn cmd_describe(
             commit_builder.set_description(command.settings().default_description());
         }
         let temp_commit = commit_builder.write_hidden()?;
-        let template =
-            description_template_for_describe(ui, tx.base_workspace_helper(), &temp_commit)?;
+        let template = description_template(ui, tx.base_workspace_helper(), "", &temp_commit)?;
         edit_description(tx.base_repo(), &template, command.settings())?
     };
     commit_builder.set_description(description);
diff --git a/cli/src/commands/split.rs b/cli/src/commands/split.rs
index 3dda7051d..f7c61d02a 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/split.rs
+++ b/cli/src/commands/split.rs
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ use tracing::instrument;
 
 use crate::cli_util::{CommandHelper, RevisionArg};
 use crate::command_error::{user_error_with_hint, CommandError};
-use crate::description_util::{description_template_for_commit, edit_description};
+use crate::description_util::{description_template, edit_description};
 use crate::ui::Ui;
 
 /// Split a revision in two
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ the operation will be aborted.
             commit_builder.set_description(command.settings().default_description());
         }
         let temp_commit = commit_builder.write_hidden()?;
-        let template = description_template_for_commit(
+        let template = description_template(
             ui,
             tx.base_workspace_helper(),
             "Enter a description for the first commit.",
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ the operation will be aborted.
             "".to_string()
         } else {
             let temp_commit = commit_builder.write_hidden()?;
-            let template = description_template_for_commit(
+            let template = description_template(
                 ui,
                 tx.base_workspace_helper(),
                 "Enter a description for the second commit.",
diff --git a/cli/src/description_util.rs b/cli/src/description_util.rs
index b2ce716a5..f673c8c54 100644
--- a/cli/src/description_util.rs
+++ b/cli/src/description_util.rs
@@ -89,28 +89,7 @@ pub fn join_message_paragraphs(paragraphs: &[String]) -> String {
         .join("\n")
 }
 
-pub fn description_template_for_describe(
-    ui: &Ui,
-    workspace_command: &WorkspaceCommandHelper,
-    commit: &Commit,
-) -> Result<String, CommandError> {
-    let mut diff_summary_bytes = Vec::new();
-    let diff_renderer = workspace_command.diff_renderer(vec![DiffFormat::Summary]);
-    diff_renderer.show_patch(
-        ui,
-        &mut PlainTextFormatter::new(&mut diff_summary_bytes),
-        commit,
-        &EverythingMatcher,
-    )?;
-    let description = commit.description().to_owned();
-    if diff_summary_bytes.is_empty() {
-        Ok(description)
-    } else {
-        Ok(description + "\n" + &diff_summary_to_description(&diff_summary_bytes))
-    }
-}
-
-pub fn description_template_for_commit(
+pub fn description_template(
     ui: &Ui,
     workspace_command: &WorkspaceCommandHelper,
     intro: &str,