diff --git a/git.c b/git.c
index 3799514..89ab5d7 100644
--- a/git.c
+++ b/git.c
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static void handle_internal_command(int argc, const char **argv)
+static void handle_builtin(int argc, const char **argv)
 {
 	const char *cmd = argv[0];
 	static struct cmd_struct commands[] = {
@@ -517,8 +517,8 @@
 	int done_alias = 0;
 
 	while (1) {
-		/* See if it's an internal command */
-		handle_internal_command(*argcp, *argv);
+		/* See if it's a builtin */
+		handle_builtin(*argcp, *argv);
 
 		/* .. then try the external ones */
 		execv_dashed_external(*argv);
@@ -563,14 +563,14 @@
 	 *  - cannot execute it externally (since it would just do
 	 *    the same thing over again)
 	 *
-	 * So we just directly call the internal command handler, and
-	 * die if that one cannot handle it.
+	 * So we just directly call the builtin handler, and die if
+	 * that one cannot handle it.
 	 */
 	if (starts_with(cmd, "git-")) {
 		cmd += 4;
 		argv[0] = cmd;
-		handle_internal_command(argc, argv);
-		die("cannot handle %s internally", cmd);
+		handle_builtin(argc, argv);
+		die("cannot handle %s as a builtin", cmd);
 	}
 
 	/* Look for flags.. */