diff --git a/builtin/commit.c b/builtin/commit.c
index 3d222d3..5504afe 100644
--- a/builtin/commit.c
+++ b/builtin/commit.c
@@ -510,6 +510,8 @@ static int run_status(FILE *fp, const char *index_file, const char *prefix, int
 	s->fp = fp;
 	s->nowarn = nowarn;
 	s->is_initial = get_sha1(s->reference, sha1) ? 1 : 0;
+	if (!s->is_initial)
+		hashcpy(s->sha1_commit, sha1);
 	s->status_format = status_format;
 	s->ignore_submodule_arg = ignore_submodule_arg;
 
@@ -1378,6 +1380,9 @@ int cmd_status(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	fd = hold_locked_index(&index_lock, 0);
 
 	s.is_initial = get_sha1(s.reference, sha1) ? 1 : 0;
+	if (!s.is_initial)
+		hashcpy(s.sha1_commit, sha1);
+
 	s.ignore_submodule_arg = ignore_submodule_arg;
 	s.status_format = status_format;
 	s.verbose = verbose;