diff --git a/commands/issue.go b/commands/issue.go
index 219821ce344e4fb3cf933e3af8d00e12d70cd293..0e921dc7bdc5061dd0449056911bd3cad6a7bd36 100644
--- a/commands/issue.go
+++ b/commands/issue.go
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ func createIssue(cmd *Command, args *Args) {
 	if cmd.FlagPassed("message") {
 		title, body = readMsg(flagIssueMessage)
 	} else if cmd.FlagPassed("file") {
-		title, body, editor, err = readMsgFromFile(flagIssueFile, flagIssueEdit, "ISSUE", "issue")
+		title, body, editor, err = readMsgFromFile(flagIssueFile, flagIssueEdit, "ISSUE_EDITMSG", "issue")
 		utils.Check(err)
 	} else {
 		message := ""
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ text is the title and the rest is the description.`, project)
 			}
 		}
 
-		editor, err := github.NewEditor("ISSUE", "issue", message)
+		editor, err := github.NewEditor("ISSUE_EDITMSG", "issue", message)
 		utils.Check(err)
 		editor.AddCommentedSection(helpMessage)
 
diff --git a/commands/pull_request.go b/commands/pull_request.go
index bd83b6e0b9c4dc98d3a62f3da36cef5d51c37a09..b566d5cfe45d855fd760c3745222f111e9dc26e6 100644
--- a/commands/pull_request.go
+++ b/commands/pull_request.go
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ func pullRequest(cmd *Command, args *Args) {
 	if cmd.FlagPassed("message") {
 		title, body = readMsg(flagPullRequestMessage)
 	} else if cmd.FlagPassed("file") {
-		title, body, editor, err = readMsgFromFile(flagPullRequestFile, flagPullRequestEdit, "PULLREQ", "pull request")
+		title, body, editor, err = readMsgFromFile(flagPullRequestFile, flagPullRequestEdit, "PULLREQ_EDITMSG", "pull request")
 		utils.Check(err)
 	} else if flagPullRequestIssue == "" {
 		headForMessage := headTracking
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ of text is the title and the rest is the description.`, fullBase, fullHead)
 			helpMessage = helpMessage + "\n\nChanges:\n\n" + strings.TrimSpace(commitLogs)
 		}
 
-		editor, err = github.NewEditor("PULLREQ", "pull request", message)
+		editor, err = github.NewEditor("PULLREQ_EDITMSG", "pull request", message)
 		utils.Check(err)
 		editor.AddCommentedSection(helpMessage)
 
diff --git a/commands/release.go b/commands/release.go
index 1769a26de55b0249922bd874cfbda2f8b3afa927..b502073ede7d88edaf143ba210e4e3382edf3825 100644
--- a/commands/release.go
+++ b/commands/release.go
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ func createRelease(cmd *Command, args *Args) {
 	if cmd.FlagPassed("message") {
 		title, body = readMsg(flagReleaseMessage)
 	} else if cmd.FlagPassed("file") {
-		title, body, editor, err = readMsgFromFile(flagReleaseFile, flagReleaseEdit, "RELEASE", "release")
+		title, body, editor, err = readMsgFromFile(flagReleaseFile, flagReleaseEdit, "RELEASE_EDITMSG", "release")
 		utils.Check(err)
 	} else {
 		message := ""
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ func createRelease(cmd *Command, args *Args) {
 Write a message for this release. The first block of
 text is the title and the rest is the description.`, tagName, project.String())
 
-		editor, err := github.NewEditor("RELEASE", "release", message)
+		editor, err := github.NewEditor("RELEASE_EDITMSG", "release", message)
 		utils.Check(err)
 		editor.AddCommentedSection(helpMessage)
 
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ func editRelease(cmd *Command, args *Args) {
 	if cmd.FlagPassed("message") {
 		title, body = readMsg(flagReleaseMessage)
 	} else if cmd.FlagPassed("file") {
-		title, body, editor, err = readMsgFromFile(flagReleaseFile, flagReleaseEdit, "RELEASE", "release")
+		title, body, editor, err = readMsgFromFile(flagReleaseFile, flagReleaseEdit, "RELEASE_EDITMSG", "release")
 		utils.Check(err)
 
 		if title == "" {
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ func editRelease(cmd *Command, args *Args) {
 Write a message for this release. The first block of
 text is the title and the rest is the description.`, tagName, project.String())
 
-		editor, err := github.NewEditor("RELEASE", "release", message)
+		editor, err := github.NewEditor("RELEASE_EDITMSG", "release", message)
 		utils.Check(err)
 		editor.AddCommentedSection(helpMessage)
 
diff --git a/github/editor.go b/github/editor.go
index ceff944a7c89b326c2edd09cd04679f8b3135c93..dbc5ac237e2a2142632885779a019d3507620a8e 100644
--- a/github/editor.go
+++ b/github/editor.go
@@ -15,11 +15,12 @@ import (
 	"github.com/github/hub/git"
 )
 
-func NewEditor(filePrefix, topic, message string) (editor *Editor, err error) {
-	messageFile, err := getMessageFile(filePrefix)
+func NewEditor(filename, topic, message string) (editor *Editor, err error) {
+	gitDir, err := git.Dir()
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
+	messageFile := filepath.Join(gitDir, filename)
 
 	program, err := git.Editor()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -164,12 +165,3 @@ func readTitleAndBody(reader io.Reader, cs string) (title, body string, err erro
 
 	return
 }
-
-func getMessageFile(about string) (string, error) {
-	gitDir, err := git.Dir()
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-
-	return filepath.Join(gitDir, fmt.Sprintf("%s_EDITMSG", about)), nil
-}
diff --git a/github/editor_test.go b/github/editor_test.go
index a05a80ca8684a572a6b3e35c15da67f21cfbef1e..63264ad2b5b8262f070693ae3f7cf06cc16093d3 100644
--- a/github/editor_test.go
+++ b/github/editor_test.go
@@ -160,8 +160,3 @@ Dem body.
 	assert.Equal(t, "# Dat title", title)
 	assert.Equal(t, "Dem body.", body)
 }
-
-func TestGetMessageFile(t *testing.T) {
-	gitPullReqMsgFile, _ := getMessageFile("PULLREQ")
-	assert.T(t, strings.Contains(gitPullReqMsgFile, "PULLREQ_EDITMSG"))
-}