diff --git a/builtin-merge.c b/builtin-merge.c
index b6b84286b26a4317dfd5185ae83fd861c6f9fa7d..56ecc682399b8bf80e29fadf86e057139b9ff0f4 100644
--- a/builtin-merge.c
+++ b/builtin-merge.c
@@ -650,6 +650,7 @@ static int checkout_fast_forward(unsigned char *head, unsigned char *remote)
 	opts.verbose_update = 1;
 	opts.merge = 1;
 	opts.fn = twoway_merge;
+	opts.msgs = get_porcelain_error_msgs();
 
 	trees[nr_trees] = parse_tree_indirect(head);
 	if (!trees[nr_trees++])