diff --git a/git_upstream/lib/pygitcompat.py b/git_upstream/lib/pygitcompat.py
index 3a2d4f2..fb1ebc5 100644
--- a/git_upstream/lib/pygitcompat.py
+++ b/git_upstream/lib/pygitcompat.py
@@ -94,6 +94,10 @@ class GitUpstreamCompatCommit(Commit):
     def hexsha(self):
         return self.id
 
+    @property
+    def short(self):
+        return self.repo.git.rev_parse(self.hexsha, short=True)
+
     @classmethod
     def iter_items(cls, repo, ref, path='', **kwargs):
         """
@@ -113,3 +117,5 @@ if not hasattr(Commit, 'iter_items'):
     Commit = GitUpstreamCompatCommit
     # monkey patch class so that Repo will use the patched class
     git.commit.Commit = GitUpstreamCompatCommit
+else:
+    Commit.short = GitUpstreamCompatCommit.short
diff --git a/git_upstream/lib/rebaseeditor.py b/git_upstream/lib/rebaseeditor.py
index 1adb8d8..5925fdb 100644
--- a/git_upstream/lib/rebaseeditor.py
+++ b/git_upstream/lib/rebaseeditor.py
@@ -82,34 +82,27 @@ class RebaseEditor(GitMixin, LogDedentMixin):
         with codecs.open(todo_file, "w", "utf-8") as todo:
             for commit in commits:
                 if not root:
-                    root = commit.parents[0].hexsha
+                    root = commit.parents[0]
                 subject = commit.message.splitlines()[0]
-                todo.write("pick %s %s\n" % (commit.hexsha[:7], subject))
+                todo.write("pick %s %s\n" % (self._shorten(commit), subject))
 
             # if root isn't set at this point, then there were no commits
             if not root:
                 todo.write("noop\n")
 
             todo.write(TODO_EPILOGUE %
-                       {'shortrevisions': self._short_revisions(root,
-                                                                commit.hexsha),
-                        'shortonto': self._short_onto(onto or root)})
+                       {'shortrevisions': "%s..%s" % (self._shorten(root),
+                                                      self._shorten(commit)),
+                        'shortonto': self._shorten(onto or root)})
 
         return todo_file
 
-    def _short_revisions(self, root, commit):
+    def _shorten(self, commit):
 
-        if not root:
+        if not commit:
             return "<none>"
 
-        return "%s..%s" % (root[:7], commit[:7])
-
-    def _short_onto(self, onto):
-
-        if not onto:
-            return "<none>"
-
-        return self.git.rev_parse(onto)[:7]
+        return self.git.rev_parse(commit, short=True)
 
     def _set_editor(self, editor):
 
diff --git a/git_upstream/lib/searchers.py b/git_upstream/lib/searchers.py
index dc800d0..091eae0 100644
--- a/git_upstream/lib/searchers.py
+++ b/git_upstream/lib/searchers.py
@@ -569,7 +569,7 @@ class SupersededCommitFilter(LogDedentMixin, GitMixin, CommitFilter):
                     because the following superseding change-ids have not been
                     found:
                     %s
-                """, commit.hexsha[:7], commit.message.splitlines()[0],
+                """, commit.short, commit.message.splitlines()[0],
                     '\n    '.join(superseding_change_ids))
                 yield commit
                 continue
@@ -580,7 +580,7 @@ class SupersededCommitFilter(LogDedentMixin, GitMixin, CommitFilter):
                     because it has been marked as superseded by the following
                     note:
                     %s
-                """, commit.hexsha[:7], commit.message.splitlines()[0],
+                """, commit.short, commit.message.splitlines()[0],
                 commit_note)
 
 
@@ -710,7 +710,7 @@ class DiscardDuplicateGerritChangeId(LogDedentMixin, GitMixin, CommitFilter):
                     Including change missing 'Change-Id'
                         Commit: %s %s
                         Message: %s
-                    """, commit.hexsha[:7], commit.message.splitlines()[0],
+                    """, commit.short, commit.message.splitlines()[0],
                     commit.message)
                 yield commit
                 continue
@@ -735,7 +735,7 @@ class DiscardDuplicateGerritChangeId(LogDedentMixin, GitMixin, CommitFilter):
                     Skipping duplicate Change-Id in search ref
                         %s
                         Commit: %s %s
-                    """, change_id, commit.hexsha[:7],
+                    """, change_id, commit.short,
                     commit.message.splitlines()[0])
                 continue
 
@@ -745,7 +745,7 @@ class DiscardDuplicateGerritChangeId(LogDedentMixin, GitMixin, CommitFilter):
                 Including unmatched change
                     %s
                     Commit: %s %s
-                """, change_id, commit.hexsha[:7],
+                """, change_id, commit.short,
                 commit.message.splitlines()[0])
             yield commit