diff --git a/git_upstream/commands/import.py b/git_upstream/commands/import.py
index a741b66..3a21b57 100644
--- a/git_upstream/commands/import.py
+++ b/git_upstream/commands/import.py
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ class ImportCommand(LogDedentMixin, GitUpstreamCommand):
     def finalize(self):
         """Perform additional parsing of args"""
 
-        if self.args.finish:
+        if self.args.finish and not self.args.upstream_branch:
             self.args.upstream_branch = self.args.import_branch
 
     def _finish(self, import_upstream):
diff --git a/git_upstream/lib/importupstream.py b/git_upstream/lib/importupstream.py
index 4426ba9..852a346 100644
--- a/git_upstream/lib/importupstream.py
+++ b/git_upstream/lib/importupstream.py
@@ -369,6 +369,11 @@ class ImportUpstream(LogDedentMixin, GitMixin):
         self.git.checkout(self.branch)
         current_sha = self.git.rev_parse("HEAD")
 
+        commit_message = (
+            "Merge branch '{0}' into {1}\n\n"
+            "Import of '{2}' into '{1}'."
+        ).format(self.import_branch, self.branch, self.upstream)
+
         try:
             self.log.info(
                 """
@@ -390,9 +395,9 @@ class ImportUpstream(LogDedentMixin, GitMixin):
             self.log.info(
                 """
                 Committing merge commit:
-                    git commit --no-edit
-                """)
-            self.git.commit(no_edit=True)
+                    git commit -m "%s"
+                """, commit_message.replace('\n', '\n' + ' ' * 4))
+            self.git.commit(m=commit_message)
             # finally test that everything worked correctly by comparing if
             # the tree object id's match
             if self.git.rev_parse("HEAD^{tree}") != \
diff --git a/git_upstream/tests/commands/import/scenarios/import_finish.yaml b/git_upstream/tests/commands/import/scenarios/import_finish.yaml
index cdb7eca..828b5e2 100644
--- a/git_upstream/tests/commands/import/scenarios/import_finish.yaml
+++ b/git_upstream/tests/commands/import/scenarios/import_finish.yaml
@@ -62,3 +62,4 @@
     - --finish
     - --import-branch=import/F
     - --into=master
+    - custom/master
diff --git a/git_upstream/tests/commands/import/scenarios/import_same_as_previous_upstream.yaml b/git_upstream/tests/commands/import/scenarios/import_same_as_previous_upstream.yaml
index 1d7ba74..1fda1df 100644
--- a/git_upstream/tests/commands/import/scenarios/import_same_as_previous_upstream.yaml
+++ b/git_upstream/tests/commands/import/scenarios/import_same_as_previous_upstream.yaml
@@ -41,3 +41,4 @@
     - --into=master
 
   expect_found: []
+  check_merge: False
diff --git a/git_upstream/tests/commands/import/scenarios/import_same_previous_with_same_additional.yaml b/git_upstream/tests/commands/import/scenarios/import_same_previous_with_same_additional.yaml
index 4779b8a..4a1a796 100644
--- a/git_upstream/tests/commands/import/scenarios/import_same_previous_with_same_additional.yaml
+++ b/git_upstream/tests/commands/import/scenarios/import_same_previous_with_same_additional.yaml
@@ -53,3 +53,4 @@
     - additional/2
 
   expect_found: []
+  check_merge: False
diff --git a/git_upstream/tests/commands/import/test_import.py b/git_upstream/tests/commands/import/test_import.py
index c3dff15..43f6f5a 100644
--- a/git_upstream/tests/commands/import/test_import.py
+++ b/git_upstream/tests/commands/import/test_import.py
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ class TestImportCommand(TestWithScenarios, BaseTestCase):
                         "import command failed to complete successfully")
 
         expected = getattr(self, 'expect_found', None)
+        # even if empty want to confirm that find no changes applied,
+        # otherwise confirm we find the expected number of changes.
         if expected is not None:
             if len(list(Commit.new(self.repo, target_branch).parents)) > 1:
                 changes = list(Commit.iter_items(
@@ -82,6 +84,14 @@ class TestImportCommand(TestWithScenarios, BaseTestCase):
                                     subject, commit.hexsha, node_subject,
                                     node))
 
+        # allow disabling of checking the merge commit contents
+        # as some tests won't result in an import
+        if getattr(self, 'check_merge', True):
+            commit_message = self.git.log(target_branch, n=1)
+            self.assertThat(commit_message,
+                            Contains("of '%s' into '%s'" % (upstream_branch,
+                                                            target_branch)))
+
         # allow additional test specific verification methods below
         extra_test_func = getattr(self, '_verify_%s' % self.name, None)
         if extra_test_func: