diff --git a/src/App.test.tsx b/src/App.test.tsx
index 040f758..5a4028e 100644
--- a/src/App.test.tsx
+++ b/src/App.test.tsx
@@ -4687,6 +4687,45 @@ describe("Git commit sidebar", () => {
     expect(commitButton).toBeDisabled();
   });
 
+  it("explains why Cmd+Enter did nothing and clears the hint once the user acts", async () => {
+    render(<App />);
+
+    expect(await treeButton("README.md")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByTitle("Source control"));
+
+    const panel = await screen.findByLabelText("Git commit panel");
+    await waitFor(() => expect(within(panel).getByText("2 / 2")).toBeInTheDocument());
+    const message = within(panel).getByPlaceholderText("Commit message");
+
+    fireEvent.click(within(panel).getByLabelText("Deselect all changes"));
+    fireEvent.change(message, { target: { value: "Update readme" } });
+    fireEvent.keyDown(message, { key: "Enter", metaKey: true });
+    expect(
+      await within(panel).findByText("Select at least one file to commit."),
+    ).toBeInTheDocument();
+
+    fireEvent.click(within(panel).getByLabelText("Select all changes"));
+    await waitFor(() =>
+      expect(
+        within(panel).queryByText("Select at least one file to commit."),
+      ).not.toBeInTheDocument(),
+    );
+
+    fireEvent.change(message, { target: { value: "  " } });
+    // Ctrl instead of Cmd here so both halves of metaKey || ctrlKey get covered.
+    fireEvent.keyDown(message, { key: "Enter", ctrlKey: true });
+    expect(
+      await within(panel).findByText("Enter a commit message first."),
+    ).toBeInTheDocument();
+
+    fireEvent.change(message, { target: { value: "Update readme" } });
+    await waitFor(() =>
+      expect(
+        within(panel).queryByText("Enter a commit message first."),
+      ).not.toBeInTheDocument(),
+    );
+  });
+
   it("commits only the selected paths and refreshes the status afterward", async () => {
     render(<App />);
 
diff --git a/src/App.tsx b/src/App.tsx
index 923ae7f..1ea6d31 100644
--- a/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/App.tsx
@@ -688,6 +688,9 @@ export default function App() {
   const [gitCommitInFlight, setGitCommitInFlight] = useState(false);
   const [gitCommitError, setGitCommitError] = useState<string>();
   const [gitCommitSuccess, setGitCommitSuccess] = useState<string>();
+  // Why-nothing-happened hint for Cmd/Ctrl+Enter in the message box — the
+  // Commit button disables itself, but the shortcut has no visual state.
+  const [gitCommitHint, setGitCommitHint] = useState<string>();
   const [gitSyncInFlight, setGitSyncInFlight] = useState(false);
   const [gitSyncResult, setGitSyncResult] = useState<GitSyncResult>();
   const [gitSyncError, setGitSyncError] = useState<string>();
@@ -1652,6 +1655,19 @@ export default function App() {
     return () => window.clearTimeout(timeoutId);
   }, [gitCommitSuccess]);
 
+  // The commit hint answers "why did Cmd+Enter do nothing" — the moment the
+  // user changes the message or the file selection, the answer is stale.
+  // Keyed on a sorted-path signature rather than the Set itself: background
+  // status polls rebuild the Set with identical contents, and clearing on
+  // reference identity would dismiss the hint without any user action.
+  const gitCommitSelectionSignature = useMemo(
+    () => [...gitCommitSelectedPaths].sort().join("\n"),
+    [gitCommitSelectedPaths],
+  );
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setGitCommitHint(undefined);
+  }, [gitCommitMessage, gitCommitSelectionSignature]);
+
   // Sync notices are scoped to a commit-panel session; clear them on the way out
   // so reopening the panel doesn't show a stale "Synced"/conflict line.
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -1660,6 +1676,7 @@ export default function App() {
     setGitSyncError(undefined);
     setGitMergeError(undefined);
     setGitMergeSuccess(undefined);
+    setGitCommitHint(undefined);
   }, [commitModeActive]);
 
   // Clear the "Completed merge" line after a beat, matching the commit-success
@@ -1736,8 +1753,24 @@ export default function App() {
   const handleGitCommit = useCallback(async () => {
     const trimmedMessage = gitCommitMessage.trim();
     const selectedPaths = changedFilePaths.filter((path) => gitCommitSelectedPaths.has(path));
-    if (!trimmedMessage || selectedPaths.length === 0 || gitCommitInFlight) return;
+    if (gitCommitInFlight) return;
+    // A failed precondition also clears the previous attempt's outcome lines —
+    // a leftover "Committed …" or error next to the warning reads as if this
+    // attempt did something.
+    if (selectedPaths.length === 0) {
+      setGitCommitError(undefined);
+      setGitCommitSuccess(undefined);
+      setGitCommitHint("Select at least one file to commit.");
+      return;
+    }
+    if (!trimmedMessage) {
+      setGitCommitError(undefined);
+      setGitCommitSuccess(undefined);
+      setGitCommitHint("Enter a commit message first.");
+      return;
+    }
 
+    setGitCommitHint(undefined);
     setGitCommitInFlight(true);
     setGitCommitError(undefined);
     setGitCommitSuccess(undefined);
@@ -5453,6 +5486,12 @@ export default function App() {
                       {gitCommitSuccess}
                     </div>
                   ) : null}
+                  {gitCommitHint ? (
+                    <div className="commit-panel__notice commit-panel__notice--warning" role="status">
+                      <TriangleAlert size={13} />
+                      <span>{gitCommitHint}</span>
+                    </div>
+                  ) : null}
                 </div>
               </>
             )}
diff --git a/src/styles.css b/src/styles.css
index 8a9efc8..86c0046 100644
--- a/src/styles.css
+++ b/src/styles.css
@@ -976,6 +976,20 @@ button {
   color: var(--text);
 }
 
+.commit-panel__notice--warning {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 6px;
+  border: 1px solid color-mix(in oklch, var(--warning) 42%, var(--border));
+  background: color-mix(in oklch, var(--warning) 8%, var(--surface));
+  color: var(--text);
+}
+
+.commit-panel__notice--warning svg {
+  flex-shrink: 0;
+  color: var(--warning);
+}
+
 /* Transient success toasts (sync result, completed merge) hold, then ease out
    over the last stretch of their ~5s life so removal doesn't just blink away.
    The JS timeout clears the element at 5s; this only animates the opacity. */
@@ -1110,19 +1124,6 @@ button {
   font-weight: 600;
 }
 
-.commit-panel__sync-conflicts {
-  margin: 0;
-  padding-left: 18px;
-  display: flex;
-  flex-direction: column;
-  gap: 2px;
-}
-
-.commit-panel__sync-conflicts li {
-  overflow-wrap: anywhere;
-  word-break: break-word;
-}
-
 /* Live merge-resolution block: a bordered call-out that replaces the normal
    sync notice while a merge is unfinished. */
 .commit-panel__merge {