diff --git a/wt-status.c b/wt-status.c
index c56c78fb6f6..9e0559c0c8c 100644
--- a/wt-status.c
+++ b/wt-status.c
@@ -1026,6 +1026,20 @@ static int split_commit_in_progress(struct wt_status *s)
 	return split_in_progress;
 }
 
+static void print_rebase_state(struct wt_status *s,
+				struct wt_status_state *state,
+				const char *color)
+{
+	if (state->branch)
+		status_printf_ln(s, color,
+				 _("You are currently rebasing branch '%s' on '%s'."),
+				 state->branch,
+				 state->onto);
+	else
+		status_printf_ln(s, color,
+				 _("You are currently rebasing."));
+}
+
 static void show_rebase_in_progress(struct wt_status *s,
 				struct wt_status_state *state,
 				const char *color)
@@ -1033,14 +1047,7 @@ static void show_rebase_in_progress(struct wt_status *s,
 	struct stat st;
 
 	if (has_unmerged(s)) {
-		if (state->branch)
-			status_printf_ln(s, color,
-					 _("You are currently rebasing branch '%s' on '%s'."),
-					 state->branch,
-					 state->onto);
-		else
-			status_printf_ln(s, color,
-					 _("You are currently rebasing."));
+		print_rebase_state(s, state, color);
 		if (s->hints) {
 			status_printf_ln(s, color,
 				_("  (fix conflicts and then run \"git rebase --continue\")"));
@@ -1050,14 +1057,7 @@ static void show_rebase_in_progress(struct wt_status *s,
 				_("  (use \"git rebase --abort\" to check out the original branch)"));
 		}
 	} else if (state->rebase_in_progress || !stat(git_path("MERGE_MSG"), &st)) {
-		if (state->branch)
-			status_printf_ln(s, color,
-					 _("You are currently rebasing branch '%s' on '%s'."),
-					 state->branch,
-					 state->onto);
-		else
-			status_printf_ln(s, color,
-					 _("You are currently rebasing."));
+		print_rebase_state(s, state, color);
 		if (s->hints)
 			status_printf_ln(s, color,
 				_("  (all conflicts fixed: run \"git rebase --continue\")"));