diff --git a/src/plugins/git/gitsubmiteditorwidget.cpp b/src/plugins/git/gitsubmiteditorwidget.cpp
index bf2cdf745ce..530a688e831 100644
--- a/src/plugins/git/gitsubmiteditorwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/git/gitsubmiteditorwidget.cpp
@@ -152,13 +152,24 @@ void GitSubmitEditorWidget::setPanelData(const GitSubmitEditorPanelData &data)
     authorInformationChanged();
 }
 
-bool GitSubmitEditorWidget::canSubmit() const
+bool GitSubmitEditorWidget::canSubmit(QString *whyNot) const
 {
-    if (m_gitSubmitPanelUi.invalidAuthorLabel->isVisible()
-        || m_gitSubmitPanelUi.invalidEmailLabel->isVisible()
-        || m_hasUnmerged)
+    if (m_gitSubmitPanelUi.invalidAuthorLabel->isVisible()) {
+        if (whyNot)
+            *whyNot = tr("Invalid author");
         return false;
-    return SubmitEditorWidget::canSubmit();
+    }
+    if (m_gitSubmitPanelUi.invalidEmailLabel->isVisible()) {
+        if (whyNot)
+            *whyNot = tr("Invalid email");
+        return false;
+    }
+    if (m_hasUnmerged) {
+        if (whyNot)
+            *whyNot = tr("Unresolved merge conflicts");
+        return false;
+    }
+    return SubmitEditorWidget::canSubmit(whyNot);
 }
 
 QString GitSubmitEditorWidget::cleanupDescription(const QString &input) const
diff --git a/src/plugins/git/gitsubmiteditorwidget.h b/src/plugins/git/gitsubmiteditorwidget.h
index 42d895d7f0b..1387d6e341a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/git/gitsubmiteditorwidget.h
+++ b/src/plugins/git/gitsubmiteditorwidget.h
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ public:
     void refreshLog(const QString &repository);
 
 protected:
-    bool canSubmit() const override;
+    bool canSubmit(QString *whyNot) const override;
     QString cleanupDescription(const QString &) const override;
     QString commitName() const override;
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/vcsbase/submiteditorwidget.cpp b/src/plugins/vcsbase/submiteditorwidget.cpp
index dbb1324ed8f..e1e69d21e18 100644
--- a/src/plugins/vcsbase/submiteditorwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/vcsbase/submiteditorwidget.cpp
@@ -532,14 +532,23 @@ void SubmitEditorWidget::descriptionTextChanged()
     updateSubmitAction();
 }
 
-bool SubmitEditorWidget::canSubmit() const
+bool SubmitEditorWidget::canSubmit(QString *whyNot) const
 {
-    if (d->m_updateInProgress)
+    if (d->m_updateInProgress) {
+        if (whyNot)
+            *whyNot = tr("Update in progress");
         return false;
-    if (isDescriptionMandatory() && d->m_description.trimmed().isEmpty())
+    }
+    if (isDescriptionMandatory() && d->m_description.trimmed().isEmpty()) {
+        if (whyNot)
+            *whyNot = tr("Description is empty");
         return false;
+    }
     const unsigned checkedCount = checkedFilesCount();
-    return d->m_emptyFileListEnabled || checkedCount > 0;
+    const bool res = d->m_emptyFileListEnabled || checkedCount > 0;
+    if (!res && whyNot)
+        *whyNot = tr("No files checked");
+    return res;
 }
 
 void SubmitEditorWidget::setUpdateInProgress(bool value)
diff --git a/src/plugins/vcsbase/submiteditorwidget.h b/src/plugins/vcsbase/submiteditorwidget.h
index da73f2d96d0..651775fe1b4 100644
--- a/src/plugins/vcsbase/submiteditorwidget.h
+++ b/src/plugins/vcsbase/submiteditorwidget.h
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ public:
     void addSubmitFieldWidget(SubmitFieldWidget *f);
     QList<SubmitFieldWidget *> submitFieldWidgets() const;
 
-    virtual bool canSubmit() const;
+    virtual bool canSubmit(QString *whyNot = nullptr) const;
     void setUpdateInProgress(bool value);
     bool updateInProgress() const;
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/vcsbase/vcsbasesubmiteditor.cpp b/src/plugins/vcsbase/vcsbasesubmiteditor.cpp
index 43a82eddcfc..91a6932a460 100644
--- a/src/plugins/vcsbase/vcsbasesubmiteditor.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/vcsbase/vcsbasesubmiteditor.cpp
@@ -546,7 +546,7 @@ VcsBaseSubmitEditor::PromptSubmitResult
     QWidget *parent = Core::ICore::mainWindow();
     // Pop up a message depending on whether the check succeeded and the
     // user wants to be prompted
-    bool canCommit = checkSubmitMessage(&errorMessage) && submitWidget->canSubmit();
+    bool canCommit = checkSubmitMessage(&errorMessage) && submitWidget->canSubmit(&errorMessage);
     if (canCommit) {
         // Check ok, do prompt?
         if (prompt) {