diff --git a/lisp/vc/log-edit.el b/lisp/vc/log-edit.el
index 19f5b7f2296..c095c7ab67d 100644
--- a/lisp/vc/log-edit.el
+++ b/lisp/vc/log-edit.el
@@ -560,8 +560,12 @@ done.  Otherwise, this function will use the current buffer."
       (erase-buffer)
       (run-hooks 'log-edit-hook))
     (push-mark (point-max))
-    (message "%s" (substitute-command-keys
-	      "Press \\[log-edit-done] when you are done editing."))))
+    ;; `vc-start-logentry' already emits a message; avoid a duplicate,
+    ;; and ensure we don't emit one at all in the case of doing the
+    ;; action immediately.
+    (unless mode
+      (message "%s" (substitute-command-keys
+	             "Press \\[log-edit-done] when you are done editing.")))))
 
 (define-derived-mode log-edit-mode text-mode "Log-Edit"
   "Major mode for editing version-control (VC) commit log messages.
diff --git a/lisp/vc/vc-dispatcher.el b/lisp/vc/vc-dispatcher.el
index 153c0985119..dbf5b28fc04 100644
--- a/lisp/vc/vc-dispatcher.el
+++ b/lisp/vc/vc-dispatcher.el
@@ -871,9 +871,7 @@ DIFF-FUNCTION is `log-edit-diff-function' for the Log Edit buffer."
       (when (stringp comment) (insert comment)))
     (if (or (not comment) initial-contents)
         (message (substitute-command-keys
-                  (if (eq major-mode 'log-edit-mode)
-                      "%s  Type \\[log-edit-done] when done"
-                    "%s  Type \\`C-c C-c' when done"))
+                  "%s  Type \\<log-edit-mode-map>\\[log-edit-done] when done")
                  msg)
       (vc-finish-logentry (eq comment t)))))