diff --git a/git-rebase--am.sh b/git-rebase--am.sh
index 263987c55db053..c9604a67d14adb 100644
--- a/git-rebase--am.sh
+++ b/git-rebase--am.sh
@@ -26,9 +26,5 @@ git format-patch -k --stdout --full-index --ignore-if-in-upstream \
 git am $git_am_opt --rebasing --resolvemsg="$resolvemsg" &&
 move_to_original_branch
 ret=$?
-test 0 != $ret -a -d "$state_dir" &&
-	echo $head_name > "$state_dir/head-name" &&
-	echo $onto > "$state_dir/onto" &&
-	echo $orig_head > "$state_dir/orig-head" &&
-	echo "$GIT_QUIET" > "$state_dir/quiet"
+test 0 != $ret -a -d "$state_dir" && write_basic_state
 exit $ret
diff --git a/git-rebase--interactive.sh b/git-rebase--interactive.sh
index 4af0bc6c8f72eb..437cc52b2441f2 100755
--- a/git-rebase--interactive.sh
+++ b/git-rebase--interactive.sh
@@ -707,16 +707,13 @@ orig_head=$(git rev-parse --verify HEAD) || die "No HEAD?"
 mkdir "$state_dir" || die "Could not create temporary $state_dir"
 
 : > "$state_dir"/interactive || die "Could not mark as interactive"
-echo "$head_name" > "$state_dir"/head-name
-
-echo $orig_head > "$state_dir"/head
+write_basic_state
 case "$rebase_root" in
 '')
 	rm -f "$state_dir"/rebase-root ;;
 *)
 	: >"$state_dir"/rebase-root ;;
 esac
-echo $onto > "$state_dir"/onto
 test -z "$strategy" || echo "$strategy" > "$state_dir"/strategy
 test t = "$verbose" && : > "$state_dir"/verbose
 if test t = "$preserve_merges"
diff --git a/git-rebase--merge.sh b/git-rebase--merge.sh
index c04ce8a2973e07..eb0f7bc1578fcb 100644
--- a/git-rebase--merge.sh
+++ b/git-rebase--merge.sh
@@ -127,10 +127,7 @@ esac
 
 mkdir -p "$state_dir"
 echo "$onto_name" > "$state_dir/onto_name"
-echo "$head_name" > "$state_dir/head-name"
-echo "$onto" > "$state_dir/onto"
-echo "$orig_head" > "$state_dir/orig-head"
-echo "$GIT_QUIET" > "$state_dir/quiet"
+write_basic_state
 
 msgnum=0
 for cmt in `git rev-list --reverse --no-merges "$revisions"`
diff --git a/git-rebase.sh b/git-rebase.sh
index 21bb0276e11bcc..5a399aa4cff734 100755
--- a/git-rebase.sh
+++ b/git-rebase.sh
@@ -70,15 +70,25 @@ test "$(git config --bool rebase.autosquash)" = "true" && autosquash=t
 read_basic_state () {
 	head_name=$(cat "$state_dir"/head-name) &&
 	onto=$(cat "$state_dir"/onto) &&
-	if test "$type" = interactive
+	# We always write to orig-head, but interactive rebase used to write to
+	# head. Fall back to reading from head to cover for the case that the
+	# user upgraded git with an ongoing interactive rebase.
+	if test -f "$state_dir"/orig-head
 	then
-		orig_head=$(cat "$state_dir"/head)
-	else
 		orig_head=$(cat "$state_dir"/orig-head)
+	else
+		orig_head=$(cat "$state_dir"/head)
 	fi &&
 	GIT_QUIET=$(cat "$state_dir"/quiet)
 }
 
+write_basic_state () {
+	echo "$head_name" > "$state_dir"/head-name &&
+	echo "$onto" > "$state_dir"/onto &&
+	echo "$orig_head" > "$state_dir"/orig-head &&
+	echo "$GIT_QUIET" > "$state_dir"/quiet
+}
+
 output () {
 	case "$verbose" in
 	'')