diff --git a/mercurial/commands.py b/mercurial/commands.py
--- a/mercurial/commands.py
+++ b/mercurial/commands.py
@@ -2087,10 +2087,17 @@ def _docommit(ui, repo, *pats, **opts):
         extra[b'close'] = b'1'
 
         if repo[b'.'].closesbranch():
-            raise error.InputError(
-                _(b'current revision is already a branch closing head')
-            )
-        elif not bheads:
+            # Not ideal, but let us do an extra status early to prevent early
+            # bail out.
+            matcher = scmutil.match(repo[None], pats, opts)
+            s = repo.status(match=matcher)
+            if s.modified or s.added or s.removed:
+                bheads = repo.branchheads(branch, closed=True)
+            else:
+                msg = _(b'current revision is already a branch closing head')
+                raise error.InputError(msg)
+
+        if not bheads:
             raise error.InputError(
                 _(b'branch "%s" has no heads to close') % branch
             )
diff --git a/tests/test-branches.t b/tests/test-branches.t
--- a/tests/test-branches.t
+++ b/tests/test-branches.t
@@ -283,6 +283,19 @@ verify update will accept invalid legacy
   abort: current revision is already a branch closing head
   [10]
 
+  $ echo foo > b
+  $ hg commit -d '9 0' --close-branch -m 're-closing this branch'
+
+  $ echo bar > b
+  $ hg commit -d '9 0' --close-branch -m 're-closing this branch' bh1
+  abort: current revision is already a branch closing head
+  [10]
+  $ hg commit -d '9 0' --close-branch -m 're-closing this branch' b
+
+  $ hg debugstrip --rev 13: --no-backup
+  1 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  $ hg revert --all --no-backup
+
   $ hg log -r tip --debug
   changeset:   12:e3d49c0575d8fc2cb1cd6859c747c14f5f6d499f
   branch:      b