diff --git a/mercurial/crecord.py b/mercurial/crecord.py
--- a/mercurial/crecord.py
+++ b/mercurial/crecord.py
@@ -1468,9 +1468,11 @@ are you sure you want to review/edit and
                 f.close()
                 # start the editor and wait for it to complete
                 editor = self.ui.geteditor()
-                self.ui.system("%s \"%s\"" % (editor, patchfn),
-                          environ={'hguser': self.ui.username()},
-                          onerr=util.Abort, errprefix=_("edit failed"))
+                ret = self.ui.system("%s \"%s\"" % (editor, patchfn),
+                          environ={'hguser': self.ui.username()})
+                if ret != 0:
+                    self.errorstr = "Editor exited with status %d" % ret
+                    return None
                 # remove comment lines
                 patchfp = open(patchfn)
                 ncpatchfp = cStringIO.StringIO()
@@ -1495,6 +1497,10 @@ are you sure you want to review/edit and
 
         beforeadded, beforeremoved = item.added, item.removed
         newpatches = editpatchwitheditor(self, item)
+        if newpatches is None:
+            if not test:
+                updateui(self)
+            return
         header = item.header
         editedhunkindex = header.hunks.index(item)
         hunksbefore = header.hunks[:editedhunkindex]
diff --git a/tests/test-commit-interactive-curses.t b/tests/test-commit-interactive-curses.t
--- a/tests/test-commit-interactive-curses.t
+++ b/tests/test-commit-interactive-curses.t
@@ -65,14 +65,16 @@ Committing only one file
   a
   a
 
-Committing only one hunk
+Committing only one hunk while aborting edition of hunk
 
 - Untoggle all the hunks, go down to the second file
 - unfold it
 - go down to second hunk (1 for the first hunk, 1 for the first hunkline, 1 for the second hunk, 1 for the second hunklike)
 - toggle the second hunk
+- edit the hunk and quit the editor imediately with non-zero status
 - commit
 
+  $ printf "printf 'editor ran\n'; exit 1" > editor.sh
   $ echo "x" > c
   $ cat b >> c
   $ echo "y" >> c
@@ -86,9 +88,12 @@ Committing only one hunk
   > KEY_DOWN
   > KEY_DOWN
   > TOGGLE
+  > e
   > X
   > EOF
-  $ hg commit -i  -m "one hunk" -d "0 0"
+  $ HGEDITOR="\"sh\" \"`pwd`/editor.sh\"" hg commit -i  -m "one hunk" -d "0 0"
+  editor ran
+  $ rm editor.sh
   $ hg tip
   changeset:   2:7d10dfe755a8
   tag:         tip