diff --git a/hgext/fetch.py b/hgext/fetch.py
--- a/hgext/fetch.py
+++ b/hgext/fetch.py
@@ -121,8 +121,9 @@ def fetch(ui, repo, source='default', **
             err = hg.merge(repo, secondparent, remind=False)
 
         if not err:
+            # we don't translate commit messages
             message = (cmdutil.logmessage(opts) or
-                       (_('Automated merge with %s') %
+                       ('Automated merge with %s' %
                         url.removeauth(other.url())))
             editor = cmdutil.commiteditor
             if opts.get('force_editor') or opts.get('edit'):
diff --git a/hgext/gpg.py b/hgext/gpg.py
--- a/hgext/gpg.py
+++ b/hgext/gpg.py
@@ -251,7 +251,8 @@ def sign(ui, repo, *revs, **opts):
 
     message = opts['message']
     if not message:
-        message = "\n".join([_("Added signature for changeset %s")
+        # we don't translate commit messages
+        message = "\n".join(["Added signature for changeset %s"
                              % hgnode.short(n)
                              for n in nodes])
     try:
diff --git a/hgext/rebase.py b/hgext/rebase.py
--- a/hgext/rebase.py
+++ b/hgext/rebase.py
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@ def concludenode(repo, rev, p1, p2, stat
     newrev = nullrev
     try:
         if last:
+            # we don't translate commit messages
             commitmsg = 'Collapsed revision'
             for rebased in state:
                 if rebased not in skipped:
diff --git a/hgext/transplant.py b/hgext/transplant.py
--- a/hgext/transplant.py
+++ b/hgext/transplant.py
@@ -206,6 +206,7 @@ class transplanter(object):
             (user, date, message) = self.filter(filter, cl, patchfile)
 
         if log:
+            # we don't translate messages inserted into commits
             message += '\n(transplanted from %s)' % revlog.hex(node)
 
         self.ui.status(_('applying %s\n') % revlog.short(node))
diff --git a/mercurial/commands.py b/mercurial/commands.py
--- a/mercurial/commands.py
+++ b/mercurial/commands.py
@@ -246,7 +246,8 @@ def backout(ui, repo, node=None, rev=Non
     commit_opts = opts.copy()
     commit_opts['addremove'] = False
     if not commit_opts['message'] and not commit_opts['logfile']:
-        commit_opts['message'] = _("Backed out changeset %s") % (short(node))
+        # we don't translate commit messages
+        commit_opts['message'] = "Backed out changeset %s" % (short(node))
         commit_opts['force_editor'] = True
     commit(ui, repo, **commit_opts)
     def nice(node):
@@ -2914,7 +2915,8 @@ def tag(ui, repo, name1, *names, **opts)
                     raise util.Abort(_('tag \'%s\' is not a local tag') % n)
         rev_ = nullid
         if not message:
-            message = _('Removed tag %s') % ', '.join(names)
+            # we don't translate commit messages
+            message = 'Removed tag %s' % ', '.join(names)
     elif not opts.get('force'):
         for n in names:
             if n in repo.tags():
@@ -2926,7 +2928,8 @@ def tag(ui, repo, name1, *names, **opts)
     r = repo[rev_].node()
 
     if not message:
-        message = (_('Added tag %s for changeset %s') %
+        # we don't translate commit messages
+        message = ('Added tag %s for changeset %s' %
                    (', '.join(names), short(r)))
 
     date = opts.get('date')