diff --git a/mercurial/commands.py b/mercurial/commands.py
--- a/mercurial/commands.py
+++ b/mercurial/commands.py
@@ -2114,7 +2114,9 @@ def _docommit(ui, repo, *pats, **opts):
         if repo[b'.'].closesbranch():
             # Not ideal, but let us do an extra status early to prevent early
             # bail out.
-            matcher = scmutil.match(repo[None], pats, opts)
+            matcher = scmutil.match(
+                repo[None], pats, pycompat.byteskwargs(opts)
+            )
             s = repo.status(match=matcher)
             if s.modified or s.added or s.removed:
                 bheads = repo.branchheads(branch, closed=True)
diff --git a/tests/test-branches.t b/tests/test-branches.t
--- a/tests/test-branches.t
+++ b/tests/test-branches.t
@@ -293,23 +293,9 @@ verify update will accept invalid legacy
   $ hg commit -d '9 0' --close-branch -m 're-closing this branch' b
 
   $ echo baz > b
-  $ hg log -r .
-  changeset:   14:acc63dd7207f
-  branch:      b
-  tag:         tip
-  user:        test
-  date:        Thu Jan 01 00:00:09 1970 +0000
-  summary:     re-closing this branch
-  
   $ hg commit -d '9 0' --close-branch -m 'empty re-closing this branch' -X b
-  $ hg log -r .
-  changeset:   15:3c41ebd8ea8b
-  branch:      b
-  tag:         tip
-  user:        test
-  date:        Thu Jan 01 00:00:09 1970 +0000
-  summary:     empty re-closing this branch
-  
+  abort: current revision is already a branch closing head
+  [10]
   $ hg revert b
 
   $ hg debugstrip --rev 13: --no-backup