diff --git a/mercurial/templatefuncs.py b/mercurial/templatefuncs.py
--- a/mercurial/templatefuncs.py
+++ b/mercurial/templatefuncs.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import re
 from .i18n import _
 from .node import (
     bin,
+    wdirid,
 )
 from . import (
     color,
@@ -601,7 +602,9 @@ def shortest(context, mapping, args):
     else:
         try:
             node = scmutil.resolvehexnodeidprefix(repo, hexnode)
-        except (error.LookupError, error.WdirUnsupported):
+        except error.WdirUnsupported:
+            node = wdirid
+        except error.LookupError:
             return hexnode
         if not node:
             return hexnode
diff --git a/tests/test-command-template.t b/tests/test-command-template.t
--- a/tests/test-command-template.t
+++ b/tests/test-command-template.t
@@ -3916,6 +3916,15 @@ Test shortest(node) function:
   $ hg log --template '{shortest("not a hex string, but it'\''s 40 bytes long")}\n' -l1
   not a hex string, but it's 40 bytes long
 
+  $ hg log --template '{shortest("ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff")}\n' -l1
+  ffff
+
+  $ hg log --template '{shortest("fffffff")}\n' -l1
+  ffff
+
+  $ hg log --template '{shortest("ff")}\n' -l1
+  ffff
+
   $ cd ..
 
 Test shortest(node) with the repo having short hash collision: