diff --git a/mercurial/commands.py b/mercurial/commands.py
--- a/mercurial/commands.py
+++ b/mercurial/commands.py
@@ -745,6 +745,11 @@ def commit(ui, repo, *pats, **opts):
           (parents[1] == nullrev or len(cl.heads(cl.node(parents[1]))) > 1)):
         ui.status(_('created new head\n'))
 
+    if not opts.get('close_branch'):
+        for r in parents:
+            if repo[r].extra().get('close'):
+                ui.status(_('reopening closed branch head %d\n') % r)
+
     if ui.debugflag:
         ui.write(_('committed changeset %d:%s\n') % (rev, hex(node)))
     elif ui.verbose:
diff --git a/tests/test-branches.out b/tests/test-branches.out
--- a/tests/test-branches.out
+++ b/tests/test-branches.out
@@ -171,6 +171,7 @@ user:        test
 date:        Thu Jan 01 00:00:09 1970 +0000
 summary:     prune bad branch
 
+reopening closed branch head 12
 --- branch b is back in action
 b                             13:6ac12926b8c3
 a branch name much longer than the default justification used by branches 7:10ff5895aa57