One of the unmerged files leaves this trail. elf@florence ~...git/linux-2.6 > git-ls-files --unmerged 100644 6262d449120cdcde5db1b079806dcc0d9b5e6b7c 1 arch/arm/mach-lh7a40x/irq-lpd7a40x.c 100644 dcb4e17b941990eabe8992680c9aa9b67afb6fd4 3 arch/arm/mach-lh7a40x/irq-lpd7a40x.c elf@florence ~...git/linux-2.6 > git-cat-file blob 6262d449120cdcde5db1b079806dcc0d9b5e6b7c > a elf@florence ~...git/linux-2.6 > git-cat-file blob dcb4e17b941990eabe8992680c9aa9b67afb6fd4 > b elf@florence ~...git/linux-2.6 > diff a b 21a22 > #include "common.h" Why would git have a problem with this? - : send the line "unsubscribe git" in the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html