diff --git a/app/views/tree/edit.html.haml b/app/views/tree/edit.html.haml
index 0bba6bc0..a97abc68 100644
--- a/app/views/tree/edit.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/tree/edit.html.haml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
     .editor-commit-comment
       = label_tag 'commit_message' do
         %p.slead Commit message
-      = text_area_tag 'commit_message'
+      = text_area_tag 'commit_message', '', :required => true
     .form-actions
       = hidden_field_tag 'last_commit', @last_commit
       = hidden_field_tag 'content', '', :id => :file_content