diff --git a/bin/mp-commit b/bin/mp-commit
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..6c88a446
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/mp-commit
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# commit the directory ($1) with a message ($2) to git
+
+. shell-error
+
+[ -d "$1" ] || fatal "$1 is not an existing directory"
+
+if type -t git >&/dev/null && pushd "$1" >/dev/null; then
+	if [ -z "$(git config --global user.name)" ]; then
+		exit 0
+	fi
+	if [ ! -d .git ]; then
+		git init -q || fatal "git init failed"
+	fi
+	if [ -n "$(git status -s)" ]; then
+		git add . \
+		&& git commit -qam "$2" \
+		|| fatal "git add/commit failed"
+	fi
+	popd >/dev/null
+fi
diff --git a/bin/mp-showref b/bin/mp-showref
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..89920889
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/mp-showref
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# report on git repo in the current directory
+
+if type -t git >&/dev/null; then
+	if pushd "$1" >/dev/null && [ -d .git ]; then
+		git show-ref --head -ds -- HEAD
+		git status -s
+		echo
+		popd >/dev/null
+	fi
+fi
diff --git a/features.in/Makefile b/features.in/Makefile
index 2149ffd3..6557b3c9 100644
--- a/features.in/Makefile
+++ b/features.in/Makefile
@@ -108,29 +108,16 @@ $(FEATURES):
 			done; \
 			popd >&/dev/null; \
 		done; \
-		if type -t git >&/dev/null && \
-		   pushd "$(BUILDDIR)/$$dst/" >/dev/null; then \
-			test -n "`git status -s`" && \
-			git add . && \
-			if [ -n "$$dst" ]; then \
-				the="$$sub subprofile"; \
-			else \
-				the="toplevel"; \
-			fi && \
-			git commit -qam "$$feat feature: $$the part added"; \
-			popd >/dev/null; \
+		if [ -n "$$dst" ]; then \
+			the="$$sub subprofile"; \
+		else \
+			the="toplevel"; \
 		fi; \
+		mp-commit "$(BUILDDIR)/$$dst/" "$$feat feature: $$the part added"; \
 	done; \
 	if [ -x "generate.sh" ]; then sh generate.sh; fi; \
 	if [ -s "generate.mk" ]; then $(MAKE) -f generate.mk; fi; \
-	if type -t git >&/dev/null && \
-	   pushd "$(BUILDDIR)/" >/dev/null; then \
-		if [ -n "`git status -s`" ]; then \
-			git add . && \
-			git commit -qam "$$feat feature generation complete"; \
-		fi; \
-		popd >/dev/null; \
-	fi; \
+	mp-commit "$(BUILDDIR)" "$$feat feature generation complete"; \
 	popd >/dev/null
 
 finalize:
diff --git a/features.in/build-distro/lib/90-build-distro.mk b/features.in/build-distro/lib/90-build-distro.mk
index 9c485d32..4a879258 100644
--- a/features.in/build-distro/lib/90-build-distro.mk
+++ b/features.in/build-distro/lib/90-build-distro.mk
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ all: $(GLOBAL_DEBUG) prep copy-subdirs copy-tree run-scripts pack-image \
 
 prep: $(GLOBAL_DEBUG) dot-disk $(WHATEVER)
 
+# can't use mp-showref which belongs to the metaprofile
 dot-disk:
 	@mkdir -p files/.disk
 	@echo "ALT Linux based" >files/.disk/info
diff --git a/lib/profile.mk b/lib/profile.mk
index f3d85f18..7147dd02 100644
--- a/lib/profile.mk
+++ b/lib/profile.mk
@@ -44,13 +44,7 @@ profile/init: distclean
 	@$(call put,ifndef DISTCFG_MK)
 	@$(call put,DISTCFG_MK = 1)
 	@{ \
-	if type -t git >&/dev/null; then \
-		if [ -d .git ]; then \
-			git show-ref --head -d -s -- HEAD && \
-			git status -s && \
-			echo; \
-		fi $(LOG); \
-	fi; \
+	mp-showref $(LOG); \
 	{ \
 		APTCONF="$(wildcard $(APTCONF))"; \
 		echo "** using $${APTCONF:-system apt configuration}:"; \
@@ -71,14 +65,7 @@ profile/init: distclean
 		fi >&2; \
 		exit 1; \
 	fi; \
-	if type -t git >&/dev/null; then \
-		if cd $(BUILDDIR); then \
-			git init -q && \
-			git add . && \
-			git commit -qam 'derivative profile initialized'; \
-			cd ->&/dev/null; \
-		fi; \
-	fi; \
+	mp-commit "$(BUILDDIR)" "derivative profile initialized"; \
 	if [ -w . ]; then \
 		rm -f "$(SYMLINK)" && \
 		ln -s "$(BUILDDIR)" "$(SYMLINK)" && \
@@ -99,20 +86,12 @@ profile/bare: profile/init
 	@$(call try,LOGDIR,$(LOGDIR))
 	@$(call try,BRANDING,altlinux-sisyphus)
 	@$(call set,IMAGE_INIT_LIST,+branding-$$(BRANDING)-release)
-	@if type -t git >&/dev/null && cd $(BUILDDIR); then \
-		git init -q && \
-		git add . && \
-		git commit -qam 'image configuration defaults set'; \
-	fi
+	@mp-commit "$(BUILDDIR)" "image configuration defaults set"
 
 profile/finalize:
 	@if [ -s $(RC) ]; then $(call put,-include $(RC)); fi
 	@$(call put,endif)
-	@if type -t git >&/dev/null && cd $(BUILDDIR); then \
-		git init -q && \
-		git add . && \
-		git commit -qam 'image configuration finalized'; \
-	fi
+	@mp-commit "$(BUILDDIR)" "image configuration finalized"
 
 # requires already formed distcfg.mk for useful output
 profile/dump-vars:
diff --git a/pkg.in/groups/Makefile b/pkg.in/groups/Makefile
index 5a69b429..1e98d0c9 100644
--- a/pkg.in/groups/Makefile
+++ b/pkg.in/groups/Makefile
@@ -14,13 +14,7 @@ all: $(GLOBAL_DEBUG)
 		mkdir -p $(TARGET) && \
 		cp -at $(TARGET) -- \
 			$(addsuffix .directory,$(THE_GROUPS) $(MAIN_GROUPS)); \
-		if type -t git >&/dev/null && cd $(TARGET); then \
-			if [ -n "`git status -s`" ]; then \
-				git add . && \
-				git commit -qam "requested $(SUFFIX) copied over"; \
-			fi; \
-			cd - >&/dev/null; \
-		fi; \
+		mp-commit "$(TARGET)" "requested $(SUFFIX) copied over"; \
 	fi
 
 debug:
diff --git a/pkg.in/lists/Makefile b/pkg.in/lists/Makefile
index 34fa8d61..fa50d2e8 100644
--- a/pkg.in/lists/Makefile
+++ b/pkg.in/lists/Makefile
@@ -19,13 +19,7 @@ SUFFIX := pkg/lists
 TARGET := $(BUILDDIR)/$(SUFFIX)
 
 all: $(TARGET) $(GLOBAL_DEBUG) $(DOTBASE) copy-lists copy-groups
-	@if type -t git >&/dev/null && cd $(TARGET); then \
-		if [ -n "`git status -s`" ]; then \
-			git add . && \
-			git commit -qam "requested $(SUFFIX) copied over"; \
-		fi; \
-		cd - >&/dev/null; \
-	fi
+	@mp-commit "$(TARGET)" "requested $(SUFFIX) copied over"
 
 copy-lists:
 	@# env | sort -u | grep _LISTS | xargs cp
diff --git a/sub.in/Makefile b/sub.in/Makefile
index c5a08671..fe5fb834 100644
--- a/sub.in/Makefile
+++ b/sub.in/Makefile
@@ -14,13 +14,8 @@ all:
 		dst="$${sub#*/}" && \
 		neq="$${src#$$dst}" && \
 		rsync -qa "$$src/" "$(BUILDDIR)/$$dst/" && \
-		if type -t git >&/dev/null && cd "$(BUILDDIR)/$$dst/"; then \
-			if [ -n "`git status -s`" ]; then \
-				git add . && \
-				git commit -qam "$$dst subprofile initialized$${neq:+ (using $$src)}"; \
-			fi; \
-			cd - >&/dev/null; \
-		fi; \
+		mp-commit "$(BUILDDIR)/$$dst/" \
+			"$$dst subprofile initialized$${neq:+ (using $$src)}"; \
 	done
 
 clean: