diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c662ce3..46c4378 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -114,6 +114,12 @@ If committia.vim is in multi-columns mode, specifies the width of the edit windo
 
 Minimum height of a status window.
 
+### `g:committia#git#use_verbose` (default: `0`)
+
+If the value is `1`, extract the diff and status from `COMMIT_EDITMSG` when the
+`verbose` option is used with `git commit`, e.g. `git commit --verbose` or `git
+config --global commit.verbose=true`.
+
 ## Future
 
 - Cooperate with [vim-fugitive](https://github.com/tpope/vim-fugitive).
diff --git a/autoload/committia/git.vim b/autoload/committia/git.vim
index eabb4c5..69fa072 100644
--- a/autoload/committia/git.vim
+++ b/autoload/committia/git.vim
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ let g:committia#git#cmd = get(g:, 'committia#git#cmd', 'git')
 let g:committia#git#diff_cmd = get(g:, 'committia#git#diff_cmd', 'diff -u --cached --no-color --no-ext-diff')
 let g:committia#git#status_cmd = get(g:, 'committia#git#status_cmd', '-c color.status=false status -b')
 
+" Experimental: extract diff and status from commit message template when
+" using git commit --verbose, particularly useful when amending commits
+let g:committia#git#use_verbose = get(g:, 'committia#git#use_verbose', 0)
+
 try
     silent call vimproc#version()
 
@@ -159,6 +163,13 @@ function! s:unset_index_file() abort
 endfunction
 
 function! committia#git#diff() abort
+    if g:committia#git#use_verbose
+        let line = s:diff_start_line()
+        if line > 0
+            return getline(line, '$')
+        endif
+    endif
+
     let diff = s:execute_git(g:committia#git#diff_cmd)
 
     if diff !=# ''
@@ -170,14 +181,31 @@ function! committia#git#diff() abort
         return ['']
     endif
 
+    " Fugly hack to tell committia#git#status() to get the status from the
+    " commit message template too, otherwise status may not match with diff
+    " Could be removed if g:committia#git#use_verbose was enabled by default
+    let s:use_verbose_status = 1
+
     return getline(line, '$')
 endfunction
 
 function! s:diff_start_line() abort
-    let re_start_diff_line = '# -\+ >8 -\+\n\%(#.*\n\)\+diff --git'
+    let re_start_diff_line = '^[#;@!$%^&|:] -\+ >8 -\+\n\%([#;@!$%^&|:].*\n\)\+diff --git'
     return search(re_start_diff_line, 'cenW')
 endfunction
 
+function! s:comment_char() abort
+    let line = s:diff_start_line()
+    if line == 0
+        let line = line('$') + 1
+    endif
+    if getline(line - 1) =~# '^[#;@!$%^&|:]'
+        return getline(line - 1)[0]
+    else
+        return '#'
+    endif
+endfunction
+
 function! committia#git#status() abort
     try
         let status = s:execute_git(g:committia#git#status_cmd)
@@ -185,7 +213,30 @@ function! committia#git#status() abort
         " Leave status window empty when git-dir or work-tree not found
         return ''
     endtry
-    return map(split(status, '\n'), 'substitute(v:val, "^", "# ", "g")')
+    if g:committia#git#use_verbose || exists('s:use_verbose_status')
+        if exists('s:use_verbose_status')
+            unlet s:use_verbose_status
+        end
+        let scissors_line = search('^[#;@!$%^&|:] -\+ >8 -\+\n', 'cenW')
+        if scissors_line > 1
+            " Localisation hack, find the start of the status in the commit
+            " message template using the first line of output from `git status`
+            " Search backwards to avoid match in message, and start search at
+            " scissors line to avoid potential match in diff, unlikely, but...
+            let status_start = scissors_line
+            let re_status_start = '^[#;@!$%^&|:] ' . split(status, '\n')[0]
+            while status_start > 1
+                if getline(status_start - 1) =~# re_status_start
+                    break
+                endif
+                let status_start -= 1
+            endwhile
+            if status_start > 1 && status_start < scissors_line
+                return getline(status_start, scissors_line-1)
+            endif
+        endif
+    endif
+    return map(split(status, '\n'), 'substitute(v:val, "^", s:comment_char() . " ", "g")')
 endfunction
 
 function! committia#git#end_of_edit_region_line() abort
@@ -197,7 +248,7 @@ function! committia#git#end_of_edit_region_line() abort
         let line = line('$') + 1
     endif
     while line > 1
-        if stridx(getline(line - 1), '#') != 0
+        if stridx(getline(line - 1), s:comment_char()) != 0
             break
         endif
         let line -= 1