diff --git a/packages/app/e2e/commit-diff-panel.spec.ts b/packages/app/e2e/commit-diff-panel.spec.ts
index 25d2ed7d2..f290b008b 100644
--- a/packages/app/e2e/commit-diff-panel.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/app/e2e/commit-diff-panel.spec.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,25 @@ import { test, expect } from "./fixtures";
 
 const COMMIT_SUBJECT = "Show commit timestamps";
 
+test("commit history explains when the workspace has no commits ahead of its base", async ({
+  page,
+  withWorkspace,
+}) => {
+  const workspace = await withWorkspace({ prefix: "commit-history-empty-workspace-" });
+  execFileSync("git", ["checkout", "-b", "feature"], { cwd: workspace.repoPath, stdio: "ignore" });
+  await workspace.navigateTo();
+
+  await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Open explorer" }).click();
+  const commitsSection = page.getByRole("button", { name: /Commits/i });
+  await expect(commitsSection).toBeVisible({ timeout: 30_000 });
+  await commitsSection.click();
+
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("commits-section-no-workspace-commits")).toHaveText(
+    "No commits ahead of main yet",
+    { timeout: 30_000 },
+  );
+});
+
 test("commit history shows dates and shares diff layout preferences", async ({
   page,
   withWorkspace,
@@ -23,6 +42,7 @@ test("commit history shows dates and shares diff layout preferences", async ({
     hasText: COMMIT_SUBJECT,
   });
   await expect(commitRow).toContainText(COMMIT_SUBJECT, { timeout: 30_000 });
+  await expect(page.locator('[data-testid^="commit-row-"]')).toHaveCount(1);
   await expect(commitRow).toContainText("Jan 15");
   await commitRow.click();
 
diff --git a/packages/app/src/git/commits-section/commit-row.tsx b/packages/app/src/git/commits-section/commit-row.tsx
index 4da725c91..9c6126eef 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/git/commits-section/commit-row.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/git/commits-section/commit-row.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { Pressable, Text, View, type PressableStateCallbackType } from "react-na
 import { StyleSheet } from "react-native-unistyles";
 import { ThemedChevron, chevronColorMapping } from "@/git/themed-chevron";
 import type { ClassifiedCheckoutCommit } from "@/git/use-commits-query";
+import { CODE_SURFACE_DATASET } from "@/styles/code-surface";
 import { formatTimeAgo } from "@/utils/time";
 import { CommitGraphNode } from "./commit-graph-node";
 
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ export const CommitRow = memo(function CommitRow({
     >
       <CommitGraphNode commit={commit} isFirst={isFirst} isLast={isLast} />
       <View style={styles.commitDetails}>
-        <Text style={styles.shortSha} numberOfLines={1}>
+        <Text dataSet={CODE_SURFACE_DATASET} style={styles.shortSha} numberOfLines={1}>
           {commit.shortSha}
         </Text>
         <Text style={styles.subject} numberOfLines={1}>
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ const styles = StyleSheet.create((theme) => ({
     fontSize: theme.fontSize.xs,
     fontFamily: theme.fontFamily.mono,
     color: theme.colors.foregroundMuted,
-    width: theme.spacing[16],
+    width: 70,
     flexShrink: 0,
   },
   subject: {
diff --git a/packages/app/src/git/commits-section/commits-section.tsx b/packages/app/src/git/commits-section/commits-section.tsx
index 931d95e29..bd95a3db4 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/git/commits-section/commits-section.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/git/commits-section/commits-section.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { useRetainedPanelActive } from "@/components/retained-panel";
 import { useChangesPreferences } from "@/hooks/use-changes-preferences";
 import { useCheckoutCommitsQuery, type CheckoutCommitsQueryResult } from "@/git/use-commits-query";
 import { ThemedChevron, chevronColorMapping } from "@/git/themed-chevron";
+import { normalizeBranchOptionName } from "@/utils/branch-suggestions";
 import { CommitRow } from "./commit-row";
 
 interface CommitsSectionProps {
@@ -14,8 +15,6 @@ interface CommitsSectionProps {
   onCommitPress: (sha: string) => void;
 }
 
-const SKELETON_ROW_KEYS = ["commit-skeleton-1", "commit-skeleton-2", "commit-skeleton-3"];
-
 function CommitsSectionSkeleton() {
   const { t } = useTranslation();
   return (
@@ -25,15 +24,13 @@ function CommitsSectionSkeleton() {
       style={styles.skeleton}
       testID="commits-section-skeleton"
     >
-      {SKELETON_ROW_KEYS.map((key) => (
-        <View key={key} style={styles.skeletonRow}>
-          <View style={styles.skeletonDot} />
-          <View style={styles.skeletonSha} />
-          <View style={styles.skeletonSubject} />
-          <View style={styles.skeletonTimestamp} />
-          <View style={styles.skeletonCaret} />
-        </View>
-      ))}
+      <View style={styles.skeletonRow}>
+        <View style={styles.skeletonDot} />
+        <View style={styles.skeletonSha} />
+        <View style={styles.skeletonSubject} />
+        <View style={styles.skeletonTimestamp} />
+        <View style={styles.skeletonCaret} />
+      </View>
     </View>
   );
 }
@@ -58,21 +55,25 @@ function CommitsSectionContent({
   if (query.status !== "loaded") {
     return <CommitsSectionSkeleton />;
   }
-  if (query.data.commits.length === 0) {
+  const workspaceCommits = query.data.commits.filter((commit) => !commit.isOnBase);
+  const baseRef = normalizeBranchOptionName(query.data.baseRef) ?? t("workspace.git.diff.base");
+  if (workspaceCommits.length === 0) {
     return (
-      <Text style={styles.emptyRow} testID="commits-section-empty">
-        {t("workspace.git.diff.commits.empty")}
-      </Text>
+      <View style={styles.noWorkspaceCommitsRow} testID="commits-section-no-workspace-commits">
+        <Text style={styles.noWorkspaceCommitsText}>
+          {t("workspace.git.diff.commits.noneAhead", { baseRef })}
+        </Text>
+      </View>
     );
   }
   return (
     <View style={styles.list}>
-      {query.data.commits.map((commit, index) => (
+      {workspaceCommits.map((commit, index) => (
         <CommitRow
           key={commit.sha}
           commit={commit}
           isFirst={index === 0}
-          isLast={index === query.data.commits.length - 1}
+          isLast={index === workspaceCommits.length - 1}
           now={now}
           onCommitPress={onCommitPress}
         />
@@ -193,12 +194,17 @@ const styles = StyleSheet.create((theme) => ({
   list: {
     paddingBottom: theme.spacing[1],
   },
-  emptyRow: {
-    fontSize: theme.fontSize.xs,
-    color: theme.colors.foregroundMuted,
+  noWorkspaceCommitsRow: {
+    flexDirection: "row",
+    alignItems: "center",
     paddingLeft: theme.spacing[2],
     paddingRight: theme.spacing[3],
-    paddingVertical: theme.spacing[2],
+    paddingTop: theme.spacing[1],
+    paddingBottom: theme.spacing[2],
+  },
+  noWorkspaceCommitsText: {
+    fontSize: theme.fontSize.xs,
+    color: theme.colors.foregroundMuted,
   },
   errorRow: {
     fontSize: theme.fontSize.xs,
diff --git a/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/ar.ts b/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/ar.ts
index 442092530..bfff7e129 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/ar.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/ar.ts
@@ -796,6 +796,7 @@ export const ar: TranslationResources = {
         commits: {
           title: "الإيداعات",
           countLabel: "{{count}} من إيداعات مساحة العمل",
+          noneAhead: "لا توجد إيداعات متقدمة على {{baseRef}} بعد",
           fileDiffEmpty: "لا توجد تغييرات لعرضها",
           fileDiffError: "تعذّر تحميل فروق الملف",
           loading: "جارٍ تحميل الإيداعات…",
diff --git a/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/en.ts b/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/en.ts
index 36440715d..b6fa7cd7a 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/en.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/en.ts
@@ -806,6 +806,7 @@ export const en = {
         commits: {
           title: "Commits",
           countLabel: "{{count}} workspace commits",
+          noneAhead: "No commits ahead of {{baseRef}} yet",
           fileDiffEmpty: "No changes to display",
           fileDiffError: "Failed to load file diff",
           loading: "Loading commits…",
diff --git a/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/es.ts b/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/es.ts
index 9558f1d65..7372e60a3 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/es.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/es.ts
@@ -827,6 +827,7 @@ export const es: TranslationResources = {
         commits: {
           title: "Commits",
           countLabel: "{{count}} commits del espacio de trabajo",
+          noneAhead: "Aún no hay commits por delante de {{baseRef}}",
           fileDiffEmpty: "No hay cambios para mostrar",
           fileDiffError: "Error al cargar el diff del archivo",
           loading: "Cargando commits…",
diff --git a/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/fr.ts b/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/fr.ts
index e46900e01..00dfc8245 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/fr.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/fr.ts
@@ -826,6 +826,7 @@ export const fr: TranslationResources = {
         commits: {
           title: "Commits",
           countLabel: "{{count}} commits de l’espace de travail",
+          noneAhead: "Aucun commit en avance sur {{baseRef}} pour le moment",
           fileDiffEmpty: "Aucune modification à afficher",
           fileDiffError: "Échec du chargement du diff du fichier",
           loading: "Chargement des commits…",
diff --git a/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/ja.ts b/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/ja.ts
index e0e1771f3..391994a47 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/ja.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/ja.ts
@@ -807,6 +807,7 @@ export const ja: TranslationResources = {
         commits: {
           title: "コミット",
           countLabel: "ワークスペースのコミット数: {{count}}",
+          noneAhead: "{{baseRef}} より先のコミットはまだありません",
           fileDiffEmpty: "表示する変更はありません",
           fileDiffError: "ファイル差分の読み込みに失敗しました",
           loading: "コミットを読み込み中…",
diff --git a/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/pt-BR.ts b/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/pt-BR.ts
index 7c1b2d923..dea623dcf 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/pt-BR.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/pt-BR.ts
@@ -818,6 +818,7 @@ export const ptBR: TranslationResources = {
         commits: {
           title: "Commits",
           countLabel: "{{count}} commits do espaço de trabalho",
+          noneAhead: "Ainda não há commits à frente de {{baseRef}}",
           fileDiffEmpty: "Nenhuma alteração para exibir",
           fileDiffError: "Falha ao carregar diff do arquivo",
           loading: "Carregando commits…",
diff --git a/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/ru.ts b/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/ru.ts
index aa1e391f1..c799196fa 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/ru.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/ru.ts
@@ -818,6 +818,7 @@ export const ru: TranslationResources = {
         commits: {
           title: "Коммиты",
           countLabel: "{{count}} коммитов рабочего пространства",
+          noneAhead: "Коммитов впереди {{baseRef}} пока нет",
           fileDiffEmpty: "Нет изменений для отображения",
           fileDiffError: "Не удалось загрузить различия файла",
           loading: "Загрузка коммитов…",
diff --git a/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/zh-CN.ts b/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/zh-CN.ts
index 27e4b046d..5f805fc5c 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/zh-CN.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/i18n/resources/zh-CN.ts
@@ -788,6 +788,7 @@ export const zhCN: TranslationResources = {
         commits: {
           title: "提交",
           countLabel: "{{count}} 个工作区提交",
+          noneAhead: "尚无领先于 {{baseRef}} 的提交",
           fileDiffEmpty: "没有可显示的更改",
           fileDiffError: "加载文件差异失败",
           loading: "正在加载提交…",