diff --git a/src/bin/ent/main.rs b/src/bin/ent/main.rs
index 8bc0817..6fb30c9 100644
--- a/src/bin/ent/main.rs
+++ b/src/bin/ent/main.rs
@@ -132,40 +132,27 @@ fn handle_command(args: &Args, issues_dir: &std::path::Path) -> anyhow::Result<(
             }
         }
 
-        Commands::New { description } => {
+        Commands::New {
+            description: Some(description),
+        } => {
             let mut issue = entomologist::issue::Issue::new(issues_dir)?;
-            let r = match description {
-                Some(description) => issue.set_description(description),
-                None => issue.edit_description(),
-            };
-            match r {
-                Err(entomologist::issue::IssueError::EmptyDescription) => {
-                    println!("no new issue created");
-                    return Ok(());
-                }
-                Err(e) => {
-                    return Err(e.into());
-                }
-                Ok(()) => {
-                    println!("created new issue '{}'", issue.title());
-                }
-            }
+            issue.set_description(description)?;
+            println!("created new issue '{}'", issue.title());
+        }
+
+        Commands::New { description: None } => {
+            let mut issue = entomologist::issue::Issue::new(issues_dir)?;
+            issue.edit_description()?;
+            println!("created new issue '{}'", issue.title());
         }
 
         Commands::Edit { issue_id } => {
             let mut issues =
                 entomologist::issues::Issues::new_from_dir(std::path::Path::new(issues_dir))?;
             match issues.get_mut_issue(issue_id) {
-                Some(issue) => match issue.edit_description() {
-                    Err(entomologist::issue::IssueError::EmptyDescription) => {
-                        println!("aborted issue edit");
-                        return Ok(());
-                    }
-                    Err(e) => {
-                        return Err(e.into());
-                    }
-                    Ok(()) => (),
-                },
+                Some(issue) => {
+                    issue.edit_description()?;
+                }
                 None => {
                     return Err(anyhow::anyhow!("issue {} not found", issue_id));
                 }
@@ -240,20 +227,12 @@ fn handle_command(args: &Args, issues_dir: &std::path::Path) -> anyhow::Result<(
                 return Err(anyhow::anyhow!("issue {} not found", issue_id));
             };
             let mut comment = issue.new_comment()?;
-            let r = match description {
-                Some(description) => comment.set_description(description),
-                None => comment.edit_description(),
-            };
-            match r {
-                Err(entomologist::comment::CommentError::EmptyDescription) => {
-                    println!("aborted new comment");
-                    return Ok(());
+            match description {
+                Some(description) => {
+                    comment.set_description(description)?;
                 }
-                Err(e) => {
-                    return Err(e.into());
-                }
-                Ok(()) => {
-                    println!("created new comment {}", &comment.uuid);
+                None => {
+                    comment.edit_description()?;
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/comment.rs b/src/comment.rs
index e6c95fd..d6ed66e 100644
--- a/src/comment.rs
+++ b/src/comment.rs
@@ -22,8 +22,6 @@ pub enum CommentError {
     GitError(#[from] crate::git::GitError),
     #[error("Failed to run editor")]
     EditorError,
-    #[error("supplied description is empty")]
-    EmptyDescription,
 }
 
 impl Comment {
@@ -62,9 +60,6 @@ impl Comment {
     }
 
     pub fn set_description(&mut self, description: &str) -> Result<(), CommentError> {
-        if description.len() == 0 {
-            return Err(CommentError::EmptyDescription);
-        }
         self.description = String::from(description);
         let mut description_filename = std::path::PathBuf::from(&self.dir);
         description_filename.push("description");
@@ -84,7 +79,6 @@ impl Comment {
     pub fn edit_description(&mut self) -> Result<(), CommentError> {
         let mut description_filename = std::path::PathBuf::from(&self.dir);
         description_filename.push("description");
-        let exists = description_filename.exists();
         let result = std::process::Command::new("vi")
             .arg(&description_filename.as_mut_os_str())
             .spawn()?
@@ -94,31 +88,8 @@ impl Comment {
             println!("stderr: {}", std::str::from_utf8(&result.stderr).unwrap());
             return Err(CommentError::EditorError);
         }
-        if description_filename.exists() && description_filename.metadata()?.len() > 0 {
-            crate::git::add_file(&description_filename)?;
-        } else {
-            // User saved an empty file, which means they changed their
-            // mind and no longer want to edit the description.
-            if exists {
-                crate::git::restore_file(&description_filename)?;
-            }
-            return Err(CommentError::EmptyDescription);
-        }
-        if crate::git::worktree_is_dirty(&self.dir.to_string_lossy())? {
-            crate::git::commit(
-                &description_filename.parent().unwrap(),
-                &format!(
-                    "new description for comment {}",
-                    description_filename
-                        .parent()
-                        .unwrap()
-                        .file_name()
-                        .unwrap()
-                        .to_string_lossy()
-                ),
-            )?;
-            self.read_description()?;
-        }
+        crate::git::git_commit_file(&description_filename)?;
+        self.read_description()?;
         Ok(())
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/git.rs b/src/git.rs
index 3374542..6018392 100644
--- a/src/git.rs
+++ b/src/git.rs
@@ -20,24 +20,9 @@ pub struct Worktree {
 
 impl Drop for Worktree {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
-        let result = std::process::Command::new("git")
-            .args([
-                "worktree",
-                "remove",
-                "--force",
-                &self.path.path().to_string_lossy(),
-            ])
+        let _result = std::process::Command::new("git")
+            .args(["worktree", "remove", &self.path.path().to_string_lossy()])
             .output();
-        match result {
-            Err(e) => {
-                println!("failed to run git: {:#?}", e);
-            }
-            Ok(result) => {
-                if !result.status.success() {
-                    println!("failed to remove git worktree: {:#?}", result);
-                }
-            }
-        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -106,56 +91,6 @@ pub fn git_branch_exists(branch: &str) -> Result<bool, GitError> {
     return Ok(result.status.success());
 }
 
-pub fn worktree_is_dirty(dir: &str) -> Result<bool, GitError> {
-    // `git status --porcelain` prints a terse list of files added or
-    // modified (both staged and not), and new untracked files.  So if
-    // says *anything at all* it means the worktree is dirty.
-    let result = std::process::Command::new("git")
-        .args(["status", "--porcelain", "--untracked-files=no"])
-        .current_dir(dir)
-        .output()?;
-    return Ok(result.stdout.len() > 0);
-}
-
-pub fn add_file(file: &std::path::Path) -> Result<(), GitError> {
-    let result = std::process::Command::new("git")
-        .args(["add", &file.to_string_lossy()])
-        .current_dir(file.parent().unwrap())
-        .output()?;
-    if !result.status.success() {
-        println!("stdout: {}", std::str::from_utf8(&result.stdout).unwrap());
-        println!("stderr: {}", std::str::from_utf8(&result.stderr).unwrap());
-        return Err(GitError::Oops);
-    }
-    return Ok(());
-}
-
-pub fn restore_file(file: &std::path::Path) -> Result<(), GitError> {
-    let result = std::process::Command::new("git")
-        .args(["restore", &file.to_string_lossy()])
-        .current_dir(file.parent().unwrap())
-        .output()?;
-    if !result.status.success() {
-        println!("stdout: {}", std::str::from_utf8(&result.stdout).unwrap());
-        println!("stderr: {}", std::str::from_utf8(&result.stderr).unwrap());
-        return Err(GitError::Oops);
-    }
-    return Ok(());
-}
-
-pub fn commit(dir: &std::path::Path, msg: &str) -> Result<(), GitError> {
-    let result = std::process::Command::new("git")
-        .args(["commit", "-m", msg])
-        .current_dir(dir)
-        .output()?;
-    if !result.status.success() {
-        println!("stdout: {}", std::str::from_utf8(&result.stdout).unwrap());
-        println!("stderr: {}", std::str::from_utf8(&result.stderr).unwrap());
-        return Err(GitError::Oops);
-    }
-    Ok(())
-}
-
 pub fn git_commit_file(file: &std::path::Path) -> Result<(), GitError> {
     let mut git_dir = std::path::PathBuf::from(file);
     git_dir.pop();
diff --git a/src/issue.rs b/src/issue.rs
index 7201871..68cb8f9 100644
--- a/src/issue.rs
+++ b/src/issue.rs
@@ -47,8 +47,6 @@ pub enum IssueError {
     GitError(#[from] crate::git::GitError),
     #[error("Failed to run editor")]
     EditorError,
-    #[error("supplied description is empty")]
-    EmptyDescription,
 }
 
 impl FromStr for State {
@@ -197,9 +195,6 @@ impl Issue {
     }
 
     pub fn set_description(&mut self, description: &str) -> Result<(), IssueError> {
-        if description.len() == 0 {
-            return Err(IssueError::EmptyDescription);
-        }
         self.description = String::from(description);
         let mut description_filename = std::path::PathBuf::from(&self.dir);
         description_filename.push("description");
@@ -219,7 +214,6 @@ impl Issue {
     pub fn edit_description(&mut self) -> Result<(), IssueError> {
         let mut description_filename = std::path::PathBuf::from(&self.dir);
         description_filename.push("description");
-        let exists = description_filename.exists();
         let result = std::process::Command::new("vi")
             .arg(&description_filename.as_mut_os_str())
             .spawn()?
@@ -229,31 +223,8 @@ impl Issue {
             println!("stderr: {}", std::str::from_utf8(&result.stderr).unwrap());
             return Err(IssueError::EditorError);
         }
-        if description_filename.exists() && description_filename.metadata()?.len() > 0 {
-            crate::git::add_file(&description_filename)?;
-        } else {
-            // User saved an empty file, which means they changed their
-            // mind and no longer want to edit the description.
-            if exists {
-                crate::git::restore_file(&description_filename)?;
-            }
-            return Err(IssueError::EmptyDescription);
-        }
-        if crate::git::worktree_is_dirty(&self.dir.to_string_lossy())? {
-            crate::git::commit(
-                &description_filename.parent().unwrap(),
-                &format!(
-                    "new description for issue {}",
-                    description_filename
-                        .parent()
-                        .unwrap()
-                        .file_name()
-                        .unwrap()
-                        .to_string_lossy()
-                ),
-            )?;
-            self.read_description()?;
-        }
+        crate::git::git_commit_file(&description_filename)?;
+        self.read_description()?;
         Ok(())
     }