diff --git a/src/bin/ent/main.rs b/src/bin/ent/main.rs
index 6fb30c9..8bc0817 100644
--- a/src/bin/ent/main.rs
+++ b/src/bin/ent/main.rs
@@ -132,27 +132,40 @@ fn handle_command(args: &Args, issues_dir: &std::path::Path) -> anyhow::Result<(
             }
         }
 
-        Commands::New {
-            description: Some(description),
-        } => {
+        Commands::New { description } => {
             let mut issue = entomologist::issue::Issue::new(issues_dir)?;
-            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());
+            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());
+                }
+            }
         }
 
         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) => {
-                    issue.edit_description()?;
-                }
+                Some(issue) => match issue.edit_description() {
+                    Err(entomologist::issue::IssueError::EmptyDescription) => {
+                        println!("aborted issue edit");
+                        return Ok(());
+                    }
+                    Err(e) => {
+                        return Err(e.into());
+                    }
+                    Ok(()) => (),
+                },
                 None => {
                     return Err(anyhow::anyhow!("issue {} not found", issue_id));
                 }
@@ -227,12 +240,20 @@ 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()?;
-            match description {
-                Some(description) => {
-                    comment.set_description(description)?;
+            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(());
                 }
-                None => {
-                    comment.edit_description()?;
+                Err(e) => {
+                    return Err(e.into());
+                }
+                Ok(()) => {
+                    println!("created new comment {}", &comment.uuid);
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/comment.rs b/src/comment.rs
index d6ed66e..e6c95fd 100644
--- a/src/comment.rs
+++ b/src/comment.rs
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ pub enum CommentError {
     GitError(#[from] crate::git::GitError),
     #[error("Failed to run editor")]
     EditorError,
+    #[error("supplied description is empty")]
+    EmptyDescription,
 }
 
 impl Comment {
@@ -60,6 +62,9 @@ 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");
@@ -79,6 +84,7 @@ 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()?
@@ -88,8 +94,31 @@ impl Comment {
             println!("stderr: {}", std::str::from_utf8(&result.stderr).unwrap());
             return Err(CommentError::EditorError);
         }
-        crate::git::git_commit_file(&description_filename)?;
-        self.read_description()?;
+        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()?;
+        }
         Ok(())
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/git.rs b/src/git.rs
index 6018392..3374542 100644
--- a/src/git.rs
+++ b/src/git.rs
@@ -20,9 +20,24 @@ pub struct Worktree {
 
 impl Drop for Worktree {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
-        let _result = std::process::Command::new("git")
-            .args(["worktree", "remove", &self.path.path().to_string_lossy()])
+        let result = std::process::Command::new("git")
+            .args([
+                "worktree",
+                "remove",
+                "--force",
+                &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);
+                }
+            }
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -91,6 +106,56 @@ 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 68cb8f9..7201871 100644
--- a/src/issue.rs
+++ b/src/issue.rs
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ pub enum IssueError {
     GitError(#[from] crate::git::GitError),
     #[error("Failed to run editor")]
     EditorError,
+    #[error("supplied description is empty")]
+    EmptyDescription,
 }
 
 impl FromStr for State {
@@ -195,6 +197,9 @@ 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");
@@ -214,6 +219,7 @@ 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()?
@@ -223,8 +229,31 @@ impl Issue {
             println!("stderr: {}", std::str::from_utf8(&result.stderr).unwrap());
             return Err(IssueError::EditorError);
         }
-        crate::git::git_commit_file(&description_filename)?;
-        self.read_description()?;
+        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()?;
+        }
         Ok(())
     }