diff --git a/git-rebase--interactive.sh b/git-rebase--interactive.sh
index c6a4629cb..07512e456 100644
--- a/git-rebase--interactive.sh
+++ b/git-rebase--interactive.sh
@@ -1032,6 +1032,7 @@ test -n "$autosquash" && rearrange_squash "$todo"
 test -n "$cmd" && add_exec_commands "$todo"
 
 todocount=$(git stripspace --strip-comments <"$todo" | wc -l)
+todocount=${todocount##* }
 
 cat >>"$todo" <<EOF
 
diff --git a/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh b/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
index 8197ed29a..5dc2caf3c 100755
--- a/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
+++ b/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
@@ -1039,4 +1039,13 @@ test_expect_success 'short SHA-1 collide' '
 	)
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'todo count' '
+	write_script dump-raw.sh <<-\EOF &&
+		cat "$1"
+	EOF
+	test_set_editor "$(pwd)/dump-raw.sh" &&
+	git rebase -i HEAD~4 >actual &&
+	grep "^# Rebase ..* onto ..* ([0-9]" actual
+'
+
 test_done