diff --git a/editor/js/ui/diff.js b/editor/js/ui/diff.js
index cfec75e75..012005a9d 100644
--- a/editor/js/ui/diff.js
+++ b/editor/js/ui/diff.js
@@ -1768,7 +1768,7 @@ RED.diff = (function() {
                         // }
 
                         var actualLineNumber = hunk.diffStart + lineNumber;
-                        var isMergeHeader = isConflict && /^..(<<<<<<<|=======$|>>>>>>>)/.test(lineText);
+                        var isMergeHeader = isConflict && /^\+\+(<<<<<<<|=======$|>>>>>>>)/.test(lineText);
                         var diffRow = $('<tr>').appendTo(codeBody);
                         var localLineNo = $('<td class="lineno">').appendTo(diffRow);
                         var remoteLineNo;
@@ -1827,7 +1827,7 @@ RED.diff = (function() {
                             $('<span>').text(lineText.substring(prefixEnd)).appendTo(line);
                         } else {
                             diffRow.addClass("mergeHeader");
-                            var isSeparator = /^..(=======$)/.test(lineText);
+                            var isSeparator = /^\+\+=======$/.test(lineText);
                             if (!isSeparator) {
                                 var isOurs = /^..<<<<<<</.test(lineText);
                                 if (isOurs) {
@@ -2047,7 +2047,7 @@ RED.diff = (function() {
         } else {
             lines = diff.split("\n");
         }
-        var diffHeader = /^diff --git a\/(.*) b\/(.*)$/;
+        var diffHeader = /^diff (?:(?:--git a\/(.*) b\/(.*))|(?:--cc (.*)))$/;
         var fileHeader = /^\+\+\+ b\/(.*)\t?/;
         var binaryFile = /^Binary files /;
         var hunkHeader = /^@@ -((\d+)(,(\d+))?) \+((\d+)(,(\d+))?) @@ ?(.*)$/;
@@ -2066,7 +2066,7 @@ RED.diff = (function() {
                 }
                 currentHunk = null;
                 currentFile = {
-                    file: diffLine[1],
+                    file: diffLine[1]||diffLine[3],
                     hunks: []
                 }
             } else if (binaryFile.test(line)) {
diff --git a/editor/js/ui/projects/tab-versionControl.js b/editor/js/ui/projects/tab-versionControl.js
index 04aafd23a..03f06607d 100644
--- a/editor/js/ui/projects/tab-versionControl.js
+++ b/editor/js/ui/projects/tab-versionControl.js
@@ -51,10 +51,6 @@ RED.sidebar.versionControl = (function() {
                     // done(error,null);
                 },
                 200: function(data) {
-                    if (mergeConflictNotification) {
-                        mergeConflictNotification.close();
-                        mergeConflictNotification = null;
-                    }
                     var title;
                     if (state === 'unstaged') {
                         title = 'Unstaged changes : '+entry.file
@@ -102,9 +98,7 @@ RED.sidebar.versionControl = (function() {
                             },{resolutions:resolution.resolutions[entry.file]});
                         }
                     }
-                    options.oncancel = showMergeConflictNotification;
                     RED.diff.showUnifiedDiff(options);
-                    // console.log(data.diff);
                 },
                 400: {
                     'unexpected_error': function(error) {
@@ -377,6 +371,16 @@ RED.sidebar.versionControl = (function() {
             scrollOnAdd: false,
             addItem: function(row,index,entry) {
                 createChangeEntry(row,entry,entry.treeStatus,'unmerged');
+                if (entry === emptyMergedItem) {
+                    var toolbar = $('<div style="text-align: center"></div>').appendTo(row);
+                    $('<button class="editor-button editor-button-small">commit</button>')
+                        .appendTo(toolbar)
+                        .click(function(evt) {
+                            evt.preventDefault();
+                            evt.stopPropagation();
+                            showCommitBox();
+                        });
+                }
             },
             sort: function(A,B) {
                 if (A.treeStatus === '?' && B.treeStatus !== '?') {
@@ -395,28 +399,32 @@ RED.sidebar.versionControl = (function() {
         header = $('<div class="sidebar-version-control-change-header">Changes to commit</div>').appendTo(stagedContent);
 
         bg = $('<div style="float: right"></div>').appendTo(header);
+        var showCommitBox = function() {
+            commitMessage.val("");
+            submitCommitButton.attr("disabled",true);
+            unstagedContent.css("height","30px");
+            if (unmergedContent.is(":visible")) {
+                unmergedContent.css("height","30px");
+                stagedContent.css("height","calc(100% - 60px - 175px)");
+            } else {
+                stagedContent.css("height","calc(100% - 30px - 175px)");
+            }
+            commitBox.show();
+            setTimeout(function() {
+                commitBox.css("height","175px");
+            },10);
+            stageAllButton.attr("disabled",true);
+            unstageAllButton.attr("disabled",true);
+            commitButton.attr("disabled",true);
+            abortMergeButton.attr("disabled",true);
+            commitMessage.focus();
+        }
         commitButton = $('<button class="editor-button editor-button-small" style="margin-right: 5px;">commit</button>')
             .appendTo(bg)
             .click(function(evt) {
                 evt.preventDefault();
                 evt.stopPropagation();
-                commitMessage.val("");
-                submitCommitButton.attr("disabled",true);
-                unstagedContent.css("height","30px");
-                if (unmergedContent.is(":visible")) {
-                    unmergedContent.css("height","30px");
-                    stagedContent.css("height","calc(100% - 60px - 175px)");
-                } else {
-                    stagedContent.css("height","calc(100% - 30px - 175px)");
-                }
-                commitBox.show();
-                setTimeout(function() {
-                    commitBox.css("height","175px");
-                },10);
-                stageAllButton.attr("disabled",true);
-                unstageAllButton.attr("disabled",true);
-                commitButton.attr("disabled",true);
-                commitMessage.focus();
+                showCommitBox();
             });
         unstageAllButton = $('<button class="editor-button editor-button-small"><i class="fa fa-minus"></i> all</button>')
             .appendTo(bg)
@@ -467,6 +475,8 @@ RED.sidebar.versionControl = (function() {
                 stageAllButton.attr("disabled",false);
                 unstageAllButton.attr("disabled",false);
                 commitButton.attr("disabled",false);
+                abortMergeButton.attr("disabled",false);
+
             })
         var submitCommitButton = $('<button class="editor-button">Commit</button>')
             .appendTo(commitToolbar)
@@ -1045,16 +1055,6 @@ RED.sidebar.versionControl = (function() {
     //     }
     // }
 
-    function showMergeConflictNotification() {
-        if (isMerging) {
-            mergeConflictNotification = RED.notify("NLS: Automatic merging of remote changes failed. Fix the unmerged conflicts then commit the results."+
-                '<p><a href="#" onclick="RED.sidebar.versionControl.showLocalChanges(); return false;">'+'Show merge conflicts'+'</a></p>',"error",true);
-        }
-    }
-
-
-
-
     function refreshFiles(result) {
         var files = result.files;
         if (bulkChangeSpinner) {
@@ -1064,7 +1064,22 @@ RED.sidebar.versionControl = (function() {
         isMerging = !!result.merging;
         if (isMerging) {
             if (!mergeConflictNotification) {
-                showMergeConflictNotification();
+                var text = "<p>Automatic merging of changes failed.</p><p>Fix the unmerged conflicts then commit the results.</p>";
+                var options = {
+                    type: 'error',
+                    fixed: true,
+                    id: 'merge-conflict',
+                    buttons: [
+                        {
+                            text: "Show merge conflicts",
+                            click: function() {
+                                mergeConflictNotification.hideNotification();
+                                RED.sidebar.versionControl.showLocalChanges();
+                            }
+                        }
+                    ]
+                }
+                mergeConflictNotification = RED.notify(text,options);
             }
             sidebarContent.addClass("sidebar-version-control-merging");
             unmergedContent.show();
diff --git a/editor/sass/projects.scss b/editor/sass/projects.scss
index 64220479d..d9b2545ac 100644
--- a/editor/sass/projects.scss
+++ b/editor/sass/projects.scss
@@ -501,9 +501,9 @@
         top: 4px;
         right: 4px;
         display: none;
-    }
-    button {
-        width: 24px;
+        button {
+            width: 24px;
+        }
     }
 
     &:hover {
diff --git a/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/Project.js b/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/Project.js
index 4b8aa7210..aaa900448 100644
--- a/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/Project.js
+++ b/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/Project.js
@@ -523,11 +523,11 @@ Project.prototype.pull = function (user,remoteBranchName,setRemote) {
     if (setRemote) {
         return gitTools.setUpstream(this.path, remoteBranchName).then(function() {
             self.currentRemote = self.parseRemoteBranch(remoteBranchName).remote;
-            return gitTools.pull(self.path, null, null, authCache.get(self.name,self.remotes[self.currentRemote].fetch,username));
+            return gitTools.pull(self.path, null, null, authCache.get(self.name,self.remotes[self.currentRemote].fetch,username),getGitUser(user));
         })
     } else {
         var remote = this.parseRemoteBranch(remoteBranchName);
-        return gitTools.pull(this.path, remote.remote, remote.branch, authCache.get(this.name,this.remotes[remote.remote||self.currentRemote].fetch,username));
+        return gitTools.pull(this.path, remote.remote, remote.branch, authCache.get(this.name,this.remotes[remote.remote||self.currentRemote].fetch,username),getGitUser(user));
     }
 };
 
diff --git a/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/git/index.js b/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/git/index.js
index c806a17f4..ecb4e3d72 100644
--- a/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/git/index.js
+++ b/red/runtime/storage/localfilesystem/projects/git/index.js
@@ -428,12 +428,20 @@ module.exports = {
         var args = ["branch","--set-upstream-to",remoteBranch];
         return runGitCommand(args,cwd);
     },
-    pull: function(cwd,remote,branch,auth) {
+    pull: function(cwd,remote,branch,auth,gitUser) {
         var args = ["pull"];
         if (remote && branch) {
             args.push(remote);
             args.push(branch);
         }
+        if (gitUser && gitUser['name'] && gitUser['email']) {
+            args.unshift('user.name="'+gitUser['name']+'"');
+            args.unshift('-c');
+            args.unshift('user.email="'+gitUser['email']+'"');
+            args.unshift('-c');
+        }
+        //TODO: only do this if asked for
+        args.push("--allow-unrelated-histories");
         var promise;
         if (auth) {
             if ( auth.key_path ) {
@@ -556,7 +564,7 @@ module.exports = {
         return runGitCommand(args,cwd,env);
     },
     getFileDiff(cwd,file,type) {
-        var args = ["diff"];
+        var args = ["diff","-w"];
         if (type === "tree") {
             // nothing else to do
         } else if (type === "index") {