diff --git a/app/decorators/commit_decorator.rb b/app/decorators/commit_decorator.rb
index c85f740027e..777580a6d5e 100644
--- a/app/decorators/commit_decorator.rb
+++ b/app/decorators/commit_decorator.rb
@@ -16,13 +16,15 @@ class CommitDecorator < ApplicationDecorator
   # In case this first line is longer than 80 characters, it is cut off
   # after 70 characters and ellipses (`&hellp;`) are appended.
   def title
-    return no_commit_message if safe_message.blank?
+    title = safe_message
 
-    title_end = safe_message.index(/\n/)
-    if (!title_end && safe_message.length > 80) || (title_end && title_end > 80)
-      safe_message[0..69] << "&hellip;".html_safe
+    return no_commit_message if title.blank?
+
+    title_end = title.index(/\n/)
+    if (!title_end && title.length > 80) || (title_end && title_end > 80)
+      title[0..69] << "&hellip;".html_safe
     else
-      safe_message.split(/\n/, 2).first
+      title.split(/\n/, 2).first
     end
   end
 
@@ -30,11 +32,13 @@ class CommitDecorator < ApplicationDecorator
   #
   # cut off, ellipses (`&hellp;`) are prepended to the commit message.
   def description
-    title_end = safe_message.index(/\n/)
-    if (!title_end && safe_message.length > 80) || (title_end && title_end > 80)
-      "&hellip;".html_safe << safe_message[70..-1]
+    description = safe_message
+
+    title_end = description.index(/\n/)
+    if (!title_end && description.length > 80) || (title_end && title_end > 80)
+      "&hellip;".html_safe << description[70..-1]
     else
-      safe_message.split(/\n/, 2)[1].try(:chomp)
+      description.split(/\n/, 2)[1].try(:chomp)
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/app/models/commit.rb b/app/models/commit.rb
index aba21762126..a070e830680 100644
--- a/app/models/commit.rb
+++ b/app/models/commit.rb
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ class Commit
   end
 
   def safe_message
-    utf8 message
+    @safe_message ||= utf8 message
   end
 
   def created_at
diff --git a/spec/models/commit_spec.rb b/spec/models/commit_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e4bc1936839
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/models/commit_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+describe Commit do
+  let(:commit) { create(:project).commit }
+
+  describe CommitDecorator do
+    let(:decorator) { CommitDecorator.new(commit) }
+
+    describe '#title' do
+      it "returns no_commit_message when safe_message is blank" do
+        decorator.stub(:safe_message).and_return('')
+        decorator.title.should == "--no commit message"
+      end
+
+      it "truncates a message without a newline at 70 characters" do
+        message = commit.safe_message * 10
+
+        decorator.stub(:safe_message).and_return(message)
+        decorator.title.should == "#{message[0..69]}&hellip;"
+      end
+
+      it "truncates a message with a newline before 80 characters at the newline" do
+        message = commit.safe_message.split(" ").first
+
+        decorator.stub(:safe_message).and_return(message + "\n" + message)
+        decorator.title.should == message
+      end
+
+      it "truncates a message with a newline after 80 characters at 70 characters" do
+        message = (commit.safe_message * 10) + "\n"
+
+        decorator.stub(:safe_message).and_return(message)
+        decorator.title.should == "#{message[0..69]}&hellip;"
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end