diff --git a/hgext/mq.py b/hgext/mq.py
--- a/hgext/mq.py
+++ b/hgext/mq.py
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ class queue:
         r = self.qrepo()
         if r: r.add([patch])
         if commitfiles:
-            self.refresh(repo, short=True)
+            self.refresh(repo, msg=None, short=True)
 
     def strip(self, repo, rev, update=True, backup="all", wlock=None):
         def limitheads(chlog, stop):
@@ -739,7 +739,7 @@ class queue:
         qp = self.qparents(repo, top)
         commands.dodiff(sys.stdout, self.ui, repo, qp, None, files)
 
-    def refresh(self, repo, short=False):
+    def refresh(self, repo, msg=None, short=False):
         if len(self.applied) == 0:
             self.ui.write("No patches applied\n")
             return
@@ -822,10 +822,14 @@ class queue:
             repo.dirstate.update(c, 'n')
             repo.dirstate.forget(forget)
 
-            if not message:
-                message = "patch queue: %s\n" % patch
+            if not msg:
+                if not message:
+                    message = "patch queue: %s\n" % patch
+                else:
+                    message = "\n".join(message)
             else:
-                message = "\n".join(message)
+                message = msg
+
             self.strip(repo, top, update=False, backup='strip', wlock=wlock)
             n = repo.commit(filelist, message, changes[1], force=1, wlock=wlock)
             self.applied[-1] = revlog.hex(n) + ':' + patch
@@ -1144,14 +1148,16 @@ def prev(ui, repo, **opts):
 def new(ui, repo, patch, **opts):
     """create a new patch"""
     q = repomap[repo]
-    q.new(repo, patch, msg=opts['message'], force=opts['force'])
+    message=commands.logmessage(**opts)
+    q.new(repo, patch, msg=message, force=opts['force'])
     q.save_dirty()
     return 0
 
 def refresh(ui, repo, **opts):
     """update the current patch"""
     q = repomap[repo]
-    q.refresh(repo, short=opts['short'])
+    message=commands.logmessage(**opts)
+    q.refresh(repo, msg=message, short=opts['short'])
     q.save_dirty()
     return 0
 
@@ -1234,7 +1240,8 @@ def restore(ui, repo, rev, **opts):
 def save(ui, repo, **opts):
     """save current queue state"""
     q = repomap[repo]
-    ret = q.save(repo, msg=opts['message'])
+    message=commands.logmessage(**opts)
+    ret = q.save(repo, msg=message)
     if ret:
         return ret
     q.save_dirty()
@@ -1325,9 +1332,10 @@ cmdtable = {
          'hg qinit [-c]'),
     "qnew":
         (new,
-         [('m', 'message', '', 'commit message'),
+         [('m', 'message', '', _('use <text> as commit message')),
+          ('l', 'logfile', '', _('read the commit message from <file>')),
           ('f', 'force', None, 'force')],
-         'hg qnew [-m TEXT] [-f] PATCH'),
+         'hg qnew [-m TEXT] [-l FILE] [-f] PATCH'),
     "qnext": (next, [], 'hg qnext'),
     "qprev": (prev, [], 'hg qprev'),
     "^qpop":
@@ -1346,8 +1354,10 @@ cmdtable = {
          'hg qpush [-f] [-l] [-a] [-m] [-n NAME] [PATCH | INDEX]'),
     "^qrefresh":
         (refresh,
-         [('s', 'short', None, 'short refresh')],
-         'hg qrefresh [-s]'),
+         [('m', 'message', '', _('change commit message with <text>')),
+          ('l', 'logfile', '', _('change commit message with <file> content')),
+          ('s', 'short', None, 'short refresh')],
+         'hg qrefresh [-m TEXT] [-l FILE] [-s]'),
     "qrestore":
         (restore,
          [('d', 'delete', None, 'delete save entry'),
@@ -1355,12 +1365,13 @@ cmdtable = {
          'hg qrestore [-d] [-u] REV'),
     "qsave":
         (save,
-         [('m', 'message', '', 'commit message'),
+         [('m', 'message', '', _('use <text> as commit message')),
+          ('l', 'logfile', '', _('read the commit message from <file>')),
           ('c', 'copy', None, 'copy patch directory'),
           ('n', 'name', '', 'copy directory name'),
           ('e', 'empty', None, 'clear queue status file'),
           ('f', 'force', None, 'force copy')],
-         'hg qsave [-m TEXT] [-c] [-n NAME] [-e] [-f]'),
+         'hg qsave [-m TEXT] [-l FILE] [-c] [-n NAME] [-e] [-f]'),
     "qseries":
         (series,
          [('m', 'missing', None, 'print patches not in series')],