diff --git a/cherry_picker/cherry_picker.py b/cherry_picker/cherry_picker.py
index b131509..b637c92 100755
--- a/cherry_picker/cherry_picker.py
+++ b/cherry_picker/cherry_picker.py
@@ -288,17 +288,20 @@ def get_exit_message(self, branch):
     $ cherry_picker --abort
 """
 
-    def amend_commit_message(self, cherry_pick_branch):
-        """prefix the commit message with (X.Y)"""
-
+    def get_updated_commit_message(self, cherry_pick_branch):
         commit_prefix = ""
         if self.prefix_commit:
             commit_prefix = f"[{get_base_branch(cherry_pick_branch)}] "
-        updated_commit_message = f"""{commit_prefix}{self.get_commit_message(self.commit_sha1)}
+        return f"""{commit_prefix}{self.get_commit_message(self.commit_sha1)}
 (cherry picked from commit {self.commit_sha1})
 
 
 Co-authored-by: {get_author_info_from_short_sha(self.commit_sha1)}"""
+
+    def amend_commit_message(self, cherry_pick_branch):
+        """ prefix the commit message with (X.Y) """
+
+        updated_commit_message = self.get_updated_commit_message(cherry_pick_branch)
         if self.dry_run:
             click.echo(f"  dry-run: git commit --amend -m '{updated_commit_message}'")
         else:
@@ -493,16 +496,8 @@ def continue_cherry_pick(self):
             short_sha = cherry_pick_branch[
                 cherry_pick_branch.index("-") + 1 : cherry_pick_branch.index(base) - 1
             ]
-            full_sha = get_full_sha_from_short(short_sha)
-            commit_message = self.get_commit_message(short_sha)
-            co_author_info = (
-                f"Co-authored-by: {get_author_info_from_short_sha(short_sha)}"
-            )
-            updated_commit_message = f"""[{base}] {commit_message}.
-(cherry picked from commit {full_sha})
-
-
-{co_author_info}"""
+            self.commit_sha1 = get_full_sha_from_short(short_sha)
+            updated_commit_message = self.get_updated_commit_message(cherry_pick_branch)
             if self.dry_run:
                 click.echo(
                     f"  dry-run: git commit -a -m '{updated_commit_message}' --allow-empty"
diff --git a/cherry_picker/test_cherry_picker.py b/cherry_picker/test_cherry_picker.py
index e69dd74..fe4ac4d 100644
--- a/cherry_picker/test_cherry_picker.py
+++ b/cherry_picker/test_cherry_picker.py
@@ -888,11 +888,14 @@ def test_backport_pause_and_continue(
     ), mock.patch(
         "cherry_picker.cherry_picker.get_current_branch",
         return_value="backport-xxx-3.8",
-    ), mock.patch(
-        "cherry_picker.cherry_picker.get_author_info_from_short_sha",
-        return_value="Author Name <author@name.email>",
     ), mock.patch.object(
-        cherry_picker, "get_commit_message", return_value="commit message"
+        cherry_picker,
+        "get_updated_commit_message",
+        return_value="""[3.8] commit message
+(cherry picked from commit xxxxxxyyyyyy)
+
+
+Co-authored-by: Author Name <author@name.email>""",
     ), mock.patch.object(
         cherry_picker, "checkout_branch"
     ), mock.patch.object(