diff --git a/Documentation/config.txt b/Documentation/config.txt
index bea867df60..1f805b2eca 100644
--- a/Documentation/config.txt
+++ b/Documentation/config.txt
@@ -363,8 +363,17 @@ core.pager::
 	variable.  Note that git sets the `LESS` environment
 	variable to `FRSX` if it is unset when it runs the
 	pager.  One can change these settings by setting the
-	`LESS` variable to some other value or by giving the
-	`core.pager` option a value such as "`less -+FRSX`".
+	`LESS` variable to some other value.  Alternately,
+	these settings can be overridden on a project or
+	global basis by setting the `core.pager` option.
+	Setting `core.pager` has no affect on the `LESS`
+	environment variable behaviour above, so if you want
+	to override git's default settings this way, you need
+	to be explicit.  For example, to disable the S option
+	in a backward compatible manner, set `core.pager`
+	to "`less -+$LESS -FRX`".  This will be passed to the
+	shell by git, which will translate the final command to
+	"`LESS=FRSX less -+FRSX -FRX`".
 
 core.whitespace::
 	A comma separated list of common whitespace problems to
diff --git a/merge-recursive.c b/merge-recursive.c
index ac90fd9e27..08917314fb 100644
--- a/merge-recursive.c
+++ b/merge-recursive.c
@@ -419,10 +419,8 @@ static int remove_file(struct merge_options *o, int clean,
 			return -1;
 	}
 	if (update_working_directory) {
-		unlink(path);
-		if (errno != ENOENT || errno != EISDIR)
+		if (remove_path(path) && errno != ENOENT)
 			return -1;
-		remove_path(path);
 	}
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/t/t3030-merge-recursive.sh b/t/t3030-merge-recursive.sh
index de0cdb1cf4..0de613dc53 100755
--- a/t/t3030-merge-recursive.sh
+++ b/t/t3030-merge-recursive.sh
@@ -535,4 +535,15 @@ test_expect_success 'reset and bind merge' '
 
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'merge removes empty directories' '
+
+	git reset --hard master &&
+	git checkout -b rm &&
+	git rm d/e &&
+	git commit -mremoved-d/e &&
+	git checkout master &&
+	git merge -s recursive rm &&
+	test_must_fail test -d d
+'
+
 test_done