diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index b4bb2e2c11..5b2cd32bad 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -1759,6 +1759,7 @@ void setup_pager(void);
 int pager_in_use(void);
 extern int pager_use_color;
 int term_columns(void);
+void term_clear_line(void);
 int decimal_width(uintmax_t);
 int check_pager_config(const char *cmd);
 void prepare_pager_args(struct child_process *, const char *pager);
diff --git a/editor.c b/editor.c
index 71547674ab..f079abbf11 100644
--- a/editor.c
+++ b/editor.c
@@ -96,10 +96,10 @@ static int launch_specified_editor(const char *editor, const char *path,
 
 		if (print_waiting_for_editor && !is_terminal_dumb())
 			/*
-			 * Go back to the beginning and erase the entire line to
-			 * avoid wasting the vertical space.
+			 * Erase the entire line to avoid wasting the
+			 * vertical space.
 			 */
-			fputs("\r\033[K", stderr);
+			term_clear_line();
 	}
 
 	if (!buffer)
diff --git a/pager.c b/pager.c
index 4168460ae9..41446d4f05 100644
--- a/pager.c
+++ b/pager.c
@@ -177,6 +177,26 @@ int term_columns(void)
 	return term_columns_at_startup;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Clear the entire line, leave cursor in first column.
+ */
+void term_clear_line(void)
+{
+	if (is_terminal_dumb())
+		/*
+		 * Fall back to print a terminal width worth of space
+		 * characters (hoping that the terminal is still as wide
+		 * as it was upon the first call to term_columns()).
+		 */
+		fprintf(stderr, "\r%*s\r", term_columns(), "");
+	else
+		/*
+		 * On non-dumb terminals use an escape sequence to clear
+		 * the whole line, no matter how wide the terminal.
+		 */
+		fputs("\r\033[K", stderr);
+}
+
 /*
  * How many columns do we need to show this number in decimal?
  */