diff --git a/pkg/commands/git_commands/branch.go b/pkg/commands/git_commands/branch.go
index 13abbd697..ac5555b3d 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/git_commands/branch.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/git_commands/branch.go
@@ -250,20 +250,35 @@ func (self *BranchCommands) Rename(oldName string, newName string) error {
 	return self.cmd.New(cmdArgs).Run()
 }
 
-type MergeOpts struct {
-	FastForwardOnly bool
-	Squash          bool
-}
+type MergeVariant int
+
+const (
+	MERGE_VARIANT_REGULAR MergeVariant = iota
+	MERGE_VARIANT_FAST_FORWARD
+	MERGE_VARIANT_NON_FAST_FORWARD
+	MERGE_VARIANT_SQUASH
+)
+
+func (self *BranchCommands) Merge(branchName string, variant MergeVariant) error {
+	extraArgs := func() []string {
+		switch variant {
+		case MERGE_VARIANT_REGULAR:
+			return []string{}
+		case MERGE_VARIANT_FAST_FORWARD:
+			return []string{"--ff"}
+		case MERGE_VARIANT_NON_FAST_FORWARD:
+			return []string{"--no-ff"}
+		case MERGE_VARIANT_SQUASH:
+			return []string{"--squash", "--ff"}
+		}
+
+		panic("shouldn't get here")
+	}()
 
-func (self *BranchCommands) Merge(branchName string, opts MergeOpts) error {
-	if opts.Squash && opts.FastForwardOnly {
-		panic("Squash and FastForwardOnly can't both be true")
-	}
 	cmdArgs := NewGitCmd("merge").
 		Arg("--no-edit").
 		Arg(strings.Fields(self.UserConfig().Git.Merging.Args)...).
-		ArgIf(opts.FastForwardOnly, "--ff-only").
-		ArgIf(opts.Squash, "--squash", "--ff").
+		Arg(extraArgs...).
 		Arg(branchName).
 		ToArgv()
 
diff --git a/pkg/commands/git_commands/branch_test.go b/pkg/commands/git_commands/branch_test.go
index 37ad79613..a0c0096b9 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/git_commands/branch_test.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/git_commands/branch_test.go
@@ -122,14 +122,14 @@ func TestBranchMerge(t *testing.T) {
 	scenarios := []struct {
 		testName   string
 		userConfig *config.UserConfig
-		opts       MergeOpts
+		variant    MergeVariant
 		branchName string
 		expected   []string
 	}{
 		{
 			testName:   "basic",
 			userConfig: &config.UserConfig{},
-			opts:       MergeOpts{},
+			variant:    MERGE_VARIANT_REGULAR,
 			branchName: "mybranch",
 			expected:   []string{"merge", "--no-edit", "mybranch"},
 		},
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ func TestBranchMerge(t *testing.T) {
 					},
 				},
 			},
-			opts:       MergeOpts{},
+			variant:    MERGE_VARIANT_REGULAR,
 			branchName: "mybranch",
 			expected:   []string{"merge", "--no-edit", "--merging-args", "mybranch"},
 		},
@@ -155,16 +155,30 @@ func TestBranchMerge(t *testing.T) {
 					},
 				},
 			},
-			opts:       MergeOpts{},
+			variant:    MERGE_VARIANT_REGULAR,
 			branchName: "mybranch",
 			expected:   []string{"merge", "--no-edit", "--arg1", "--arg2", "mybranch"},
 		},
 		{
-			testName:   "fast forward only",
+			testName:   "fast-forward merge",
 			userConfig: &config.UserConfig{},
-			opts:       MergeOpts{FastForwardOnly: true},
+			variant:    MERGE_VARIANT_FAST_FORWARD,
 			branchName: "mybranch",
-			expected:   []string{"merge", "--no-edit", "--ff-only", "mybranch"},
+			expected:   []string{"merge", "--no-edit", "--ff", "mybranch"},
+		},
+		{
+			testName:   "non-fast-forward merge",
+			userConfig: &config.UserConfig{},
+			variant:    MERGE_VARIANT_NON_FAST_FORWARD,
+			branchName: "mybranch",
+			expected:   []string{"merge", "--no-edit", "--no-ff", "mybranch"},
+		},
+		{
+			testName:   "squash merge",
+			userConfig: &config.UserConfig{},
+			variant:    MERGE_VARIANT_SQUASH,
+			branchName: "mybranch",
+			expected:   []string{"merge", "--no-edit", "--squash", "--ff", "mybranch"},
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -174,7 +188,7 @@ func TestBranchMerge(t *testing.T) {
 				ExpectGitArgs(s.expected, "", nil)
 			instance := buildBranchCommands(commonDeps{runner: runner, userConfig: s.userConfig})
 
-			assert.NoError(t, instance.Merge(s.branchName, s.opts))
+			assert.NoError(t, instance.Merge(s.branchName, s.variant))
 			runner.CheckForMissingCalls()
 		})
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/merge_and_rebase_helper.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/merge_and_rebase_helper.go
index 88166ec49..caddc77ce 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/merge_and_rebase_helper.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/merge_and_rebase_helper.go
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ func (self *MergeAndRebaseHelper) MergeRefIntoCheckedOutBranch(refName string) e
 func (self *MergeAndRebaseHelper) RegularMerge(refName string) func() error {
 	return func() error {
 		self.c.LogAction(self.c.Tr.Actions.Merge)
-		err := self.c.Git().Branch.Merge(refName, git_commands.MergeOpts{})
+		err := self.c.Git().Branch.Merge(refName, git_commands.MERGE_VARIANT_REGULAR)
 		return self.CheckMergeOrRebase(err)
 	}
 }
@@ -434,7 +434,7 @@ func (self *MergeAndRebaseHelper) RegularMerge(refName string) func() error {
 func (self *MergeAndRebaseHelper) SquashMergeUncommitted(refName string) func() error {
 	return func() error {
 		self.c.LogAction(self.c.Tr.Actions.SquashMerge)
-		err := self.c.Git().Branch.Merge(refName, git_commands.MergeOpts{Squash: true})
+		err := self.c.Git().Branch.Merge(refName, git_commands.MERGE_VARIANT_SQUASH)
 		return self.CheckMergeOrRebase(err)
 	}
 }
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ func (self *MergeAndRebaseHelper) SquashMergeUncommitted(refName string) func()
 func (self *MergeAndRebaseHelper) SquashMergeCommitted(refName, checkedOutBranchName string) func() error {
 	return func() error {
 		self.c.LogAction(self.c.Tr.Actions.SquashMerge)
-		err := self.c.Git().Branch.Merge(refName, git_commands.MergeOpts{Squash: true})
+		err := self.c.Git().Branch.Merge(refName, git_commands.MERGE_VARIANT_SQUASH)
 		if err = self.CheckMergeOrRebase(err); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}