diff --git a/branches_panel.go b/branches_panel.go
index 172f5d011..58620f049 100644
--- a/branches_panel.go
+++ b/branches_panel.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import (
 func handleBranchPress(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
   branch := getSelectedBranch(v)
   if output, err := gitCheckout(branch.Name, false); err != nil {
-    createSimpleConfirmationPanel(g, v, "Error", output)
+    createErrorPanel(g, output)
   }
   return refreshSidePanels(g, v)
 }
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ func handleForceCheckout(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
   branch := getSelectedBranch(v)
   return createConfirmationPanel(g, v, "Force Checkout Branch", "Are you sure you want force checkout? You will lose all local changes (y/n)", func(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
     if output, err := gitCheckout(branch.Name, true); err != nil {
-      createSimpleConfirmationPanel(g, v, "Error", output)
+      createErrorPanel(g, output)
     }
     return refreshSidePanels(g, v)
   }, nil)
@@ -27,9 +27,8 @@ func handleForceCheckout(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
 func handleNewBranch(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
   branch := state.Branches[0]
   createPromptPanel(g, v, "New Branch Name (Branch is off of "+branch.Name+")", func(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
-    // TODO: make sure the buffer is stripped of whitespace
-    if output, err := gitNewBranch(v.Buffer()); err != nil {
-      return createSimpleConfirmationPanel(g, v, "Error", output)
+    if output, err := gitNewBranch(trimmedContent(v)); err != nil {
+      return createErrorPanel(g, output)
     }
     refreshSidePanels(g, v)
     return handleCommitSelect(g, v)
@@ -49,8 +48,7 @@ func handleBranchSelect(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
     return renderString(g, "main", "No branches for this repo")
   }
   go func() {
-    lineNumber := getItemPosition(v)
-    branch := state.Branches[lineNumber]
+    branch := getSelectedBranch(v)
     diff, _ := getBranchDiff(branch.Name, branch.BaseBranch)
     renderString(g, "main", diff)
   }()
diff --git a/commits_panel.go b/commits_panel.go
index e70445815..76083374e 100644
--- a/commits_panel.go
+++ b/commits_panel.go
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func handleResetToCommit(g *gocui.Gui, commitView *gocui.View) error {
       panic(err)
     }
     if output, err := gitResetToCommit(commit.Sha); err != nil {
-      return createSimpleConfirmationPanel(g, commitView, "Error", output)
+      return createErrorPanel(g, output)
     }
     if err := refreshCommits(g); err != nil {
       panic(err)
@@ -75,17 +75,17 @@ func handleCommitSelect(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
 
 func handleCommitSquashDown(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
   if getItemPosition(v) != 0 {
-    return createSimpleConfirmationPanel(g, v, "Error", "Can only squash topmost commit")
+    return createErrorPanel(g, "Can only squash topmost commit")
   }
   if len(state.Commits) == 1 {
-    return createSimpleConfirmationPanel(g, v, "Error", "You have no commits to squash with")
+    return createErrorPanel(g, "You have no commits to squash with")
   }
   commit, err := getSelectedCommit(g)
   if err != nil {
     return err
   }
   if output, err := gitSquashPreviousTwoCommits(commit.Name); err != nil {
-    return createSimpleConfirmationPanel(g, v, "Error", output)
+    return createErrorPanel(g, output)
   }
   if err := refreshCommits(g); err != nil {
     panic(err)
@@ -96,11 +96,11 @@ func handleCommitSquashDown(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
 
 func handleRenameCommit(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
   if getItemPosition(v) != 0 {
-    return createSimpleConfirmationPanel(g, v, "Error", "Can only rename topmost commit")
+    return createErrorPanel(g, "Can only rename topmost commit")
   }
   createPromptPanel(g, v, "Rename Commit", func(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
     if output, err := gitRenameCommit(v.Buffer()); err != nil {
-      return createSimpleConfirmationPanel(g, v, "Error", output)
+      return createErrorPanel(g, output)
     }
     if err := refreshCommits(g); err != nil {
       panic(err)
diff --git a/files_panel.go b/files_panel.go
index 2c09f38bb..674cae387 100644
--- a/files_panel.go
+++ b/files_panel.go
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ func handleIgnoreFile(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
 }
 
 func handleFileSelect(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
-  baseString := "tab: switch to branches, space: toggle staged, c: commit changes, o: open, s: open in sublime, i: ignore"
+  baseString := "tab: next panel, S: stash files, space: toggle staged, c: commit changes, o: open, s: open in sublime, i: ignore"
   item, err := getSelectedFile(v)
   if err != nil {
     if err != ErrNoFiles {
@@ -103,15 +103,33 @@ func handleFileSelect(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
   }
   var optionsString string
   if item.Tracked {
-    optionsString = baseString + ", r: checkout"
+    optionsString = baseString + ", d: checkout"
   } else {
-    optionsString = baseString + ", r: delete"
+    optionsString = baseString + ", d: delete"
   }
   renderString(g, "options", optionsString)
   diff := getDiff(item)
   return renderString(g, "main", diff)
 }
 
+func handleCommitPress(g *gocui.Gui, filesView *gocui.View) error {
+  if len(stagedFiles(state.GitFiles)) == 0 {
+    return createErrorPanel(g, "There are no staged files to commit")
+  }
+  createPromptPanel(g, filesView, "Commit message", func(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
+    message := trimmedContent(v)
+    if message == "" {
+      return createErrorPanel(g, "You cannot commit without a commit message")
+    }
+    if err := gitCommit(message); err != nil {
+      panic(err)
+    }
+    refreshFiles(g)
+    return refreshCommits(g)
+  })
+  return nil
+}
+
 func genericFileOpen(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View, open func(string) (string, error)) error {
   file, err := getSelectedFile(v)
   if err != nil {
@@ -155,7 +173,9 @@ func refreshFiles(g *gocui.Gui) error {
     }
   }
   correctCursor(filesView)
-  handleFileSelect(g, filesView)
+  if filesView == g.CurrentView() {
+    handleFileSelect(g, filesView)
+  }
   return nil
 }
 
@@ -164,7 +184,7 @@ func pullFiles(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
   createSimpleConfirmationPanel(g, v, "", "Pulling...")
   go func() {
     if output, err := gitPull(); err != nil {
-      createSimpleConfirmationPanel(g, v, "Error", output)
+      createErrorPanel(g, output)
     } else {
       closeConfirmationPrompt(g)
       refreshCommits(g)
@@ -181,7 +201,7 @@ func pushFiles(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
   createSimpleConfirmationPanel(g, v, "", "Pushing...")
   go func() {
     if output, err := gitPush(); err != nil {
-      createSimpleConfirmationPanel(g, v, "Error", output)
+      createErrorPanel(g, output)
     } else {
       closeConfirmationPrompt(g)
       refreshCommits(g)