diff --git a/sequencer.c b/sequencer.c
index e658df7e8ff..e23f6f0b718 100644
--- a/sequencer.c
+++ b/sequencer.c
@@ -375,6 +375,7 @@ int sequencer_remove_state(struct replay_opts *opts)
 	}
 
 	free(opts->gpg_sign);
+	free(opts->reflog_action);
 	free(opts->default_strategy);
 	free(opts->strategy);
 	for (i = 0; i < opts->xopts_nr; i++)
@@ -1050,6 +1051,8 @@ static int run_git_commit(const char *defmsg,
 			     gpg_opt, gpg_opt);
 	}
 
+	strvec_pushf(&cmd.env, GIT_REFLOG_ACTION "=%s", opts->reflog_message);
+
 	if (opts->committer_date_is_author_date)
 		strvec_pushf(&cmd.env, "GIT_COMMITTER_DATE=%s",
 			     opts->ignore_date ?
@@ -1589,8 +1592,8 @@ static int try_to_commit(struct repository *r,
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	if (update_head_with_reflog(current_head, oid,
-				    getenv("GIT_REFLOG_ACTION"), msg, &err)) {
+	if (update_head_with_reflog(current_head, oid, opts->reflog_message,
+				    msg, &err)) {
 		res = error("%s", err.buf);
 		goto out;
 	}
@@ -3674,17 +3677,28 @@ static int do_label(struct repository *r, const char *name, int len)
 	return ret;
 }
 
+static const char *sequencer_reflog_action(struct replay_opts *opts)
+{
+	if (!opts->reflog_action) {
+		opts->reflog_action = getenv(GIT_REFLOG_ACTION);
+		opts->reflog_action =
+			xstrdup(opts->reflog_action ? opts->reflog_action
+						    : action_name(opts));
+	}
+
+	return opts->reflog_action;
+}
+
 __attribute__((format (printf, 3, 4)))
 static const char *reflog_message(struct replay_opts *opts,
 	const char *sub_action, const char *fmt, ...)
 {
 	va_list ap;
 	static struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
-	char *reflog_action = getenv(GIT_REFLOG_ACTION);
 
 	va_start(ap, fmt);
 	strbuf_reset(&buf);
-	strbuf_addstr(&buf, reflog_action ? reflog_action : action_name(opts));
+	strbuf_addstr(&buf, sequencer_reflog_action(opts));
 	if (sub_action)
 		strbuf_addf(&buf, " (%s)", sub_action);
 	if (fmt) {
@@ -4497,7 +4511,7 @@ static int checkout_onto(struct repository *r, struct replay_opts *opts,
 				RESET_HEAD_RUN_POST_CHECKOUT_HOOK,
 		.head_msg = reflog_message(opts, "start", "checkout %s",
 					   onto_name),
-		.default_reflog_action = "rebase"
+		.default_reflog_action = sequencer_reflog_action(opts)
 	};
 	if (reset_head(r, &ropts)) {
 		apply_autostash(rebase_path_autostash());
@@ -4566,11 +4580,8 @@ static int pick_commits(struct repository *r,
 			struct replay_opts *opts)
 {
 	int res = 0, reschedule = 0;
-	char *prev_reflog_action;
 
-	/* Note that 0 for 3rd parameter of setenv means set only if not set */
-	setenv(GIT_REFLOG_ACTION, action_name(opts), 0);
-	prev_reflog_action = xstrdup(getenv(GIT_REFLOG_ACTION));
+	opts->reflog_message = sequencer_reflog_action(opts);
 	if (opts->allow_ff)
 		assert(!(opts->signoff || opts->no_commit ||
 			 opts->record_origin || should_edit(opts) ||
@@ -4618,14 +4629,12 @@ static int pick_commits(struct repository *r,
 		}
 		if (item->command <= TODO_SQUASH) {
 			if (is_rebase_i(opts))
-				setenv(GIT_REFLOG_ACTION, reflog_message(opts,
-					command_to_string(item->command), NULL),
-					1);
+				opts->reflog_message = reflog_message(opts,
+				      command_to_string(item->command), NULL);
+
 			res = do_pick_commit(r, item, opts,
 					     is_final_fixup(todo_list),
 					     &check_todo);
-			if (is_rebase_i(opts))
-				setenv(GIT_REFLOG_ACTION, prev_reflog_action, 1);
 			if (is_rebase_i(opts) && res < 0) {
 				/* Reschedule */
 				advise(_(rescheduled_advice),
@@ -5050,8 +5059,6 @@ int sequencer_continue(struct repository *r, struct replay_opts *opts)
 	if (read_populate_opts(opts))
 		return -1;
 	if (is_rebase_i(opts)) {
-		char *previous_reflog_action;
-
 		if ((res = read_populate_todo(r, &todo_list, opts)))
 			goto release_todo_list;
 
@@ -5062,13 +5069,11 @@ int sequencer_continue(struct repository *r, struct replay_opts *opts)
 			unlink(rebase_path_dropped());
 		}
 
-		previous_reflog_action = xstrdup(getenv(GIT_REFLOG_ACTION));
-		setenv(GIT_REFLOG_ACTION, reflog_message(opts, "continue", NULL), 1);
+		opts->reflog_message = reflog_message(opts, "continue", NULL);
 		if (commit_staged_changes(r, opts, &todo_list)) {
 			res = -1;
 			goto release_todo_list;
 		}
-		setenv(GIT_REFLOG_ACTION, previous_reflog_action, 1);
 	} else if (!file_exists(get_todo_path(opts)))
 		return continue_single_pick(r, opts);
 	else if ((res = read_populate_todo(r, &todo_list, opts)))
@@ -5116,7 +5121,7 @@ static int single_pick(struct repository *r,
 			TODO_PICK : TODO_REVERT;
 	item.commit = cmit;
 
-	setenv(GIT_REFLOG_ACTION, action_name(opts), 0);
+	opts->reflog_message = sequencer_reflog_action(opts);
 	return do_pick_commit(r, &item, opts, 0, &check_todo);
 }
 
diff --git a/sequencer.h b/sequencer.h
index 563fe599334..888c18aad71 100644
--- a/sequencer.h
+++ b/sequencer.h
@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@ struct replay_opts {
 	char **xopts;
 	size_t xopts_nr, xopts_alloc;
 
+	/* Reflog */
+	char *reflog_action;
+
 	/* Used by fixup/squash */
 	struct strbuf current_fixups;
 	int current_fixup_count;
@@ -73,6 +76,9 @@ struct replay_opts {
 
 	/* Only used by REPLAY_NONE */
 	struct rev_info *revs;
+
+	/* Private use */
+	const char *reflog_message;
 };
 #define REPLAY_OPTS_INIT { .edit = -1, .action = -1, .current_fixups = STRBUF_INIT }
 
