@@ -88,11 +88,12 @@ include::blame-options.adoc[]
 include::diff-algorithm-option.adoc[]
 
 `--abbrev=<n>`::
-	Instead of using the default _7+1_ hexadecimal digits as the
-	abbreviated object name, use _<m>+1_ digits, where _<m>_ is at
-	least _<n>_ but ensures the commit object names are unique.
-	Note that 1 column
-	is used for a caret to mark the boundary commit.
+	Instead of using the default _7_ hexadecimal digits as the
+	abbreviated object name, use at least _<n>_ digits, but ensure
+	the commit object names are unique.
+	If commits marked with caret (boundary), question mark (ignored)
+	or asterisk (unblamable) are shown, extend unmarked object names
+	to align them.
 
 
 THE DEFAULT FORMAT

@@ -453,6 +453,36 @@ static void determine_line_heat(struct commit_info *ci, const char **dest_color)
 	*dest_color = colorfield[i].col;
 }
 
+static inline int maybe_putc(int c, FILE *out)
+{
+	return out ? putc(c, out) : 0;
+}
+
+static size_t print_marks(FILE *out, const struct blame_entry *ent, int opt)
+{
+	size_t len = 0;
+
+	if ((ent->suspect->commit->object.flags & UNINTERESTING) &&
+	    !blank_boundary && !(opt & OUTPUT_ANNOTATE_COMPAT)) {
+		maybe_putc('^', out);
+		len++;
+	}
+	if (mark_unblamable_lines && ent->unblamable) {
+		maybe_putc('*', out);
+		len++;
+	}
+	if (mark_ignored_lines && ent->ignored) {
+		maybe_putc('?', out);
+		len++;
+	}
+	return len;
+}
+
+static size_t count_marks(const struct blame_entry *ent, int opt)
+{
+	return print_marks(NULL, ent, opt);
+}
+
 static void emit_other(struct blame_scoreboard *sb, struct blame_entry *ent,
 		       int opt, struct blame_entry *prev_ent)
 {

@@ -499,23 +529,10 @@ static void emit_other(struct blame_scoreboard *sb, struct blame_entry *ent,
 		if (color)
 			fputs(color, stdout);
 
-		if (suspect->commit->object.flags & UNINTERESTING) {
-			if (blank_boundary) {
-				memset(hex, ' ', strlen(hex));
-			} else if (!(opt & OUTPUT_ANNOTATE_COMPAT)) {
-				length--;
-				putchar('^');
-			}
-		}
-
-		if (mark_unblamable_lines && ent->unblamable) {
-			length--;
-			putchar('*');
-		}
-		if (mark_ignored_lines && ent->ignored) {
-			length--;
-			putchar('?');
-		}
+		if ((suspect->commit->object.flags & UNINTERESTING) &&
+		    blank_boundary)
+			memset(hex, ' ', strlen(hex));
+		length -= print_marks(stdout, ent, opt);
 
 		printf("%.*s", (int)(length < GIT_MAX_HEXSZ ? length : GIT_MAX_HEXSZ), hex);
 		if (opt & OUTPUT_ANNOTATE_COMPAT) {

@@ -647,11 +664,15 @@ static void find_alignment(struct blame_scoreboard *sb, int *option)
 	struct blame_entry *e;
 	int compute_auto_abbrev = (abbrev < 0);
 	int auto_abbrev = DEFAULT_ABBREV;
+	size_t max_marks_count = 0;
 
 	for (e = sb->ent; e; e = e->next) {
 		struct blame_origin *suspect = e->suspect;
 		int num;
+		size_t marks_count = count_marks(e, *option);
 
+		if (max_marks_count < marks_count)
+			max_marks_count = marks_count;
 		if (compute_auto_abbrev)
 			auto_abbrev = update_auto_abbrev(auto_abbrev, suspect);
 		if (strcmp(suspect->path, sb->path))

@@ -685,8 +706,12 @@ static void find_alignment(struct blame_scoreboard *sb, int *option)
 	max_score_digits = decimal_width(largest_score);
 
 	if (compute_auto_abbrev)
-		/* one more abbrev length is needed for the boundary commit */
-		abbrev = auto_abbrev + 1;
+		abbrev = auto_abbrev;
+	if (abbrev < (int)the_hash_algo->hexsz) {
+		abbrev += max_marks_count;
+		if (abbrev > (int)the_hash_algo->hexsz)
+			abbrev = the_hash_algo->hexsz;
+	}
 }
 
 static void sanity_check_on_fail(struct blame_scoreboard *sb, int baa)

@@ -1047,10 +1072,7 @@ int cmd_blame(int argc,
 	} else if (show_progress < 0)
 		show_progress = isatty(2);
 
-	if (0 < abbrev && abbrev < (int)the_hash_algo->hexsz)
-		/* one more abbrev length is needed for the boundary commit */
-		abbrev++;
-	else if (!abbrev)
+	if (!abbrev)
 		abbrev = the_hash_algo->hexsz;
 
 	if (revs_file && read_ancestry(revs_file))

@@ -113,8 +113,7 @@ test_expect_success 'set up abbrev tests' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'blame --abbrev=<n> works' '
-	# non-boundary commits get +1 for alignment
-	check_abbrev 31 --abbrev=30 HEAD &&
+	check_abbrev 30 --abbrev=30 HEAD &&
 	check_abbrev 30 --abbrev=30 ^HEAD
 '
 

@@ -141,10 +140,8 @@ test_expect_success 'blame --abbrev gets truncated with boundary commit' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'blame --abbrev -b truncates the blank boundary' '
-	# Note that `--abbrev=` always gets incremented by 1, which is why we
-	# expect 11 leading spaces and not 10.
 	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
-	$(printf "%11s" "") (<author@example.com> 2005-04-07 15:45:13 -0700 1) abbrev
+	$(printf "%10s" "") (<author@example.com> 2005-04-07 15:45:13 -0700 1) abbrev
 	EOF
 	git blame -b --abbrev=10 ^HEAD -- abbrev.t >actual &&
 	test_cmp expect actual