diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/hunks.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/hunks.vim
index 13a441e6..bfba4b9f 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/hunks.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/hunks.vim
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 " vim: et ts=2 sts=2 sw=2
 
 function! airline#extensions#hunks#get_hunks()
+  if &ft == 'gitcommit'
+    return ''
+  endif
+
   if get(g:, 'gitgutter_initialised', 0) && get(g:, 'gitgutter_enabled', 0)
     let added = 0
     let removed = 0
diff --git a/plugin/airline.vim b/plugin/airline.vim
index 36345d10..34a19b38 100644
--- a/plugin/airline.vim
+++ b/plugin/airline.vim
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ call s:check_defined('g:airline_enable_branch', 1)
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_enable_syntastic', 1)
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_enable_tagbar', 1)
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_enable_csv', 1)
-call s:check_defined('g:airline_enable_hunks', 1)
+call s:check_defined('g:airline_enable_hunks', 0)
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_detect_iminsert', 0)
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_detect_modified', 1)
 call s:check_defined('g:airline_detect_paste', 1)