diff --git a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/api/change/ChangeIT.java b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/api/change/ChangeIT.java
index 1c8ab3c..c2618f5 100644
--- a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/api/change/ChangeIT.java
+++ b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/api/change/ChangeIT.java
@@ -1820,12 +1820,10 @@
     PushOneCommit.Result change = createChange();
     RegistrationHandle handle =
         changeMessageModifiers.add(new ChangeMessageModifier() {
-
           @Override
           public String onSubmit(String newCommitMessage, RevCommit original,
-              RevCommit mergeTip, ChangeControl ctl) {
-            return newCommitMessage + "Custom: "
-                + ctl.getChange().getDest().get();
+              RevCommit mergeTip, Branch.NameKey destination) {
+            return newCommitMessage + "Custom: " + destination.get();
           }
         });
     ChangeInfo actual;
diff --git a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/change/SubmitByCherryPickIT.java b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/change/SubmitByCherryPickIT.java
index 9656762..0a3b217 100644
--- a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/change/SubmitByCherryPickIT.java
+++ b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/change/SubmitByCherryPickIT.java
@@ -29,12 +29,12 @@
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.registration.DynamicSet;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.registration.RegistrationHandle;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.restapi.ResourceConflictException;
+import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.client.Branch;
 import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.client.Change;
 import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.client.PatchSet;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.change.Submit.TestSubmitInput;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.git.ChangeMessageModifier;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.git.strategy.CommitMergeStatus;
-import com.google.gerrit.server.project.ChangeControl;
 import com.google.inject.Inject;
 
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.ObjectId;
@@ -103,9 +103,8 @@
         changeMessageModifiers.add(new ChangeMessageModifier() {
           @Override
           public String onSubmit(String newCommitMessage, RevCommit original,
-              RevCommit mergeTip, ChangeControl ctl) {
-            return newCommitMessage + "Custom: "
-                + ctl.getChange().getDest().get();
+              RevCommit mergeTip, Branch.NameKey destination) {
+            return newCommitMessage + "Custom: " + destination.get();
           }
         });
     try {
diff --git a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/change/SubmitByRebaseAlwaysIT.java b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/change/SubmitByRebaseAlwaysIT.java
index 6caf12a..0389417 100644
--- a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/change/SubmitByRebaseAlwaysIT.java
+++ b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/rest/change/SubmitByRebaseAlwaysIT.java
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.common.ChangeInfo;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.registration.DynamicSet;
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.registration.RegistrationHandle;
+import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.client.Branch;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.git.ChangeMessageModifier;
-import com.google.gerrit.server.project.ChangeControl;
 import com.google.inject.Inject;
 
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.ObjectId;
@@ -95,13 +95,12 @@
         changeMessageModifiers.add(new ChangeMessageModifier() {
           @Override
           public String onSubmit(String newCommitMessage, RevCommit original,
-              RevCommit mergeTip, ChangeControl ctl) {
+              RevCommit mergeTip, Branch.NameKey destination) {
             List<String> custom = mergeTip.getFooterLines("Custom");
             if (!custom.isEmpty()) {
               newCommitMessage += "Custom-Parent: " + custom.get(0) + "\n";
             }
-            return newCommitMessage + "Custom: "
-                + ctl.getChange().getDest().get();
+            return newCommitMessage + "Custom: " + destination.get();
           }
         });
     try {
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/ChangeMessageModifier.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/ChangeMessageModifier.java
index 2b05bc7..75911f3f 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/ChangeMessageModifier.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/ChangeMessageModifier.java
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 package com.google.gerrit.server.git;
 
 import com.google.gerrit.extensions.annotations.ExtensionPoint;
-import com.google.gerrit.server.project.ChangeControl;
+import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.client.Branch;
 
 import org.eclipse.jgit.revwalk.RevCommit;
 
@@ -45,9 +45,9 @@
    *        commit message may be different than newCommitMessage argument.</b>
    * @param mergeTip the current HEAD of the destination branch, which will be a
    *        parent of a new commit being generated
-   * @param ctl
+   * @param destination the branch onto which the change is being submitted
    * @return a new not null commit message.
    */
   String onSubmit(String newCommitMessage, RevCommit original,
-      RevCommit mergeTip, ChangeControl ctl);
+      RevCommit mergeTip, Branch.NameKey destination);
 }
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/MergeUtil.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/MergeUtil.java
index eeed586..0a4a430 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/MergeUtil.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/MergeUtil.java
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@
       }
       for (ChangeMessageModifier changeMessageModifier : changeMessageModifiers) {
         current = changeMessageModifier.onSubmit(current, original,
-            mergeTip, ctl);
+            mergeTip, ctl.getChange().getDest());
         checkNotNull(current, changeMessageModifier.getClass().getName()
             + ".OnSubmit returned null instead of new commit message");
       }