diff --git a/base/env.jl b/base/env.jl
index 6521c94a476a2..8ac32295beba5 100644
--- a/base/env.jl
+++ b/base/env.jl
@@ -141,6 +141,18 @@ function show(io::IO, ::EnvHash)
     end
 end
 
+# temporarily set and then restore an environment value
+function with_env(f::Function, key::String, val)
+    old = get(ENV,key,nothing)
+    val != nothing ? (ENV[key]=val) : _unsetenv(key)
+    try f()
+    finally
+        old != nothing ? (ENV[key]=old) : _unsetenv(key)
+    catch
+        rethrow()
+    end
+end
+
 ## misc environment-related functionality ##
 
 tty_cols() = parseint(Int32, get(ENV,"COLUMNS","80"), 10)
diff --git a/base/pkg/entry.jl b/base/pkg/entry.jl
index e59a28804c650..7a979fcb31bec 100644
--- a/base/pkg/entry.jl
+++ b/base/pkg/entry.jl
@@ -184,7 +184,9 @@ function update(branch::String)
             Git.run(`checkout -q $branch`)
         end
         # TODO: handle merge conflicts
-        Git.run(`pull -q --no-edit`, out=DevNull)
+        with_env("GIT_MERGE_AUTOEDIT","no") do
+            Git.run(`pull -q`, out=DevNull)
+        end
     end
     avail = Read.available()
     # this has to happen before computing free/fixed