diff --git a/builtin/rebase--interactive.c b/builtin/rebase--interactive.c
index df19ccaeb9..c131fd4a27 100644
--- a/builtin/rebase--interactive.c
+++ b/builtin/rebase--interactive.c
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ static int do_interactive_rebase(struct replay_opts *opts, unsigned flags,
 				 const char *onto, const char *onto_name,
 				 const char *squash_onto, const char *head_name,
 				 const char *restrict_revision, char *raw_strategies,
-				 const char *cmd, unsigned autosquash)
+				 struct string_list *commands, unsigned autosquash)
 {
 	int ret;
 	const char *head_hash = NULL;
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ static int do_interactive_rebase(struct replay_opts *opts, unsigned flags,
 		discard_cache();
 		ret = complete_action(the_repository, opts, flags,
 				      shortrevisions, onto_name, onto,
-				      head_hash, cmd, autosquash);
+				      head_hash, commands, autosquash);
 	}
 
 	free(revisions);
@@ -139,6 +139,7 @@ int cmd_rebase__interactive(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	const char *onto = NULL, *onto_name = NULL, *restrict_revision = NULL,
 		*squash_onto = NULL, *upstream = NULL, *head_name = NULL,
 		*switch_to = NULL, *cmd = NULL;
+	struct string_list commands = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP;
 	char *raw_strategies = NULL;
 	enum {
 		NONE = 0, CONTINUE, SKIP, EDIT_TODO, SHOW_CURRENT_PATCH,
@@ -221,6 +222,11 @@ int cmd_rebase__interactive(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		warning(_("--[no-]rebase-cousins has no effect without "
 			  "--rebase-merges"));
 
+	if (cmd && *cmd) {
+		string_list_split(&commands, cmd, '\n', -1);
+		--commands.nr;
+	}
+
 	switch (command) {
 	case NONE:
 		if (!onto && !upstream)
@@ -228,7 +234,7 @@ int cmd_rebase__interactive(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 		ret = do_interactive_rebase(&opts, flags, switch_to, upstream, onto,
 					    onto_name, squash_onto, head_name, restrict_revision,
-					    raw_strategies, cmd, autosquash);
+					    raw_strategies, &commands, autosquash);
 		break;
 	case SKIP: {
 		struct string_list merge_rr = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP;
@@ -262,11 +268,12 @@ int cmd_rebase__interactive(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		ret = rearrange_squash(the_repository);
 		break;
 	case ADD_EXEC:
-		ret = sequencer_add_exec_commands(the_repository, cmd);
+		ret = sequencer_add_exec_commands(the_repository, &commands);
 		break;
 	default:
 		BUG("invalid command '%d'", command);
 	}
 
+	string_list_clear(&commands, 1);
 	return !!ret;
 }
diff --git a/sequencer.c b/sequencer.c
index 99e12c751e..82ca3432cd 100644
--- a/sequencer.c
+++ b/sequencer.c
@@ -4505,21 +4505,27 @@ int sequencer_make_script(struct repository *r, FILE *out,
  * Add commands after pick and (series of) squash/fixup commands
  * in the todo list.
  */
-int sequencer_add_exec_commands(struct repository *r,
-				const char *commands)
+static void todo_list_add_exec_commands(struct todo_list *todo_list,
+					struct string_list *commands)
 {
-	const char *todo_file = rebase_path_todo();
-	struct todo_list todo_list = TODO_LIST_INIT;
-	struct strbuf *buf = &todo_list.buf;
-	size_t offset = 0, commands_len = strlen(commands);
-	int i, insert;
+	struct strbuf *buf = &todo_list->buf;
+	size_t base_offset = buf->len;
+	int i, insert, nr = 0, alloc = 0;
+	struct todo_item *items = NULL, *base_items = NULL;
 
-	if (strbuf_read_file(&todo_list.buf, todo_file, 0) < 0)
-		return error(_("could not read '%s'."), todo_file);
+	base_items = xcalloc(commands->nr, sizeof(struct todo_item));
+	for (i = 0; i < commands->nr; i++) {
+		size_t command_len = strlen(commands->items[i].string);
 
-	if (todo_list_parse_insn_buffer(r, todo_list.buf.buf, &todo_list)) {
-		todo_list_release(&todo_list);
-		return error(_("unusable todo list: '%s'"), todo_file);
+		strbuf_addstr(buf, commands->items[i].string);
+		strbuf_addch(buf, '\n');
+
+		base_items[i].command = TODO_EXEC;
+		base_items[i].offset_in_buf = base_offset;
+		base_items[i].arg_offset = base_offset + strlen("exec ");
+		base_items[i].arg_len = command_len - strlen("exec ");
+
+		base_offset += command_len + 1;
 	}
 
 	/*
@@ -4527,39 +4533,60 @@ int sequencer_add_exec_commands(struct repository *r,
 	 * are considered part of the pick, so we insert the commands *after*
 	 * those chains if there are any.
 	 */
-	insert = -1;
-	for (i = 0; i < todo_list.nr; i++) {
-		enum todo_command command = todo_list.items[i].command;
-
-		if (insert >= 0) {
-			/* skip fixup/squash chains */
-			if (command == TODO_COMMENT)
-				continue;
-			else if (is_fixup(command)) {
-				insert = i + 1;
-				continue;
-			}
-			strbuf_insert(buf,
-				      todo_list.items[insert].offset_in_buf +
-				      offset, commands, commands_len);
-			offset += commands_len;
-			insert = -1;
+	insert = 0;
+	for (i = 0; i < todo_list->nr; i++) {
+		enum todo_command command = todo_list->items[i].command;
+		if (insert && !is_fixup(command)) {
+			ALLOC_GROW(items, nr + commands->nr, alloc);
+			COPY_ARRAY(items + nr, base_items, commands->nr);
+			nr += commands->nr;
+
+			insert = 0;
 		}
 
-		if (command == TODO_PICK || command == TODO_MERGE)
-			insert = i + 1;
+		ALLOC_GROW(items, nr + 1, alloc);
+		items[nr++] = todo_list->items[i];
+
+		if (command == TODO_PICK || command == TODO_MERGE || is_fixup(command))
+			insert = 1;
 	}
 
 	/* insert or append final <commands> */
-	if (insert >= 0 && insert < todo_list.nr)
-		strbuf_insert(buf, todo_list.items[insert].offset_in_buf +
-			      offset, commands, commands_len);
-	else if (insert >= 0 || !offset)
-		strbuf_add(buf, commands, commands_len);
+	if (insert || nr == todo_list->nr) {
+		ALLOC_GROW(items, nr + commands->nr, alloc);
+		COPY_ARRAY(items + nr, base_items, commands->nr);
+		nr += commands->nr;
+	}
+
+	free(base_items);
+	FREE_AND_NULL(todo_list->items);
+	todo_list->items = items;
+	todo_list->nr = nr;
+	todo_list->alloc = alloc;
+}
 
-	i = write_message(buf->buf, buf->len, todo_file, 0);
+int sequencer_add_exec_commands(struct repository *r,
+				struct string_list *commands)
+{
+	const char *todo_file = rebase_path_todo();
+	struct todo_list todo_list = TODO_LIST_INIT;
+	int res;
+
+	if (strbuf_read_file(&todo_list.buf, todo_file, 0) < 0)
+		return error_errno(_("could not read '%s'."), todo_file);
+
+	if (todo_list_parse_insn_buffer(r, todo_list.buf.buf, &todo_list)) {
+		todo_list_release(&todo_list);
+		return error(_("unusable todo list: '%s'"), todo_file);
+	}
+
+	todo_list_add_exec_commands(&todo_list, commands);
+	res = todo_list_write_to_file(r, &todo_list, todo_file, NULL, NULL, -1, 0);
 	todo_list_release(&todo_list);
-	return i;
+
+	if (res)
+		return error_errno(_("could not write '%s'."), todo_file);
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static void todo_list_to_strbuf(struct repository *r, struct todo_list *todo_list,
@@ -4790,7 +4817,7 @@ static int skip_unnecessary_picks(struct repository *r, struct object_id *output
 
 int complete_action(struct repository *r, struct replay_opts *opts, unsigned flags,
 		    const char *shortrevisions, const char *onto_name,
-		    const char *onto, const char *orig_head, const char *cmd,
+		    const char *onto, const char *orig_head, struct string_list *commands,
 		    unsigned autosquash)
 {
 	const char *shortonto, *todo_file = rebase_path_todo();
@@ -4809,8 +4836,8 @@ int complete_action(struct repository *r, struct replay_opts *opts, unsigned fla
 	if (autosquash && rearrange_squash(r))
 		return -1;
 
-	if (cmd && *cmd)
-		sequencer_add_exec_commands(r, cmd);
+	if (commands->nr)
+		sequencer_add_exec_commands(r, commands);
 
 	if (strbuf_read_file(buf, todo_file, 0) < 0)
 		return error_errno(_("could not read '%s'."), todo_file);
diff --git a/sequencer.h b/sequencer.h
index 217353e9f0..87d04a3b9b 100644
--- a/sequencer.h
+++ b/sequencer.h
@@ -146,12 +146,13 @@ int sequencer_make_script(struct repository *r, FILE *out, int argc,
 			  const char **argv,
 			  unsigned flags);
 
-int sequencer_add_exec_commands(struct repository *r, const char *command);
+int sequencer_add_exec_commands(struct repository *r,
+				struct string_list *commands);
 int transform_todo_file(struct repository *r, unsigned flags);
 int check_todo_list_from_file(struct repository *r);
 int complete_action(struct repository *r, struct replay_opts *opts, unsigned flags,
 		    const char *shortrevisions, const char *onto_name,
-		    const char *onto, const char *orig_head, const char *cmd,
+		    const char *onto, const char *orig_head, struct string_list *commands,
 		    unsigned autosquash);
 int rearrange_squash(struct repository *r);
 
