diff --git a/src/js/git/index.js b/src/js/git/index.js
index 8749c720..2177bf26 100644
--- a/src/js/git/index.js
+++ b/src/js/git/index.js
@@ -1158,9 +1158,9 @@ GitEngine.prototype.rebaseFinish = function(toRebaseRough, stopSet, targetSource
 };
 
 GitEngine.prototype.mergeStarter = function() {
-  this.twoArgsImpliedHead(this.generalArgs);
+  this.validateArgBounds(this.generalArgs, 1, 1);
 
-  var newCommit = this.merge(this.generalArgs[0], this.generalArgs[1]);
+  var newCommit = this.merge(this.generalArgs[0]);
 
   if (newCommit === undefined) {
     // its just a fast forwrard
@@ -1171,7 +1171,9 @@ GitEngine.prototype.mergeStarter = function() {
   this.animationFactory.genCommitBirthAnimation(this.animationQueue, newCommit, this.gitVisuals);
 };
 
-GitEngine.prototype.merge = function(targetSource, currentLocation) {
+GitEngine.prototype.merge = function(targetSource) {
+  var currentLocation = 'HEAD';
+
   // first some conditions
   if (this.isUpstreamOf(targetSource, currentLocation) ||
       this.getCommitFromRef(targetSource) === this.getCommitFromRef(currentLocation)) {
diff --git a/src/levels/intro/3.js b/src/levels/intro/3.js
index 54dde492..705f9bd3 100644
--- a/src/levels/intro/3.js
+++ b/src/levels/intro/3.js
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ exports.level = {
             "",
             "So here we see that the `master` branch color is blended into all the commits, but the `bugFix` color is not. Let's fix that..."
           ],
-          "command": "git merge bugFix master",
+          "command": "git merge bugFix",
           "beforeCommand": "git checkout -b bugFix; git commit; git checkout master; git commit"
         }
       },
@@ -52,8 +52,8 @@ exports.level = {
             "",
             "Now all the commits are the same color, which means each branch contains all the work in the repository! Woohoo"
           ],
-          "command": "git merge master bugFix",
-          "beforeCommand": "git checkout -b bugFix; git commit; git checkout master; git commit; git merge bugFix master"
+          "command": "git checkout bugFix; git merge master",
+          "beforeCommand": "git checkout -b bugFix; git commit; git checkout master; git commit; git merge bugFix"
         }
       },
       {