diff --git a/src/Cmd.cpp b/src/Cmd.cpp
index 86c7d00d3..d8578892c 100644
--- a/src/Cmd.cpp
+++ b/src/Cmd.cpp
@@ -134,7 +134,6 @@ void Cmd::load ()
     commands.push_back ("_ids");
     commands.push_back ("_config");
     commands.push_back ("_version");
-    commands.push_back ("_merge");
     commands.push_back ("_urgency");
     commands.push_back ("export.csv");
     commands.push_back ("export.ical");
@@ -174,6 +173,7 @@ void Cmd::load ()
     commands.push_back (context.stringtable.get (CMD_TIMESHEET, "timesheet"));
     commands.push_back (context.stringtable.get (CMD_UNDO,      "undo"));
     commands.push_back (context.stringtable.get (CMD_VERSION,   "version"));
+    commands.push_back (context.stringtable.get (CMD_MERGE,     "merge"));
 
     // Now load the custom reports.
     std::vector <std::string> all;
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ bool Cmd::isReadOnlyCommand ()
 // Commands that directly modify the data files.
 bool Cmd::isWriteCommand ()
 {
-  if (command == "_merge"                                             ||
+  if (command == context.stringtable.get (CMD_MERGE,     "merge")     ||
       command == context.stringtable.get (CMD_ADD,       "add")       ||
       command == context.stringtable.get (CMD_APPEND,    "append")    ||
       command == context.stringtable.get (CMD_ANNOTATE,  "annotate")  ||
diff --git a/src/Context.cpp b/src/Context.cpp
index a32d47701..37a606d60 100644
--- a/src/Context.cpp
+++ b/src/Context.cpp
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ int Context::dispatch (std::string &out)
   else if (cmd.command == "shell")            {      handleShell                 (   ); }
 #endif
   else if (cmd.command == "undo")             {      handleUndo                  (   ); }
-  else if (cmd.command == "_merge")           { tdb.gc ();
+  else if (cmd.command == "merge")            { tdb.gc ();
 	                                                  handleMerge                 (out); }
   else if (cmd.command == "_projects")        { rc = handleCompletionProjects    (out); }
   else if (cmd.command == "_tags")            { rc = handleCompletionTags        (out); }
diff --git a/src/i18n.h b/src/i18n.h
index 0690e6c9f..568052aa7 100644
--- a/src/i18n.h
+++ b/src/i18n.h
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@
 #define CMD_SHELL               229
 #define CMD_CONFIG              230
 #define CMD_SHOW                231
+#define CMD_MERGE               232
 
 // 3xx Attributes
 #define ATT_PROJECT             300
diff --git a/src/tests/merge.t b/src/tests/merge.t
index 2e1511d92..7b0f99aad 100755
--- a/src/tests/merge.t
+++ b/src/tests/merge.t
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ sleep(1);
 qx{../task rc:remote.rc 4 +gym};         # right_newer
 
 # merge remote into local
-my $output_l = qx{../task rc:local.rc _merge remote/undo.data};
+my $output_l = qx{../task rc:local.rc merge remote/undo.data};
 
 #check output
 like   ($output_l,   qr/Running redo/,         "local-merge finished");
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ unlike ($output_l,   qr/Missing/,              "local-merge: no missing entry");
 unlike ($output_l,   qr/Not adding duplicate/, "local-merge: no duplicates");
 
 # merge local into remote
-my $output_r = qx{../task rc:remote.rc _merge local/undo.data};
+my $output_r = qx{../task rc:remote.rc merge local/undo.data};
 
 # check output
 like   ($output_r,   qr/Running redo/,         "remote-merge finished");