diff --git a/cli/src/cli_util.rs b/cli/src/cli_util.rs
index 8ba78e29f8..be61f4ad1f 100644
--- a/cli/src/cli_util.rs
+++ b/cli/src/cli_util.rs
@@ -1651,21 +1651,6 @@ pub fn print_trackable_remote_branches(ui: &Ui, view: &View) -> io::Result<()> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
-/// Resolves revsets into revisions for use; useful for rebases or operations
-/// that take multiple parents.
-pub fn resolve_all_revs(
-    workspace_command: &WorkspaceCommandHelper,
-    revisions: &[RevisionArg],
-) -> Result<IndexSet<Commit>, CommandError> {
-    let commits = resolve_multiple_nonempty_revsets_default_single(workspace_command, revisions)?;
-    let root_commit_id = workspace_command.repo().store().root_commit_id();
-    if commits.len() >= 2 && commits.iter().any(|c| c.id() == root_commit_id) {
-        Err(user_error("Cannot merge with root revision"))
-    } else {
-        Ok(commits)
-    }
-}
-
 pub fn resolve_multiple_nonempty_revsets_default_single(
     workspace_command: &WorkspaceCommandHelper,
     revisions: &[RevisionArg],
diff --git a/cli/src/commands/new.rs b/cli/src/commands/new.rs
index 54b5ee8a29..de7d670f95 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/new.rs
+++ b/cli/src/commands/new.rs
@@ -22,7 +22,9 @@ use jj_lib::revset::{RevsetExpression, RevsetIteratorExt};
 use jj_lib::rewrite::{merge_commit_trees, rebase_commit};
 use tracing::instrument;
 
-use crate::cli_util::{self, short_commit_hash, CommandHelper, RevisionArg};
+use crate::cli_util::{
+    resolve_multiple_nonempty_revsets_default_single, short_commit_hash, CommandHelper, RevisionArg,
+};
 use crate::command_error::{user_error, CommandError};
 use crate::description_util::join_message_paragraphs;
 use crate::ui::Ui;
@@ -98,9 +100,10 @@ Please use `jj new 'all:x|y'` instead of `jj new --allow-large-revsets x y`.",
         !args.revisions.is_empty(),
         "expected a non-empty list from clap"
     );
-    let target_commits = cli_util::resolve_all_revs(&workspace_command, &args.revisions)?
-        .into_iter()
-        .collect_vec();
+    let target_commits =
+        resolve_multiple_nonempty_revsets_default_single(&workspace_command, &args.revisions)?
+            .into_iter()
+            .collect_vec();
     let target_ids = target_commits.iter().map(|c| c.id().clone()).collect_vec();
     let mut tx = workspace_command.start_transaction();
     let mut num_rebased;
diff --git a/cli/src/commands/rebase.rs b/cli/src/commands/rebase.rs
index cdf13fbc2e..af3991b719 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/rebase.rs
+++ b/cli/src/commands/rebase.rs
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ use jj_lib::settings::UserSettings;
 use tracing::instrument;
 
 use crate::cli_util::{
-    self, resolve_multiple_nonempty_revsets_default_single, short_commit_hash, CommandHelper,
+    resolve_multiple_nonempty_revsets_default_single, short_commit_hash, CommandHelper,
     RevisionArg, WorkspaceCommandHelper,
 };
 use crate::command_error::{user_error, CommandError};
@@ -191,9 +191,10 @@ Please use `jj rebase -d 'all:x|y'` instead of `jj rebase --allow-large-revsets
         simplify_ancestor_merge: false,
     };
     let mut workspace_command = command.workspace_helper(ui)?;
-    let new_parents = cli_util::resolve_all_revs(&workspace_command, &args.destination)?
-        .into_iter()
-        .collect_vec();
+    let new_parents =
+        resolve_multiple_nonempty_revsets_default_single(&workspace_command, &args.destination)?
+            .into_iter()
+            .collect_vec();
     if let Some(rev_str) = &args.revision {
         assert_eq!(
             // In principle, `-r --skip-empty` could mean to abandon the `-r`
diff --git a/cli/src/commands/workspace.rs b/cli/src/commands/workspace.rs
index d2a4328f4b..9160281246 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/workspace.rs
+++ b/cli/src/commands/workspace.rs
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ use jj_lib::workspace::Workspace;
 use tracing::instrument;
 
 use crate::cli_util::{
-    self, check_stale_working_copy, print_checkout_stats, short_commit_hash, CommandHelper,
+    check_stale_working_copy, print_checkout_stats,
+    resolve_multiple_nonempty_revsets_default_single, short_commit_hash, CommandHelper,
     RevisionArg, WorkingCopyFreshness, WorkspaceCommandHelper,
 };
 use crate::command_error::{internal_error_with_message, user_error, CommandError};
@@ -202,7 +203,7 @@ fn cmd_workspace_add(
             vec![tx.repo().store().root_commit()]
         }
     } else {
-        cli_util::resolve_all_revs(&old_workspace_command, &args.revision)?
+        resolve_multiple_nonempty_revsets_default_single(&old_workspace_command, &args.revision)?
             .into_iter()
             .collect_vec()
     };
diff --git a/cli/tests/test_new_command.rs b/cli/tests/test_new_command.rs
index 1d30be8e3f..55462dc56a 100644
--- a/cli/tests/test_new_command.rs
+++ b/cli/tests/test_new_command.rs
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ fn test_new_merge() {
     // merge with root
     let stderr = test_env.jj_cmd_failure(&repo_path, &["new", "@", "root()"]);
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @r###"
-    Error: Cannot merge with root revision
+    Error: The Git backend does not support creating merge commits with the root commit as one of the parents.
     "###);
 }
 
diff --git a/cli/tests/test_rebase_command.rs b/cli/tests/test_rebase_command.rs
index 4f2d3b3078..8d22cdaf75 100644
--- a/cli/tests/test_rebase_command.rs
+++ b/cli/tests/test_rebase_command.rs
@@ -515,7 +515,8 @@ fn test_rebase_multiple_destinations() {
         &["rebase", "-r", "a", "-d", "b", "-d", "root()"],
     );
     insta::assert_snapshot!(stderr, @r###"
-    Error: Cannot merge with root revision
+    Error: Merge failed
+    Caused by: The Git backend does not support creating merge commits with the root commit as one of the parents.
     "###);
 }