diff --git a/cli/src/commit_templater.rs b/cli/src/commit_templater.rs
index a00656261a..cbf9191b32 100644
--- a/cli/src/commit_templater.rs
+++ b/cli/src/commit_templater.rs
@@ -430,6 +430,7 @@ pub struct CommitKeywordCache<'repo> {
     tags_index: OnceCell<Rc<RefNamesIndex>>,
     git_refs_index: OnceCell<Rc<RefNamesIndex>>,
     is_immutable_fn: OnceCell<Rc<RevsetContainingFn<'repo>>>,
+    is_private_fn: OnceCell<Rc<RevsetContainingFn<'repo>>>,
 }
 
 impl<'repo> CommitKeywordCache<'repo> {
@@ -458,6 +459,17 @@ impl<'repo> CommitKeywordCache<'repo> {
             Ok(revset.containing_fn().into())
         })
     }
+
+    pub fn is_private_fn(
+        &self,
+        language: &CommitTemplateLanguage<'repo>,
+        span: pest::Span<'_>,
+    ) -> TemplateParseResult<&Rc<RevsetContainingFn<'repo>>> {
+        self.is_private_fn.get_or_try_init(|| {
+            let revset = evaluate_private_revset(language, span)?;
+            Ok(revset.containing_fn().into())
+        })
+    }
 }
 
 fn builtin_commit_methods<'repo>() -> CommitTemplateBuildMethodFnMap<'repo, Commit> {
@@ -650,6 +662,18 @@ fn builtin_commit_methods<'repo>() -> CommitTemplateBuildMethodFnMap<'repo, Comm
             Ok(L::wrap_boolean(out_property))
         },
     );
+    map.insert(
+        "private",
+        |language, _build_ctx, self_property, function| {
+            function.expect_no_arguments()?;
+            let is_private = language
+                .keyword_cache
+                .is_private_fn(language, function.name_span)?
+                .clone();
+            let out_property = self_property.map(move |commit| is_private(commit.id()));
+            Ok(L::wrap_boolean(out_property))
+        },
+    );
     map.insert(
         "contained_in",
         |language, _build_ctx, self_property, function| {
@@ -762,6 +786,18 @@ fn evaluate_immutable_revset<'repo>(
     evaluate_revset_expression(language, span, expression)
 }
 
+fn evaluate_private_revset<'repo>(
+    language: &CommitTemplateLanguage<'repo>,
+    span: pest::Span<'_>,
+) -> Result<Box<dyn Revset + 'repo>, TemplateParseError> {
+    let expression = revset_util::parse_private_expression(&language.revset_parse_context)
+        .map_err(|err| {
+            TemplateParseError::expression("Failed to parse revset", span).with_source(err)
+        })?;
+
+    evaluate_revset_expression(language, span, expression)
+}
+
 fn evaluate_user_revset<'repo>(
     language: &CommitTemplateLanguage<'repo>,
     span: pest::Span<'_>,
diff --git a/cli/src/config/templates.toml b/cli/src/config/templates.toml
index bc8d0c0888..d85a3679c9 100644
--- a/cli/src/config/templates.toml
+++ b/cli/src/config/templates.toml
@@ -211,11 +211,13 @@ coalesce(
       if(current_working_copy, "working_copy"),
       if(immutable, "immutable"),
       if(conflict, "conflict"),
+      if(private, "private"),
     ),
     coalesce(
       if(current_working_copy, "@"),
       if(immutable, "◆"),
       if(conflict, "×"),
+      if(private, "◌"),
       "○",
     )
   )
@@ -230,11 +232,13 @@ coalesce(
       if(current_working_copy, "working_copy"),
       if(immutable, "immutable"),
       if(conflict, "conflict"),
+      if(private, "private"),
     ),
     coalesce(
       if(current_working_copy, "@"),
       if(immutable, "+"),
       if(conflict, "x"),
+      if(private, "#"),
       "o",
     )
   )
diff --git a/cli/tests/test_log_command.rs b/cli/tests/test_log_command.rs
index 15b1061152..6a046e4790 100644
--- a/cli/tests/test_log_command.rs
+++ b/cli/tests/test_log_command.rs
@@ -1541,3 +1541,66 @@ fn test_log_with_custom_symbols() {
     ^
     "###);
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn test_log_with_private_commits() {
+    // Test that elided commits are shown as synthetic nodes.
+    let test_env = TestEnvironment::default();
+    test_env.jj_cmd_ok(test_env.env_root(), &["git", "init", "repo"]);
+    let repo_path = test_env.env_root().join("repo");
+
+    test_env.jj_cmd_ok(&repo_path, &["describe", "-m", "initial"]);
+    test_env.jj_cmd_ok(&repo_path, &["new", "-m", "main branch 1"]);
+    test_env.jj_cmd_ok(&repo_path, &["new", "-m", "main branch 2"]);
+    test_env.jj_cmd_ok(&repo_path, &["new", "@--", "-m", "side branch 1"]);
+    test_env.jj_cmd_ok(&repo_path, &["new", "-m", "private 1"]);
+    test_env.jj_cmd_ok(
+        &repo_path,
+        &["new", "-m", "merge", r#"description("main branch 2")"#, "@"],
+    );
+
+    test_env.add_config(r#"revset-aliases."private_roots()" = "description(glob:'private*')""#);
+
+    let get_log = |revs: &str| -> String {
+        test_env.jj_cmd_success(
+            &repo_path,
+            &["log", "-T", r#"description ++ "\n""#, "-r", revs],
+        )
+    };
+
+    // Simple test with showing default and elided nodes.
+    test_env.add_config("ui.graph.style = 'curved'");
+    insta::assert_snapshot!(get_log(".."), @r###"
+    @    merge
+    ├─╮
+    │ ◌  private 1
+    │ │
+    │ ○  side branch 1
+    │ │
+    ○ │  main branch 2
+    │ │
+    ○ │  main branch 1
+    ├─╯
+    ○  initial
+    │
+    ~
+    "###);
+
+    // Simple test with showing default and elided nodes, ascii style.
+    test_env.add_config("ui.graph.style = 'ascii'");
+    insta::assert_snapshot!(get_log(".."), @r###"
+    @    merge
+    |\
+    | #  private 1
+    | |
+    | o  side branch 1
+    | |
+    o |  main branch 2
+    | |
+    o |  main branch 1
+    |/
+    o  initial
+    |
+    ~
+    "###);
+}