diff --git a/Utilities/Hooks/commit-msg b/Utilities/Hooks/commit-msg
deleted file mode 100755
index a215bf8718a..00000000000
--- a/Utilities/Hooks/commit-msg
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,73 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-#==========================================================================
-#
-#   Copyright NumFOCUS
-#
-#   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-#   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-#   You may obtain a copy of the License at
-#
-#          https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.txt
-#
-#   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-#   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-#   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-#   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-#   limitations under the License.
-#
-#==========================================================================*/
-
-egrep-q() {
-  egrep "$@" >/dev/null 2>/dev/null
-}
-
-# Prepare a copy of the message:
-#  - strip comment lines
-#  - stop at "diff --git" (git commit -v)
-commit_msg="$GIT_DIR/COMMIT_MSG"
-sed -n -e '/^#/d' -e '/^diff --git/q' -e 'p;d' "$1" > "$commit_msg"
-
-die() {
-  echo 'commit-msg hook failure' 1>&2
-  echo '-----------------------' 1>&2
-  echo '' 1>&2
-  echo "$@" 1>&2
-  echo '
-To continue editing, run the command
-  git commit -e -F '"$commit_msg"'
-(assuming your working directory is at the top).' 1>&2
-  exit 1
-}
-
-# Check the first line for a standard prefix.
-cat "$commit_msg" |
-while IFS='' read line; do
-  # Look for the first non-empty line.
-  len=$(echo -n "$line" | wc -c)
-  if test $len -gt 0; then
-    # Look for valid prefixes.
-    echo "$line" |
-    egrep-q '^(Merge|Revert|BUG:|COMP:|DOC:|ENH:|PERF:|STYLE:|WIP:) ' ||
-    die 'Start ITK commit messages with a standard prefix (and a space):
-  BUG:    - fix for runtime crash or incorrect result
-  COMP:   - compiler error or warning fix
-  DOC:    - documentation change
-  ENH:    - new functionality
-  PERF:   - performance improvement
-  STYLE:  - no logic impact (indentation, comments)
-  WIP:    - Work In Progress not ready for merge
-To reference GitHub issue XXXX, add "Issue #XXXX" to the commit message.
-If the issue addresses an open issue, add "Closes #XXXX" to the message.'
-
-    # Reject bug number reference that CDash rejects.
-    echo "$line" |
-    egrep-q '^BUG: [0-9][0-9]*\.' &&
-    die 'Do not put a "." after the bug number:
-
-  '"$line"
-
-    # Done.  Skip rest of lines.
-    break
-  fi
-done &&
-rm -f "$commit_msg" || exit 1
diff --git a/Utilities/Hooks/kw-commit-msg b/Utilities/Hooks/kw-commit-msg
index b1c6b9aec62..723763d35f5 100755
--- a/Utilities/Hooks/kw-commit-msg
+++ b/Utilities/Hooks/kw-commit-msg
@@ -15,6 +15,12 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 #=============================================================================
 
+# Ensure that the first arguement is a valid file for processing
+if [ ! -f "$1" ]; then
+  echo "Missing input commit message file for the kw-commit-msg processing"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 # Prepare a copy of the message:
 #  - strip comment lines
 #  - stop at "diff --git" (git commit -v)
@@ -29,8 +35,8 @@ To continue editing, run the command
 die() {
 	echo 'commit-msg hook failure' 1>&2
 	echo '-----------------------' 1>&2
-	echo '' 1>&2
 	echo "$@" 1>&2
+	echo '-----------------------' 1>&2
 	test -n "$die_advice" && echo "$die_advice" 1>&2
 	exit 1
 }
@@ -48,7 +54,10 @@ msg_is_revert() {
 
 msg_first() {
 	len=$(echo -n "$line" | wc -c)
-	max_len=$(hooks_config --get hooks.commit-msg.maxLength || echo 78) &&
+        # Use one of the following git commands to set the enforced subject maximum length.
+        # git config --global hooks.commit-msg.ITKCommitSubjectMaxLength 78
+        # git config --local  hooks.commit-msg.ITKCommitSubjectMaxLength 78
+	max_len=$(git config --get hooks.commit-msg.ITKCommitSubjectMaxLength || echo 78) &&
 	if test $len -eq 0; then
 		# not yet first line
 		return
@@ -65,6 +74,26 @@ msg_first() {
 	elif echo "$line" | grep "^[	 ]\|[	 ]$" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
 		die 'The first line may not have leading or trailing space:
 ['"$line"']'
+
+        # Look for valid prefixes.
+        elif ! echo "$line" | egrep -q '^(Merge|Revert|BUG:|COMP:|DOC:|ENH:|PERF:|STYLE:|WIP:) ' > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+                die 'Start ITK commit messages with a standard prefix (and a space):
+  BUG:    - fix for runtime crash or incorrect result
+  COMP:   - compiler error or warning fix
+  DOC:    - documentation change
+  ENH:    - new functionality
+  PERF:   - performance improvement
+  STYLE:  - no logic impact (indentation, comments)
+  WIP:    - Work In Progress not ready for merge
+To reference GitHub issue XXXX, add "Issue #XXXX" to the commit message.
+If the issue addresses an open issue, add "Closes #XXXX" to the message.'
+
+          # Reject bug number reference that CDash rejects.
+          elif echo "$line" | egrep -q '^BUG: [0-9][0-9]*\.'> /dev/null 2>&1; then
+                 die 'Do not put a "." after the bug number:
+
+  '"$line"
+
 	else
 		# first line okay
 		state=second
@@ -74,8 +103,14 @@ msg_first() {
 msg_second() {
 	if test "x$line" != "x"; then
 		die 'The second line must be empty:
-'"$line"
+'"\"$line\""
 	fi
+        state=third
+}
+
+msg_third() {
+        #Do nothing for 3rd -> Nth line
+        state=third
 }
 
 # Pipe commit message into the state machine.
@@ -84,5 +119,5 @@ cat "$commit_msg" |
 while IFS='' read line; do
 	msg_$state || break
 done &&
-rm -f "$commit_msg" || exit 1
+#rm -f "$commit_msg" || exit 1
 die_advice='' # No more temporary message file.