diff --git a/modules/ui/commit.js b/modules/ui/commit.js
index 5beec1448..b641ea3d8 100644
--- a/modules/ui/commit.js
+++ b/modules/ui/commit.js
@@ -193,7 +193,10 @@ export function uiCommit(context) {
 
         // add counts of warnings generated by the user's edits
         var warnings = context.validator()
-            .getIssuesBySeverity({ what: 'edited', where: 'all', includeIgnored: true, includeDisabledRules: true }).warning;
+            .getIssuesBySeverity({ what: 'edited', where: 'all', includeIgnored: true, includeDisabledRules: true })
+            .warning
+            .filter(function(issue) { return issue.type !== 'help_request'; });    // exclude 'fixme' and similar - #8603
+
         addIssueCounts(warnings, 'warnings');
 
         // add counts of issues resolved by the user's edits
diff --git a/modules/ui/commit_warnings.js b/modules/ui/commit_warnings.js
index 5c968e421..e02656c2c 100644
--- a/modules/ui/commit_warnings.js
+++ b/modules/ui/commit_warnings.js
@@ -12,6 +12,11 @@ export function uiCommitWarnings(context) {
 
         for (var severity in issuesBySeverity) {
             var issues = issuesBySeverity[severity];
+
+            if (severity !== 'error') {      // exclude 'fixme' and similar - #8603
+                issues = issues.filter(function(issue) { return issue.type !== 'help_request'; });
+            }
+
             var section = severity + '-section';
             var issueItem = severity + '-item';