diff --git a/graph.c b/graph.c
index 842282685f..bb6e3f0abc 100644
--- a/graph.c
+++ b/graph.c
@@ -60,6 +60,12 @@ struct column {
 	 * index into column_colors.
 	 */
 	unsigned short color;
+	/*
+	 * A placeholder column keeps the column of a parentless commit filled
+	 * for one extra row, avoiding a next unrelated commit to be printed
+	 * in the same column.
+	 */
+	unsigned is_placeholder:1;
 };
 
 enum graph_state {
@@ -572,6 +578,7 @@ static void graph_insert_into_new_columns(struct git_graph *graph,
 		i = graph->num_new_columns++;
 		graph->new_columns[i].commit = commit;
 		graph->new_columns[i].color = graph_find_commit_color(graph, commit);
+		graph->new_columns[i].is_placeholder = 0;
 	}
 
 	if (graph->num_parents > 1 && idx > -1 && graph->merge_layout == -1) {
@@ -616,7 +623,7 @@ static void graph_update_columns(struct git_graph *graph)
 {
 	struct commit_list *parent;
 	int max_new_columns;
-	int i, seen_this, is_commit_in_columns;
+	int i, seen_this, is_commit_in_columns, seems_root;
 
 	/*
 	 * Swap graph->columns with graph->new_columns
@@ -663,6 +670,12 @@ static void graph_update_columns(struct git_graph *graph)
 	 */
 	seen_this = 0;
 	is_commit_in_columns = 1;
+	/*
+	 * num_parents == 0 means that there are no parents flagged as
+	 * interesting to being shown.
+	 */
+	seems_root = graph->num_parents == 0 &&
+		     !(graph->commit->object.flags & BOUNDARY);
 	for (i = 0; i <= graph->num_columns; i++) {
 		struct commit *col_commit;
 		if (i == graph->num_columns) {
@@ -697,11 +710,40 @@ static void graph_update_columns(struct git_graph *graph)
 			 * least 2, even if it has no interesting parents.
 			 * The current commit always takes up at least 2
 			 * spaces.
+			 *
+			 * Check for the commit to seem like a root, no parents
+			 * rendered and that it is not a boundary commit. If so,
+			 * add a placeholder to keep that column filled for
+			 * at least one row.
+			 *
+			 * Prevents the next commit from being inserted
+			 * just below and making the graph confusing.
 			 */
-			if (graph->num_parents == 0)
+			if (seems_root) {
+				graph_insert_into_new_columns(graph, graph->commit, i);
+				graph->new_columns[graph->num_new_columns - 1]
+							    .is_placeholder = 1;
+			} else if (graph->num_parents == 0) {
 				graph->width += 2;
+			}
 		} else {
-			graph_insert_into_new_columns(graph, col_commit, -1);
+			if (graph->columns[i].is_placeholder) {
+				/*
+				 * Keep the placeholders if the next commit is
+				 * parentless also, making the indentation cascade.
+				 */
+				if (!seen_this && seems_root) {
+					graph_insert_into_new_columns(graph,
+							graph->columns[i].commit, i);
+					graph->new_columns[graph->num_new_columns - 1]
+							.is_placeholder = 1;
+				} else if (!seen_this) {
+					graph->mapping[graph->width] = -1;
+					graph->width += 2;
+				}
+			} else {
+				graph_insert_into_new_columns(graph, col_commit, -1);
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -872,7 +914,10 @@ static void graph_output_padding_line(struct git_graph *graph,
 			graph_line_addstr(line, "~ ");
 			break;
 		}
-		graph_line_write_column(line, &graph->new_columns[i], '|');
+		if (graph->new_columns[i].is_placeholder)
+			graph_line_write_column(line, &graph->new_columns[i], ' ');
+		else
+			graph_line_write_column(line, &graph->new_columns[i], '|');
 		graph_line_addch(line, ' ');
 	}
 }
@@ -1106,7 +1151,13 @@ static void graph_output_commit_line(struct git_graph *graph, struct graph_line
 			   graph->mapping[2 * i] < i) {
 			graph_line_write_column(line, col, '/');
 		} else {
-			graph_line_write_column(line, col, '|');
+			if (col->is_placeholder) {
+				if (seen_this)
+					continue;
+				graph_line_write_column(line, col, ' ');
+			} else {
+				graph_line_write_column(line, col, '|');
+			}
 		}
 		graph_line_addch(line, ' ');
 	}
@@ -1250,7 +1301,14 @@ static void graph_output_post_merge_line(struct git_graph *graph, struct graph_l
 			if (!graph_needs_truncation(graph, i + 1))
 				graph_line_addch(line, ' ');
 		} else {
-			graph_line_write_column(line, col, '|');
+			if (col->is_placeholder) {
+				if (seen_this)
+					continue;
+				graph_line_write_column(line, col, ' ');
+			} else {
+				graph_line_write_column(line, col, '|');
+			}
+
 			if (graph->merge_layout != 0 || i != graph->commit_index - 1) {
 				if (parent_col)
 					graph_line_write_column(
diff --git a/t/t4215-log-skewed-merges.sh b/t/t4215-log-skewed-merges.sh
index 1612f05f1b..a4aebfc26c 100755
--- a/t/t4215-log-skewed-merges.sh
+++ b/t/t4215-log-skewed-merges.sh
@@ -514,4 +514,128 @@ test_expect_success 'log --graph --graph-lane-limit=7 check if it shows all 3 pa
 	EOF
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'log --graph with root commit' '
+	git checkout --orphan 8_1 && test_commit 8_A && test_commit 8_A1 &&
+	git checkout --orphan 8_2 && test_commit 8_B &&
+
+	check_graph 8_2 8_1 <<-\EOF
+	* 8_B
+	  * 8_A1
+	 /
+	* 8_A
+	EOF
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'log --graph with multiple root commits' '
+	test_commit 8_B1 &&
+	git checkout --orphan 8_3 && test_commit 8_C &&
+
+	check_graph 8_3 8_2 8_1 <<-\EOF
+	* 8_C
+	  * 8_B1
+	 /
+	* 8_B
+	  * 8_A1
+	 /
+	* 8_A
+	EOF
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'log --graph commit from a two parent merge shifted' '
+	git checkout --orphan 9_1 && test_commit 9_B &&
+	git checkout --orphan 9_2 && test_commit 9_C &&
+	git checkout 9_1 &&
+	git merge 9_2 --allow-unrelated-histories -m 9_M &&
+	git checkout --orphan 9_3 &&
+	test_commit 9_A && test_commit 9_A1 && test_commit 9_A2 &&
+
+	check_graph 9_3 9_1 <<-\EOF
+	* 9_A2
+	* 9_A1
+	* 9_A
+	  * 9_M
+	 /|
+	| * 9_C
+	* 9_B
+	EOF
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'log --graph commit from a three parent merge shifted' '
+	git checkout --orphan 10_1 && test_commit 10_B &&
+	git checkout --orphan 10_2 && test_commit 10_C &&
+	git checkout --orphan 10_3 && test_commit 10_D &&
+	git checkout 10_1 &&
+	TREE=$(git write-tree) &&
+	MERGE=$(git commit-tree $TREE -p 10_1 -p 10_2 -p 10_3 -m 10_M) &&
+	git reset --hard $MERGE &&
+	git checkout --orphan 10_4 &&
+	test_commit 10_A && test_commit 10_A1 && test_commit 10_A2 &&
+
+	check_graph 10_4 10_1 <<-\EOF
+	* 10_A2
+	* 10_A1
+	* 10_A
+	  *   10_M
+	 /|\
+	| | * 10_D
+	| * 10_C
+	* 10_B
+	EOF
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'log --graph commit from a four parent merge shifted' '
+	git checkout --orphan 11_1 && test_commit 11_B &&
+	git checkout --orphan 11_2 && test_commit 11_C &&
+	git checkout --orphan 11_3 && test_commit 11_D &&
+	git checkout --orphan 11_4 && test_commit 11_E &&
+	git checkout 11_1 &&
+	TREE=$(git write-tree) &&
+	MERGE=$(git commit-tree $TREE -p 11_1 -p 11_2 -p 11_3 -p 11_4 -m 11_M) &&
+	git reset --hard $MERGE &&
+	git checkout --orphan 11_5 &&
+	test_commit 11_A && test_commit 11_A1 && test_commit 11_A2 &&
+
+	check_graph 11_5 11_1 <<-\EOF
+	* 11_A2
+	* 11_A1
+	* 11_A
+	  *-.   11_M
+	 /|\ \
+	| | | * 11_E
+	| | * 11_D
+	| * 11_C
+	* 11_B
+	EOF
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'log --graph disconnected three roots cascading' '
+	git checkout --orphan 12_1 && test_commit 12_D && test_commit 12_D1 &&
+	git checkout --orphan 12_2 && test_commit 12_C &&
+	git checkout --orphan 12_3 && test_commit 12_B &&
+	git checkout --orphan 12_4 && test_commit 12_A &&
+
+	check_graph 12_4 12_3 12_2 12_1 <<-\EOF
+	* 12_A
+	  * 12_B
+	    * 12_C
+	      * 12_D1
+	   _ /
+	  /
+	 /
+	* 12_D
+	EOF
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'log --graph with excluded parent (not a root)' '
+	git checkout --orphan 13_1 && test_commit 13_X && test_commit 13_Y &&
+	git checkout --orphan 13_2 && test_commit 13_O && test_commit 13_A &&
+
+	check_graph 13_O..13_A 13_1 <<-\EOF
+	* 13_A
+	  * 13_Y
+	 /
+	* 13_X
+	EOF
+'
+
 test_done