diff --git a/eden/scm/sapling/localrepo.py b/eden/scm/sapling/localrepo.py
index d57e803c0e5d1..9f6de390e7298 100644
--- a/eden/scm/sapling/localrepo.py
+++ b/eden/scm/sapling/localrepo.py
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@
 from .i18n import _, _n
 from .node import bin, hex, nullhex, nullid
 from .pycompat import range
+from .utils import subtreeutil
 
 release = lockmod.release
 urlerr = util.urlerr
@@ -2825,6 +2826,12 @@ def commitctx(self, ctx, error=False):
             extra = ctx.extra().copy()
             if isgit:
                 git.update_extra_with_git_committer(self.ui, ctx, extra)
+
+            if subtreeutil.extra_contains_shallow_copy(extra):
+                # the file list can be large for a shallow copy, so don't
+                # put it in the files of commit text
+                files = []
+
             n = self.changelog.add(
                 mn,
                 files,
diff --git a/eden/scm/sapling/utils/subtreeutil.py b/eden/scm/sapling/utils/subtreeutil.py
index 765a192c68fbc..e641db0a75095 100644
--- a/eden/scm/sapling/utils/subtreeutil.py
+++ b/eden/scm/sapling/utils/subtreeutil.py
@@ -406,6 +406,20 @@ def contains_shallow_copy(repo, node):
     return False
 
 
+def extra_contains_shallow_copy(extra) -> bool:
+    """Check if the given commitctx extra contains any shallow copy metadata.
+
+    N.B. This function does not apply to "v0" subtree metadata because "v0" does
+    not have shallow copy type. It is used for newly incoming commits.
+    """
+    shallow_copy_key = BranchType.SHALLOW_COPY.to_key()
+    if metadata_list := _get_subtree_metadata(extra, SUBTREE_KEY):
+        for metadata in metadata_list:
+            if shallow_copy_key in metadata:
+                return True
+    return False
+
+
 def check_commit_splitability(repo, node):
     """Check if the given commit can be split into multiple commits.
 
diff --git a/eden/scm/tests/test-subtree-shallow-copy.t b/eden/scm/tests/test-subtree-shallow-copy.t
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..125a0dcb3bbf3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/eden/scm/tests/test-subtree-shallow-copy.t
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+  $ setconfig diff.git=True
+  $ setconfig subtree.copy-reuse-tree=True
+  $ setconfig subtree.allow-any-source-commit=True
+
+test subtree copy
+  $ newclientrepo
+  $ drawdag <<'EOS'
+  > B   # B/foo/x = bbb\n
+  > |
+  > A   # A/foo/x = aaa\n
+  >     # drawdag.defaultfiles=false
+  > EOS
+  $ hg go $B -q
+  $ hg subtree cp -r $A --from-path foo --to-path bar -m "subtree copy foo -> bar"
+  1 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  $ hg dbsh -c 'print(repo["."].extra())'
+  {'branch': 'default', 'test_subtree': '[{"copies":[{"from_commit":"d908813f0f7c9078810e26aad1e37bdb32013d4b","from_path":"foo","to_path":"bar"}],"v":1}]'}
+  $ hg dbsh -c 'print(repo["."].changeset().files)'
+  ()
+
+files list is still empty after amending the shallow copy commit
+  $ echo ccc >> bar/x
+  $ hg amend
+  $ hg dbsh -c 'print(repo["."].extra())'
+  {'branch': 'default', 'amend_source': '075709eca377ab1f8a1e6a31b7970d26ff9ec935', 'test_subtree': '[{"copies":[{"from_commit":"d908813f0f7c9078810e26aad1e37bdb32013d4b","from_path":"foo","to_path":"bar"}],"v":1}]'}
+  $ hg dbsh -c 'print(repo["."].changeset().files)'
+  ()
+  $ hg dbsh -c 'print(repo["."].files())'
+  ['bar/x']