diff --git a/pretty.c b/pretty.c
index d55b88607a..c6c757c0ce 100644
--- a/pretty.c
+++ b/pretty.c
@@ -1597,9 +1597,21 @@ static size_t format_commit_item(struct strbuf *sb, /* in UTF-8 */
 	default:
 		break;
 	}
-	if (magic != NO_MAGIC)
+	if (magic != NO_MAGIC) {
 		placeholder++;
 
+		switch (placeholder[0]) {
+		case 'w':
+			/*
+			 * `%+w()` cannot ever expand to a non-empty string,
+			 * and it potentially changes the layout of preceding
+			 * contents. We're thus not able to handle the magic in
+			 * this combination and refuse the pattern.
+			 */
+			return 0;
+		};
+	}
+
 	orig_len = sb->len;
 	if (((struct format_commit_context *)context)->flush_type != no_flush)
 		consumed = format_and_pad_commit(sb, placeholder, context);
diff --git a/t/t4205-log-pretty-formats.sh b/t/t4205-log-pretty-formats.sh
index cdde37d325..1d768f7244 100755
--- a/t/t4205-log-pretty-formats.sh
+++ b/t/t4205-log-pretty-formats.sh
@@ -879,6 +879,14 @@ test_expect_success 'log --pretty with invalid padding format' '
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'log --pretty with magical wrapping directives' '
+	commit_id=$(git commit-tree HEAD^{tree} -m "describe me") &&
+	git tag describe-me $commit_id &&
+	printf "\n(tag:\ndescribe-me)%%+w(2)" >expect &&
+	git log -1 --pretty="format:%w(1)%+d%+w(2)" $commit_id >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
 test_expect_success EXPENSIVE,SIZE_T_IS_64BIT 'log --pretty with huge commit message' '
 	# We only assert that this command does not crash. This needs to be
 	# executed with the address sanitizer to demonstrate failure.