diff --git a/mercurial/templatekw.py b/mercurial/templatekw.py
--- a/mercurial/templatekw.py
+++ b/mercurial/templatekw.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 # GNU General Public License version 2 or any later version.
 
 from node import hex
-import patch, util, error
+import patch, scmutil, util, error
 import hbisect
 
 # This helper class allows us to handle both:
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ def showphaseidx(repo, ctx, templ, **arg
 
 def showrev(repo, ctx, templ, **args):
     """:rev: Integer. The repository-local changeset revision number."""
-    return ctx.rev()
+    return scmutil.intrev(ctx.rev())
 
 def showsubrepos(**args):
     """:subrepos: List of strings. Updated subrepositories in the changeset."""
diff --git a/tests/test-command-template.t b/tests/test-command-template.t
--- a/tests/test-command-template.t
+++ b/tests/test-command-template.t
@@ -51,6 +51,12 @@ Second branch starting at nullrev:
   8 t
   7 f
 
+Working-directory revision has special identifiers, though they are still
+experimental:
+
+  $ hg log -r 'wdir()' -T '{rev}:{node}\n'
+  2147483647:ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff
+
 Some keywords are invalid for working-directory revision, but they should
 never cause crash: