diff --git a/hgext/convert/p4.py b/hgext/convert/p4.py
--- a/hgext/convert/p4.py
+++ b/hgext/convert/p4.py
@@ -161,7 +161,12 @@ class p4_source(common.converter_source)
             d = self._fetch_revision(change)
             c = self._construct_commit(d, parents)
 
-            shortdesc = c.desc.splitlines(True)[0].rstrip('\r\n')
+            descarr = c.desc.splitlines(True)
+            if len(descarr) > 0:
+                shortdesc = descarr[0].rstrip('\r\n')
+            else:
+                shortdesc = '**empty changelist description**'
+
             t = '%s %s' % (c.rev, repr(shortdesc)[1:-1])
             ui.status(util.ellipsis(t, 80) + '\n')
 
diff --git a/tests/test-convert-p4.t b/tests/test-convert-p4.t
--- a/tests/test-convert-p4.t
+++ b/tests/test-convert-p4.t
@@ -141,5 +141,23 @@ convert again
   rev=1 desc="change a" tags="" files="a"
   rev=0 desc="initial" tags="" files="a b/c"
 
+empty commit message
+  $ p4 edit a
+  //depot/test-mercurial-import/a#3 - opened for edit
+  $ echo aaaaa >> a
+  $ p4 submit -d ""
+  Submitting change 6.
+  Locking 1 files ...
+  edit //depot/test-mercurial-import/a#4
+  Change 6 submitted.
+  $ hg convert -s p4 $DEPOTPATH dst
+  scanning source...
+  reading p4 views
+  collecting p4 changelists
+  6 **empty changelist description**
+  sorting...
+  converting...
+  0 
+
 exit trap:
   stopping the p4 server