diff --git a/mercurial/templatefuncs.py b/mercurial/templatefuncs.py
--- a/mercurial/templatefuncs.py
+++ b/mercurial/templatefuncs.py
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ def files(context, mapping, args):
     ctx = context.resource(mapping, 'ctx')
     m = ctx.match([raw])
     files = list(ctx.matches(m))
-    return templateutil.compatlist(context, mapping, "file", files)
+    return templateutil.compatfileslist(context, mapping, "file", files)
 
 @templatefunc('fill(text[, width[, initialident[, hangindent]]])')
 def fill(context, mapping, args):
diff --git a/mercurial/templatekw.py b/mercurial/templatekw.py
--- a/mercurial/templatekw.py
+++ b/mercurial/templatekw.py
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ def _showfilesbystat(context, mapping, n
     if 'files' not in revcache:
         revcache['files'] = ctx.p1().status(ctx)[:3]
     files = revcache['files'][index]
-    return compatlist(context, mapping, name, files, element='file')
+    return templateutil.compatfileslist(context, mapping, name, files)
 
 @templatekeyword('file_adds', requires={'ctx', 'revcache'})
 def showfileadds(context, mapping):
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ def showfiles(context, mapping):
     changeset.
     """
     ctx = context.resource(mapping, 'ctx')
-    return compatlist(context, mapping, 'file', ctx.files())
+    return templateutil.compatfileslist(context, mapping, 'file', ctx.files())
 
 @templatekeyword('graphnode', requires={'repo', 'ctx'})
 def showgraphnode(context, mapping):
diff --git a/mercurial/templateutil.py b/mercurial/templateutil.py
--- a/mercurial/templateutil.py
+++ b/mercurial/templateutil.py
@@ -570,6 +570,17 @@ def compatlist(context, mapping, name, d
     f = _showcompatlist(context, mapping, name, data, plural, separator)
     return hybridlist(data, name=element or name, fmt=fmt, gen=f)
 
+def compatfileslist(context, mapping, name, files):
+    """Wrap list of file names to support old-style list template and field
+    names
+
+    This exists for backward compatibility. Use hybridlist for new template
+    keywords.
+    """
+    f = _showcompatlist(context, mapping, name, files)
+    return hybrid(f, files, lambda x: {'file': x, 'path': x},
+                  pycompat.identity)
+
 def _showcompatlist(context, mapping, name, values, plural=None, separator=' '):
     """Return a generator that renders old-style list template
 
diff --git a/tests/test-template-functions.t b/tests/test-template-functions.t
--- a/tests/test-template-functions.t
+++ b/tests/test-template-functions.t
@@ -1198,6 +1198,12 @@ Test files function
   
   0
   
+
+  $ hg log -l1 -T "{files('aa') % '{file}\n'}"
+  aa
+  $ hg log -l1 -T "{files('aa') % '{path}\n'}"
+  aa
+
   $ hg rm a
   $ hg log -r "wdir()" -T "{rev}\n{join(files('*'), '\n')}\n"
   2147483647
diff --git a/tests/test-template-keywords.t b/tests/test-template-keywords.t
--- a/tests/test-template-keywords.t
+++ b/tests/test-template-keywords.t
@@ -745,6 +745,30 @@ Add a commit that does all possible modi
   $ hg rm a
   $ hg ci -m "Modify, add, remove, rename"
 
+Test files list:
+
+  $ hg log -l1 -T '{join(file_mods, " ")}\n'
+  third
+  $ hg log -l1 -T '{file_mods % "{file}\n"}'
+  third
+  $ hg log -l1 -T '{file_mods % "{path}\n"}'
+  third
+
+  $ hg log -l1 -T '{join(files, " ")}\n'
+  a b fifth fourth third
+  $ hg log -l1 -T '{files % "{file}\n"}'
+  a
+  b
+  fifth
+  fourth
+  third
+  $ hg log -l1 -T '{files % "{path}\n"}'
+  a
+  b
+  fifth
+  fourth
+  third
+
 Test index keyword:
 
   $ hg log -l 2 -T '{index + 10}{files % " {index}:{file}"}\n'