diff --git a/mercurial/changelog.py b/mercurial/changelog.py
--- a/mercurial/changelog.py
+++ b/mercurial/changelog.py
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ class changelog(revlog.revlog):
         desc = encoding.tolocal(text[last + 2:])
         l = text[:last].split('\n')
         manifest = bin(l[0])
-        user = l[1]
+        user = encoding.tolocal(l[1])
 
         tdata = l[2].split(' ', 2)
         if len(tdata) != 3:
diff --git a/mercurial/context.py b/mercurial/context.py
--- a/mercurial/context.py
+++ b/mercurial/context.py
@@ -548,7 +548,7 @@ class changectx(basectx):
         return self._changeset[0]
 
     def user(self):
-        return encoding.tolocal(self._changeset[1])
+        return self._changeset[1]
     def date(self):
         return self._changeset[2]
     def files(self):