diff --git a/mercurial/templatekw.py b/mercurial/templatekw.py
--- a/mercurial/templatekw.py
+++ b/mercurial/templatekw.py
@@ -492,7 +492,7 @@ def showrevslist(name, revs, **args):
     repo = args['ctx'].repo()
     f = _showlist(name, revs, **args)
     return _hybrid(f, revs,
-                   lambda x: {name: x, 'ctx': repo[x], 'revcache': {}})
+                   lambda x: {name: x, 'ctx': repo[int(x)], 'revcache': {}})
 
 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
@@ -3310,6 +3310,13 @@ Test revset function
   0 a
   p 
 
+a revset item must be evaluated as an integer revision, not an offset from tip
+
+  $ hg log -l 1 -T '{revset("null") % "{rev}:{node|short}"}\n'
+  -1:000000000000
+  $ hg log -l 1 -T '{revset("%s", "null") % "{rev}:{node|short}"}\n'
+  -1:000000000000
+
 Test active bookmark templating
 
   $ hg book foo