diff --git a/mercurial/changelog.py b/mercurial/changelog.py
--- a/mercurial/changelog.py
+++ b/mercurial/changelog.py
@@ -334,12 +334,20 @@ class changelog(revlog.revlog):
         (.*)            : comment (free text, ideally utf-8)
 
         changelog v0 doesn't use extra
+
+        Returns a 6-tuple consisting of the following:
+          - manifest node (binary)
+          - user (encoding.localstr)
+          - (time, timezone) 2-tuple of a float and int offset
+          - list of files modified by the cset
+          - commit message / description (binary)
+          - dict of extra entries
         """
         text = self.revision(node)
         if not text:
             return nullid, "", (0, 0), [], "", _defaultextra
         last = text.index("\n\n")
-        desc = encoding.tolocal(text[last + 2:])
+        desc = text[last + 2:]
         l = text[:last].split('\n')
         manifest = bin(l[0])
         user = encoding.tolocal(l[1])
diff --git a/mercurial/context.py b/mercurial/context.py
--- a/mercurial/context.py
+++ b/mercurial/context.py
@@ -554,7 +554,7 @@ class changectx(basectx):
     def files(self):
         return self._changeset[3]
     def description(self):
-        return self._changeset[4]
+        return encoding.tolocal(self._changeset[4])
     def branch(self):
         return encoding.tolocal(self._changeset[5].get("branch"))
     def closesbranch(self):