diff --git a/pretty.c b/pretty.c
index 3c43db558a..c9cf67ea7c 100644
--- a/pretty.c
+++ b/pretty.c
@@ -1506,13 +1506,18 @@ void format_commit_message(const struct commit *commit,
 	context.commit = commit;
 	context.pretty_ctx = pretty_ctx;
 	context.wrap_start = sb->len;
+	/*
+	 * convert a commit message to UTF-8 first
+	 * as far as 'format_commit_item' assumes it in UTF-8
+	 */
 	context.message = logmsg_reencode(commit,
 					  &context.commit_encoding,
-					  output_enc);
+					  utf8);
 
 	strbuf_expand(sb, format, format_commit_item, &context);
 	rewrap_message_tail(sb, &context, 0, 0, 0);
 
+	/* then convert a commit message to an actual output encoding */
 	if (output_enc) {
 		if (same_encoding(utf8, output_enc))
 			output_enc = NULL;
diff --git a/t/t4205-log-pretty-formats.sh b/t/t4205-log-pretty-formats.sh
index 74babced70..c84ec9ae61 100755
--- a/t/t4205-log-pretty-formats.sh
+++ b/t/t4205-log-pretty-formats.sh
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ EOF
 	test_cmp expected actual
 '
 
-test_expect_failure 'left alignment formatting with trunc. i18n.logOutputEncoding' '
+test_expect_success 'left alignment formatting with trunc. i18n.logOutputEncoding' '
 	git -c i18n.logOutputEncoding=$test_encoding log --pretty="tformat:%<(10,trunc)%s" >actual &&
 	qz_to_tab_space <<EOF | iconv -f utf-8 -t $test_encoding >expected &&
 message ..
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ EOF
 	test_cmp expected actual
 '
 
-test_expect_failure 'left alignment formatting with ltrunc. i18n.logOutputEncoding' '
+test_expect_success 'left alignment formatting with ltrunc. i18n.logOutputEncoding' '
 	git -c i18n.logOutputEncoding=$test_encoding log --pretty="tformat:%<(10,ltrunc)%s" >actual &&
 	qz_to_tab_space <<EOF | iconv -f utf-8 -t $test_encoding >expected &&
 ..sage two
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ EOF
 	test_cmp expected actual
 '
 
-test_expect_failure 'left alignment formatting with mtrunc. i18n.logOutputEncoding' '
+test_expect_success 'left alignment formatting with mtrunc. i18n.logOutputEncoding' '
 	git -c i18n.logOutputEncoding=$test_encoding log --pretty="tformat:%<(10,mtrunc)%s" >actual &&
 	qz_to_tab_space <<EOF | iconv -f utf-8 -t $test_encoding >expected &&
 mess.. two
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ initial...   A U Thor
 EOF
 	test_cmp expected actual
 '
-test_expect_failure 'left/right alignment formatting with stealing. i18n.logOutputEncoding' '
+test_expect_success 'left/right alignment formatting with stealing. i18n.logOutputEncoding' '
 	git -c i18n.logOutputEncoding=$test_encoding log --pretty="tformat:%<(10,trunc)%s%>>(10,ltrunc)% an" >actual &&
 	cat <<EOF | iconv -f utf-8 -t $test_encoding >expected &&
 short long  long long
diff --git a/t/t6006-rev-list-format.sh b/t/t6006-rev-list-format.sh
index 680b960152..c277db64f7 100755
--- a/t/t6006-rev-list-format.sh
+++ b/t/t6006-rev-list-format.sh
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ commit $head1
 $added_iso88591
 EOF
 
-test_format complex-subject-trunc "%<($truncate_count,trunc)%s" failure <<EOF
+test_format complex-subject-trunc "%<($truncate_count,trunc)%s" <<EOF
 commit $head3
 Test printing of c..
 commit $head2
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ commit $head1
 added (hinzugef${added_utf8_part_iso88591}gt..
 EOF
 
-test_format complex-subject-mtrunc "%<($truncate_count,mtrunc)%s" failure <<EOF
+test_format complex-subject-mtrunc "%<($truncate_count,mtrunc)%s" <<EOF
 commit $head3
 Test prin..ex bodies
 commit $head2
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ commit $head1
 added (hi..f${added_utf8_part_iso88591}gt) foo
 EOF
 
-test_format complex-subject-ltrunc "%<($truncate_count,ltrunc)%s" failure <<EOF
+test_format complex-subject-ltrunc "%<($truncate_count,ltrunc)%s" <<EOF
 commit $head3
 .. of complex bodies
 commit $head2