diff --git a/builtin/mailinfo.c b/builtin/mailinfo.c
index cfb667a594..77f96177cc 100644
--- a/builtin/mailinfo.c
+++ b/builtin/mailinfo.c
@@ -11,17 +11,25 @@
 static const char mailinfo_usage[] =
 	"git mailinfo [-k | -b] [-m | --message-id] [-u | --encoding=<encoding> | -n] [--scissors | --no-scissors] <msg> <patch> < mail >info";
 
+struct metainfo_charset
+{
+	enum {
+		CHARSET_DEFAULT,
+		CHARSET_NO_REENCODE,
+		CHARSET_EXPLICIT,
+	} policy;
+	const char *charset;
+};
+
 int cmd_mailinfo(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
-	const char *def_charset;
+	struct metainfo_charset meta_charset;
 	struct mailinfo mi;
 	int status;
 	char *msgfile, *patchfile;
 
 	setup_mailinfo(&mi);
-
-	def_charset = get_commit_output_encoding();
-	mi.metainfo_charset = def_charset;
+	meta_charset.policy = CHARSET_DEFAULT;
 
 	while (1 < argc && argv[1][0] == '-') {
 		if (!strcmp(argv[1], "-k"))
@@ -31,12 +39,13 @@ int cmd_mailinfo(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		else if (!strcmp(argv[1], "-m") || !strcmp(argv[1], "--message-id"))
 			mi.add_message_id = 1;
 		else if (!strcmp(argv[1], "-u"))
-			mi.metainfo_charset = def_charset;
+			meta_charset.policy = CHARSET_DEFAULT;
 		else if (!strcmp(argv[1], "-n"))
-			mi.metainfo_charset = NULL;
-		else if (starts_with(argv[1], "--encoding="))
-			mi.metainfo_charset = argv[1] + 11;
-		else if (!strcmp(argv[1], "--scissors"))
+			meta_charset.policy = CHARSET_NO_REENCODE;
+		else if (starts_with(argv[1], "--encoding=")) {
+			meta_charset.policy = CHARSET_EXPLICIT;
+			meta_charset.charset = argv[1] + 11;
+		} else if (!strcmp(argv[1], "--scissors"))
 			mi.use_scissors = 1;
 		else if (!strcmp(argv[1], "--no-scissors"))
 			mi.use_scissors = 0;
@@ -50,6 +59,19 @@ int cmd_mailinfo(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	if (argc != 3)
 		usage(mailinfo_usage);
 
+	switch (meta_charset.policy) {
+	case CHARSET_DEFAULT:
+		mi.metainfo_charset = get_commit_output_encoding();
+		break;
+	case CHARSET_NO_REENCODE:
+		mi.metainfo_charset = NULL;
+		break;
+	case CHARSET_EXPLICIT:
+		break;
+	default:
+		BUG("invalid meta_charset.policy");
+	}
+
 	mi.input = stdin;
 	mi.output = stdout;