diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/util/RawParseUtilsTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/util/RawParseUtilsTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7bd9adb90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/util/RawParseUtilsTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2011, Leonard Broman <leonard.broman@gmail.com>
+ * and other copyright owners as documented in the project's IP log.
+ *
+ * This program and the accompanying materials are made available
+ * under the terms of the Eclipse Distribution License v1.0 which
+ * accompanies this distribution, is reproduced below, and is
+ * available at http://www.eclipse.org/org/documents/edl-v10.php
+ *
+ * All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or
+ * without modification, are permitted provided that the following
+ * conditions are met:
+ *
+ * - Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
+ *   notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+ *
+ * - Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above
+ *   copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following
+ *   disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided
+ *   with the distribution.
+ *
+ * - Neither the name of the Eclipse Foundation, Inc. nor the
+ *   names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote
+ *   products derived from this software without specific prior
+ *   written permission.
+ *
+ * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND
+ * CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES,
+ * INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES
+ * OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
+ * ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR
+ * CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
+ * SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT
+ * NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES;
+ * LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER
+ * CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT,
+ * STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE)
+ * ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF
+ * ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
+ */
+package org.eclipse.jgit.util;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
+import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
+
+import java.nio.charset.Charset;
+import java.nio.charset.UnsupportedCharsetException;
+
+import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Constants;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+public class RawParseUtilsTest {
+
+	@Test
+	public void testParseEncoding_ISO8859_1_encoding() {
+		Charset result = RawParseUtils.parseEncoding(Constants
+				.encodeASCII("encoding ISO-8859-1\n"));
+		assertNotNull(result);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testParseEncoding_Accept_Latin_One_AsISO8859_1() {
+		Charset result = RawParseUtils.parseEncoding(Constants
+				.encodeASCII("encoding latin-1\n"));
+		assertNotNull(result);
+		assertEquals("ISO-8859-1", result.name());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testParseEncoding_badEncoding() {
+		try {
+			RawParseUtils.parseEncoding(Constants.encodeASCII("encoding xyz\n"));
+			fail("should throw an UnsupportedCharsetException: xyz");
+		} catch (UnsupportedCharsetException e) {
+			assertEquals("xyz", e.getMessage());
+		}
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/RawParseUtils.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/RawParseUtils.java
index 598ebaeb9..9eb32cb99 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/RawParseUtils.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/RawParseUtils.java
@@ -54,7 +54,11 @@ import java.nio.charset.CharacterCodingException;
 import java.nio.charset.Charset;
 import java.nio.charset.CharsetDecoder;
 import java.nio.charset.CodingErrorAction;
+import java.nio.charset.IllegalCharsetNameException;
+import java.nio.charset.UnsupportedCharsetException;
 import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Map;
 
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.Constants;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.PersonIdent;
@@ -67,7 +71,12 @@ public final class RawParseUtils {
 
 	private static final byte[] footerLineKeyChars;
 
+	private static final Map<String, Charset> encodingAliases;
+
 	static {
+		encodingAliases = new HashMap<String, Charset>();
+		encodingAliases.put("latin-1", Charset.forName("ISO-8859-1"));
+
 		digits10 = new byte['9' + 1];
 		Arrays.fill(digits10, (byte) -1);
 		for (char i = '0'; i <= '9'; i++)
@@ -651,7 +660,20 @@ public final class RawParseUtils {
 		if (enc < 0)
 			return Constants.CHARSET;
 		final int lf = nextLF(b, enc);
-		return Charset.forName(decode(Constants.CHARSET, b, enc, lf - 1));
+		String decoded = decode(Constants.CHARSET, b, enc, lf - 1);
+		try {
+			return Charset.forName(decoded);
+		} catch (IllegalCharsetNameException badName) {
+			Charset aliased = charsetForAlias(decoded);
+			if (aliased != null)
+				return aliased;
+			throw badName;
+		} catch (UnsupportedCharsetException badName) {
+			Charset aliased = charsetForAlias(decoded);
+			if (aliased != null)
+				return aliased;
+			throw badName;
+		}
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -1060,6 +1082,10 @@ public final class RawParseUtils {
 		return pos;
 	}
 
+	private static Charset charsetForAlias(String name) {
+		return encodingAliases.get(StringUtils.toLowerCase(name));
+	}
+
 	private RawParseUtils() {
 		// Don't create instances of a static only utility.
 	}