lib/PublicInbox/WwwListing.pm | 4 ++--

diff --git a/lib/PublicInbox/WwwListing.pm b/lib/PublicInbox/WwwListing.pm
index a416d24f0e446e27ae3c3148b061be9128ca7350..a3d4e2b3566972796bc6c920568a9a1078d485be 100644
--- a/lib/PublicInbox/WwwListing.pm
+++ b/lib/PublicInbox/WwwListing.pm
@@ -157,10 +157,10 @@ 	my $fingerprint = fingerprint($git) or return; # no empty repos
 
 	chomp(my $owner = $git->qx('config', 'gitweb.owner'));
 	chomp(my $desc = try_cat("$git_dir/description"));
+	utf8::decode($owner);
+	utf8::decode($desc);
 	$owner = undef if $owner eq '';
 	$desc = 'Unnamed repository' if $desc eq '';
-	utf8::decode($desc);
-	utf8::decode($owner);
 
 	# templates/hooks--update.sample and git-multimail in git.git
 	# only match "Unnamed repository", not the full contents of