diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2119a19..447595d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](http://keepachangelog.com/) and this p
 
 ### Fixed
 
+- Fixes [1438](https://github.com/eamodio/vscode-gitlens/issues/1438) - Messages in hovers wrong encoding using non UTF-8
 - Fixes [1372](https://github.com/eamodio/vscode-gitlens/issues/1372) - Unexpected repository detection on editor startup after recent updates
 - Fixes [1394](https://github.com/eamodio/vscode-gitlens/issues/1394) - Repository view settings appear disabled
 - Fixes [1391](https://github.com/eamodio/vscode-gitlens/issues/1391) - Branch names are not properly escaped in git commands
diff --git a/src/git/git.ts b/src/git/git.ts
index 762fc7d..befc840 100644
--- a/src/git/git.ts
+++ b/src/git/git.ts
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ export enum GitErrorHandling {
 	Throw = 'throw',
 }
 
-export interface GitCommandOptions extends RunOptions {
+export interface GitCommandOptions extends RunOptions<BufferEncoding | 'buffer' | string> {
 	configs?: string[];
 	readonly correlationKey?: string;
 	errors?: GitErrorHandling;
@@ -89,12 +89,11 @@ export async function git<TOut extends string | Buffer>(options: GitCommandOptio
 
 	const start = process.hrtime();
 
-	const { configs, correlationKey, errors: errorHandling, ...opts } = options;
+	const { configs, correlationKey, errors: errorHandling, encoding, ...opts } = options;
 
-	const encoding = options.encoding ?? 'utf8';
 	const runOpts: RunOptions = {
 		...opts,
-		encoding: encoding === 'utf8' ? 'utf8' : encoding === 'buffer' ? 'buffer' : 'binary',
+		encoding: (encoding ?? 'utf8') === 'utf8' ? 'utf8' : 'buffer',
 		// Adds GCM environment variables to avoid any possible credential issues -- from https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/issues/26573#issuecomment-338686581
 		// Shouldn't *really* be needed but better safe than sorry
 		env: {
@@ -131,7 +130,7 @@ export async function git<TOut extends string | Buffer>(options: GitCommandOptio
 			args.splice(0, 0, '-c', 'core.longpaths=true');
 		}
 
-		promise = run<TOut>(gitInfo.path, args, encoding, runOpts);
+		promise = run<TOut>(gitInfo.path, args, encoding ?? 'utf8', runOpts);
 
 		pendingCommands.set(command, promise);
 	} else {
@@ -525,7 +524,7 @@ export namespace Git {
 				{
 					cwd: repoPath,
 					configs: ['-c', 'color.diff=false'],
-					encoding: options.encoding === 'utf8' ? 'utf8' : 'binary',
+					encoding: options.encoding,
 				},
 				...params,
 				'--',
@@ -578,7 +577,7 @@ export namespace Git {
 				{
 					cwd: repoPath,
 					configs: ['-c', 'color.diff=false'],
-					encoding: options.encoding === 'utf8' ? 'utf8' : 'binary',
+					encoding: options.encoding,
 					stdin: contents,
 				},
 				...params,
diff --git a/src/git/shell.ts b/src/git/shell.ts
index 39a272a..522250e 100644
--- a/src/git/shell.ts
+++ b/src/git/shell.ts
@@ -114,10 +114,10 @@ export function findExecutable(exe: string, args: string[]): { cmd: string; args
 	return { cmd: exe, args: args };
 }
 
-export interface RunOptions {
+export interface RunOptions<TEncoding = BufferEncoding | 'buffer'> {
 	cwd?: string;
 	readonly env?: Record<string, any>;
-	readonly encoding?: BufferEncoding | 'buffer';
+	readonly encoding?: TEncoding;
 	/**
 	 * The size the output buffer to allocate to the spawned process. Set this
 	 * if you are anticipating a large amount of output.
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ export class RunError extends Error {
 export function run<TOut extends string | Buffer>(
 	command: string,
 	args: any[],
-	encoding: BufferEncoding | 'buffer',
+	encoding: BufferEncoding | 'buffer' | string,
 	options: RunOptions = {},
 ): Promise<TOut> {
 	const { stdin, stdinEncoding, ...opts }: RunOptions = { maxBuffer: 100 * 1024 * 1024, ...options };