diff --git a/builtin/mailinfo.c b/builtin/mailinfo.c
index fe128572f7..90b158d4f5 100644
--- a/builtin/mailinfo.c
+++ b/builtin/mailinfo.c
@@ -507,7 +507,7 @@ static void convert_to_utf8(struct strbuf *line, const char *charset)
 			return;
 	}
 
-	if (!strcasecmp(metainfo_charset, charset))
+	if (same_encoding(metainfo_charset, charset))
 		return;
 	out = reencode_string(line->buf, metainfo_charset, charset);
 	if (!out)
diff --git a/notes.c b/notes.c
index 93e9868d5d..e48f6604d8 100644
--- a/notes.c
+++ b/notes.c
@@ -1221,7 +1221,7 @@ void format_note(struct notes_tree *t, const unsigned char *object_sha1,
 	}
 
 	if (output_encoding && *output_encoding &&
-			strcmp(utf8, output_encoding)) {
+	    !is_encoding_utf8(output_encoding)) {
 		char *reencoded = reencode_string(msg, output_encoding, utf8);
 		if (reencoded) {
 			free(msg);
diff --git a/pretty.c b/pretty.c
index 8b1ea9ffad..e87fe9fec3 100644
--- a/pretty.c
+++ b/pretty.c
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ char *logmsg_reencode(const struct commit *commit,
 		return NULL;
 	encoding = get_header(commit, "encoding");
 	use_encoding = encoding ? encoding : utf8;
-	if (!strcmp(use_encoding, output_encoding))
+	if (same_encoding(use_encoding, output_encoding))
 		if (encoding) /* we'll strip encoding header later */
 			out = xstrdup(commit->buffer);
 		else
diff --git a/sequencer.c b/sequencer.c
index bd626806d6..f2f5b137ea 100644
--- a/sequencer.c
+++ b/sequencer.c
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ static int get_message(struct commit *commit, struct commit_message *out)
 
 	out->reencoded_message = NULL;
 	out->message = commit->buffer;
-	if (strcmp(encoding, git_commit_encoding))
+	if (same_encoding(encoding, git_commit_encoding))
 		out->reencoded_message = reencode_string(commit->buffer,
 					git_commit_encoding, encoding);
 	if (out->reencoded_message)
diff --git a/utf8.c b/utf8.c
index a544f15456..6a52834576 100644
--- a/utf8.c
+++ b/utf8.c
@@ -423,6 +423,13 @@ int is_encoding_utf8(const char *name)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+int same_encoding(const char *src, const char *dst)
+{
+	if (is_encoding_utf8(src) && is_encoding_utf8(dst))
+		return 1;
+	return !strcasecmp(src, dst);
+}
+
 /*
  * Given a buffer and its encoding, return it re-encoded
  * with iconv.  If the conversion fails, returns NULL.
diff --git a/utf8.h b/utf8.h
index 3c0ae7624e..93ef60042c 100644
--- a/utf8.h
+++ b/utf8.h
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ int utf8_width(const char **start, size_t *remainder_p);
 int utf8_strwidth(const char *string);
 int is_utf8(const char *text);
 int is_encoding_utf8(const char *name);
+int same_encoding(const char *, const char *);
 
 int strbuf_add_wrapped_text(struct strbuf *buf,
 		const char *text, int indent, int indent2, int width);