diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 7af0e97f..35f8bf74 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 *SVN*
 
+* Make sure 'desc' applies to the next defined task, in any namespace. [Jamis Buck]
+
 * Fix shell so that servers for a task are correctly discovered. [Jamis Buck]
 
 * Added before(), after(), and on() callback creation methods. [Jamis Buck]
diff --git a/lib/capistrano/configuration/namespaces.rb b/lib/capistrano/configuration/namespaces.rb
index 8eb38ccf..3f00248e 100644
--- a/lib/capistrano/configuration/namespaces.rb
+++ b/lib/capistrano/configuration/namespaces.rb
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ module Capistrano
         initialize_without_namespaces(*args)
         @tasks = {}
         @namespaces = {}
-        @next_description = nil
       end
       private :initialize_with_namespaces
 
@@ -46,6 +45,14 @@ module Capistrano
         @next_description = text
       end
 
+      # Returns the value set by the last, pending "desc" call. If +reset+ is
+      # not false, the value will be reset immediately afterwards.
+      def next_description(reset=false)
+        @next_description
+      ensure
+        @next_description = nil if reset
+      end
+
       # Open a namespace in which to define new tasks. If the namespace was
       # defined previously, it will be reopened, otherwise a new namespace
       # will be created for the given name.
@@ -84,8 +91,7 @@ module Capistrano
           raise ArgumentError, "defining a task named `#{name}' would shadow an existing #{thing} with that name"
         end
 
-        tasks[name] = TaskDefinition.new(name, self, {:desc => @next_description}.merge(options), &block)
-        @next_description = nil
+        tasks[name] = TaskDefinition.new(name, self, {:desc => next_description(:reset)}.merge(options), &block)
 
         if !task_already_defined
           metaclass = class << self; self; end
@@ -177,6 +183,7 @@ module Capistrano
           end
 
           include Capistrano::Configuration::Namespaces
+          undef :desc, :next_description
         end
     end
   end
diff --git a/test/configuration/namespace_dsl_test.rb b/test/configuration/namespace_dsl_test.rb
index 1268c37a..4d475ea2 100644
--- a/test/configuration/namespace_dsl_test.rb
+++ b/test/configuration/namespace_dsl_test.rb
@@ -54,20 +54,6 @@ class ConfigurationNamespacesDSLTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     assert @config.namespaces[:outer].namespaces[:inner].tasks.key?(:nested)
   end
 
-  def test_pending_desc_should_disappear_when_enclosing_namespace_terminates
-    @config.namespace :outer do
-      desc "Something to say"
-    end
-
-    @config.namespace :outer do
-      task :testing do
-        puts "testing"
-      end
-    end
-
-    assert_nil @config.namespaces[:outer].tasks[:testing].options[:desc]
-  end
-
   def test_pending_desc_should_apply_only_to_immediately_subsequent_task
     @config.desc "A description"
     @config.task(:testing) { puts "foo" }
@@ -76,6 +62,12 @@ class ConfigurationNamespacesDSLTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     assert_nil @config.tasks[:another].options[:desc]
   end
 
+  def test_pending_desc_should_apply_only_to_next_task_in_any_namespace
+    @config.desc "A description"
+    @config.namespace(:outer) { task(:testing) { puts "foo" } }
+    assert_equal "A description", @config.namespaces[:outer].tasks[:testing].options[:desc]
+  end
+
   def test_defining_task_without_block_should_raise_error
     assert_raises(ArgumentError) do
       @config.task(:testing)