diff --git a/Init.hs b/Init.hs
index 291e346f5f..bddcc696e0 100644
--- a/Init.hs
+++ b/Init.hs
@@ -19,26 +19,6 @@ import Logs.UUID
 import Annex.Version
 import Annex.UUID
 
-import System.Posix.User
-
-genDescription :: Maybe String -> Annex String
-genDescription (Just d) = return d
-genDescription Nothing = do
-	hostname <- getHostname
-	let at = if null hostname then "" else "@"
-	username <- clicketyclickety
-	reldir <- liftIO . relHome =<< fromRepo Git.repoPath
-	return $ concat [username, at, hostname, ":", reldir]
-	where
-		{- Haskell lacks uname(2) bindings, except in the
-		 - Bindings.Uname addon. Rather than depend on that,
-		 - use uname -n when available. -}
-		getHostname = liftIO $ catchDefaultIO uname_node ""
-		uname_node = takeWhile (/= '\n') <$>
-			readProcess "uname" ["-n"]	
-		clicketyclickety = liftIO $ userName <$>
-			(getUserEntryForID =<< getEffectiveUserID)
-
 initialize :: Maybe String -> Annex ()
 initialize mdescription = do
 	prepUUID
@@ -46,7 +26,7 @@ initialize mdescription = do
 	setVersion
 	gitPreCommitHookWrite
 	u <- getUUID
-	describeUUID u =<< genDescription mdescription
+	maybe (recordUUID u) (describeUUID u) mdescription
 
 uninitialize :: Annex ()
 uninitialize = do
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 081d1ac9f8..82bf5009a1 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ git-annex (3.20120722) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
 
   * initremote: Avoid recording remote's description before checking
     that its config is valid.
-  * init: If no description is provided for a new repository, one will
-    automatically be generated, like "joey@gnu:~/foo"
 
  -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Fri, 27 Jul 2012 21:04:47 -0400
 
diff --git a/doc/git-annex.mdwn b/doc/git-annex.mdwn
index a3fc82b55f..c52a5f3bf9 100644
--- a/doc/git-annex.mdwn
+++ b/doc/git-annex.mdwn
@@ -194,8 +194,7 @@ subdirectories).
   using it in a repository that was not intended to have an annex.
 
   It's useful, but not mandatory, to initialize each new clone
-  of a repository with its own description. If you don't provide one,
-  one will be generated.
+  of a repository with its own description.
 
 * describe repository description