diff --git a/extensions/git/src/git.ts b/extensions/git/src/git.ts
index 3f9ee19ccda..dc6be088a48 100644
--- a/extensions/git/src/git.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/git.ts
@@ -179,12 +179,12 @@ export async function exec(child: cp.ChildProcess, encoding: string = 'utf8'): P
 		new Promise<string>(c => {
 			const buffers: Buffer[] = [];
 			on(child.stdout, 'data', b => buffers.push(b));
-			once(child.stdout, 'close', () => c(decode(Buffer.concat(buffers), encoding)));
+			once(child.stdout, 'close', () => c(iconv.decode(Buffer.concat(buffers), encoding)));
 		}),
 		new Promise<string>(c => {
 			const buffers: Buffer[] = [];
 			on(child.stderr, 'data', b => buffers.push(b));
-			once(child.stderr, 'close', () => c(decode(Buffer.concat(buffers), encoding)));
+			once(child.stderr, 'close', () => c(Buffer.concat(buffers).toString('utf8')));
 		})
 	]);
 
@@ -193,10 +193,6 @@ export async function exec(child: cp.ChildProcess, encoding: string = 'utf8'): P
 	return { exitCode, stdout, stderr };
 }
 
-function decode(buffer: NodeBuffer, encoding: string): string {
-	return iconv.decode(buffer, encoding);
-}
-
 export interface IGitErrorData {
 	error?: Error;
 	message?: string;