diff -u git-core-1.7.0.4/debian/changelog git-core-1.7.0.4/debian/changelog
--- git-core-1.7.0.4/debian/changelog
+++ git-core-1.7.0.4/debian/changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+git-core (1:1.7.0.4-1ubuntu0.3) lucid-proposed; urgency=low
+
+  * debian/diff/0035-describe-Refresh-the-index-when-run-with-dirty.diff:
+    Backport upstream patch to resolve 'git describe' and stale index
+    (LP: #1057813)
+
+ -- Paul Belanger <paul.belanger@polybeacon.com>  Thu, 27 Sep 2012 19:32:56 -0400
+
 git-core (1:1.7.0.4-1ubuntu0.2) lucid-security; urgency=low
 
   * SECURITY UPDATE: gitweb cross-site scripting vulnerability
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- git-core-1.7.0.4.orig/debian/diff/0035-describe-Refresh-the-index-when-run-with-dirty.diff
+++ git-core-1.7.0.4/debian/diff/0035-describe-Refresh-the-index-when-run-with-dirty.diff
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+From bb571486ae93d02746c4bcc8032bde306f6d399a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: Allan Caffee <allan.caffee@gmail.com>
+Date: Sun, 31 Jul 2011 21:52:41 -0400
+Subject: [PATCH] describe: Refresh the index when run with --dirty
+
+When running git describe --dirty the index should be refreshed.  Previously
+the cached index would cause describe to think that the index was dirty when,
+in reality, it was just stale.
+
+The issue was exposed by python setuptools which hardlinks files into another
+directory when building a distribution.
+
+Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
+---
+ builtin/describe.c |   17 +++++++++++++++--
+ 1 file changed, 15 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
+
+diff --git a/builtin-describe.c b/builtin-describe.c
+index 66fc291..9f63067 100644
+--- a/builtin-describe.c
++++ b/builtin-describe.c
+@@ -462,8 +462,21 @@ int cmd_describe(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
+ 		die(_("No names found, cannot describe anything."));
+ 
+ 	if (argc == 0) {
+-		if (dirty && !cmd_diff_index(ARRAY_SIZE(diff_index_args) - 1, diff_index_args, prefix))
+-			dirty = NULL;
++		if (dirty) {
++			static struct lock_file index_lock;
++			int fd;
++
++			read_cache_preload(NULL);
++			refresh_index(&the_index, REFRESH_QUIET|REFRESH_UNMERGED,
++				      NULL, NULL, NULL);
++			fd = hold_locked_index(&index_lock, 0);
++			if (0 <= fd)
++				update_index_if_able(&the_index, &index_lock);
++
++			if (!cmd_diff_index(ARRAY_SIZE(diff_index_args) - 1,
++					    diff_index_args, prefix))
++				dirty = NULL;
++		}
+ 		describe("HEAD", 1);
+ 	} else if (dirty) {
+ 		die(_("--dirty is incompatible with committishes"));
+-- 
+1.7.9.5
+