--- App/Cmd/Command.pm  2013-01-31 01:37:50.000000000 +0100
+++ App/Cmd/Command-New.pm      2013-03-04 14:57:08.398638804 +0100
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 # ABSTRACT: a base class for App::Cmd commands

 use Carp ();
+use Encode ();


 sub prepare {
@@ -115,6 +116,7 @@

   local $/ = "\n";
   my $inpod;
+  my $enc_seen;

   while (local $_ = <$fh>) {
     # =cut toggles, it doesn't end :-/
@@ -127,10 +129,10 @@

     next unless $inpod;
     chomp;
-
+    $enc_seen = $1 if(/^=encoding\s+(\S+)/);
     next unless /^(?:$class\s-\s)(.*)/;

-    $result = $1;
+    $result = $enc_seen ? Encode::decode($enc_seen, $1) : $1;
     last;
   }