@@ -17,9 +17,17 @@ Changelog
      * ``set_commit(...)`` method added (reflog support)
      * ``set_object(...)`` method added (reflog support)
 
- * Intrusive Changes to ``Head`` type
+ * **Intrusive Changes** to ``Head`` type
 
   * ``create(...)`` method now supports the reflog, but will not raise ``GitCommandError`` anymore as it is a pure python implementation now. Instead, it raises ``OSError``.
+  
+ * **Intrusive Changes** to ``Actor`` type
+ 
+  * the *name* field is now using unicode if ascii does not match
+  
+ * **Intrusive Changes** to ``Repo`` type
+ 
+  * ``create_head(...)`` method does not support **kwargs anymore, instead it supports a logmsg parameter
      
 * Repo.rev_parse now supports the [ref]@{n} syntax, where n is the number of steps to look into the reference's past
 
 
@@ -350,12 +350,12 @@ def create_from_tree(cls, repo, tree, message, parent_commits=None, head=False):
 			# as well ... 
 			import git.refs
 			try:
-				repo.head.commit = new_commit
+				repo.head.set_commit(new_commit, logmsg="commit: %s" % message)
 			except ValueError:
 				# head is not yet set to the ref our HEAD points to
 				# Happens on first commit
 				import git.refs
-				master = git.refs.Head.create(repo, repo.head.ref, commit=new_commit)
+				master = git.refs.Head.create(repo, repo.head.ref, commit=new_commit, logmsg="commit (initial): %s" % message)
 				repo.head.reference = master
 			# END handle empty repositories
 		# END advance head handling 
@@ -382,7 +382,12 @@ def _serialize(self, stream):
 						self.authored_date, 
 						altz_to_utctz_str(self.author_tz_offset)))
 
-		write(fmt % ("committer", c.name, c.email, 
+		# encode committer
+		aname = c.name
+		if isinstance(aname, unicode):
+			aname = aname.encode(self.encoding)
+		# END handle unicode in name
+		write(fmt % ("committer", aname, c.email, 
 						self.committed_date,
 						altz_to_utctz_str(self.committer_tz_offset)))
 
@@ -440,6 +445,13 @@ def _deserialize(self, stream):
 			print >> sys.stderr, "Failed to decode author name '%s' using encoding %s" % (self.author.name, self.encoding)
 		# END handle author's encoding
 
+		# decode committer name
+		try:
+			self.committer.name = self.committer.name.decode(self.encoding) 
+		except UnicodeDecodeError:
+			print >> sys.stderr, "Failed to decode committer name '%s' using encoding %s" % (self.committer.name, self.encoding)
+		# END handle author's encoding
+		
 		# a stream from our data simply gives us the plain message
 		# The end of our message stream is marked with a newline that we strip
 		self.message = stream.read()
 
@@ -207,12 +207,8 @@ def update(self, previous_commit=None, recursive=True, force_remove=False, init=
 					smm = sm.module()
 					smmr = smm.remotes
 					try:
-						tbr = git.Head.create(smm, sm.branch_name)
-					except git.GitCommandError, e:
-						if e.status != 128:
-							raise
-						#END handle something unexpected
-						
+						tbr = git.Head.create(smm, sm.branch_name, logmsg='branch: Created from HEAD')
+					except OSError:
 						# ... or reuse the existing one
 						tbr = git.Head(smm, sm.branch_path)
 					#END assure tracking branch exists
 
@@ -274,12 +274,12 @@ def tag(self,path):
 		:param path: path to the tag reference, i.e. 0.1.5 or tags/0.1.5 """
 		return TagReference(self, path)
 
-	def create_head(self, path, commit='HEAD', force=False, **kwargs ):
+	def create_head(self, path, commit='HEAD', force=False, logmsg=None ):
 		"""Create a new head within the repository. 
 		For more documentation, please see the Head.create method.
 		
 		:return: newly created Head Reference"""
-		return Head.create(self, path, commit, force, **kwargs)
+		return Head.create(self, path, commit, force, logmsg)
 
 	def delete_head(self, *heads, **kwargs):
 		"""Delete the given heads
 
@@ -112,7 +112,9 @@ def rev_parse(repo, rev):
 		for details
 	:note: Currently there is no access to the rev-log, rev-specs may only contain
 		topological tokens such ~ and ^.
-	:raise BadObject: if the given revision could not be found"""
+	:raise BadObject: if the given revision could not be found
+	:raise ValueError: If rev couldn't be parsed
+	:raise IndexError: If invalid reflog index is specified"""
 
 	# colon search mode ?
 	if rev.startswith(':/'):
@@ -193,7 +195,7 @@ def rev_parse(repo, rev):
 				try:
 					entry = ref.log_entry(revlog_index)
 				except IndexError:
-					raise BadObject("Invalid revlog index: %i" % revlog_index)
+					raise IndexError("Invalid revlog index: %i" % revlog_index)
 				#END handle index out of bound
 
 				obj = Object.new_from_sha(repo, hex_to_bin(entry.newhexsha))