@@ -62,17 +62,6 @@ def new_from_sha(cls, repo, sha1):
 		inst.size = oinfo.size
 		return inst 
 
-	def _set_self_from_args_(self, args_dict):
-		"""Initialize attributes on self from the given dict that was retrieved
-		from locals() in the calling method.
-		
-		Will only set an attribute on self if the corresponding value in args_dict
-		is not None"""
-		for attr, val in args_dict.items():
-			if attr != "self" and val is not None:
-				setattr( self, attr, val )
-		# END set all non-None attributes
-	
 	def _set_cache_(self, attr):
 		"""Retrieve object information"""
 		if attr	 == "size":
@@ -140,7 +129,10 @@ def __init__(self, repo, binsha, mode=None, path=None):
 			Path may not be set of the index object has been created directly as it cannot
 			be retrieved without knowing the parent tree."""
 		super(IndexObject, self).__init__(repo, binsha)
-		self._set_self_from_args_(locals())
+		if mode is not None:
+			self.mode = mode
+		if path is not None:
+			self.path = path
 
 	def __hash__(self):
 		""":return:
 
@@ -108,7 +108,26 @@ def __init__(self, repo, binsha, tree=None, author=None, authored_date=None, aut
 		super(Commit,self).__init__(repo, binsha)
 		if tree is not None:
 			assert isinstance(tree, Tree), "Tree needs to be a Tree instance, was %s" % type(tree)
-		self._set_self_from_args_(locals())
+		if tree is not None:
+			self.tree = tree
+		if author is not None:
+			self.author = author
+		if authored_date is not None:
+			self.authored_date = authored_date
+		if author_tz_offset is not None:
+			self.author_tz_offset = author_tz_offset
+		if committer is not None:
+			self.committer = committer
+		if committed_date is not None:
+			self.committed_date = committed_date
+		if committer_tz_offset is not None:
+			self.committer_tz_offset = committer_tz_offset
+		if message is not None:
+			self.message = message
+		if parents is not None:
+			self.parents = parents
+		if encoding is not None:
+			self.encoding = encoding
 
 	@classmethod
 	def _get_intermediate_items(cls, commit):
@@ -434,7 +453,7 @@ def _deserialize(self, stream):
 		try:
 			self.author.name = self.author.name.decode(self.encoding) 
 		except UnicodeDecodeError:
-			print >> sys.stderr, "Failed to decode author name: %s" % self.author.name
+			print >> sys.stderr, "Failed to decode author name '%s' using encoding %s" % (self.author.name, self.encoding)
 		# END handle author's encoding
 
 		# a stream from our data simply gives us the plain message
@@ -443,7 +462,7 @@ def _deserialize(self, stream):
 		try:
 			self.message = self.message.decode(self.encoding)
 		except UnicodeDecodeError:
-			print >> sys.stderr, "Failed to decode message: %s" % self.message
+			print >> sys.stderr, "Failed to decode message '%s' using encoding %s" % (self.message, self.encoding)
 		# END exception handling 
 		return self