diff --git a/core/includes/menu.inc b/core/includes/menu.inc
index 211d7ba..a03a70c 100644
--- a/core/includes/menu.inc
+++ b/core/includes/menu.inc
@@ -654,7 +654,8 @@ function _menu_check_access(&$item, $map) {
  *   $item['title'] is localized according to $item['title_callback'].
  *   If an item's callback is check_plain(), $item['options']['html'] becomes
  *   TRUE.
- *   $item['description'] is translated using t().
+ *   $item['description'] is computed using $item['description_callback'] if
+ *   specified, otherwise it is translated using t().
  *   When doing link translation and the $item['options']['attributes']['title']
  *   (link title attribute) matches the description, it is translated as well.
  */
@@ -719,7 +720,7 @@ function _menu_item_localize(&$item, $map, $link_translate = FALSE) {
        }
     }
     elseif ($description_callback) {
-       // If there are no arguments, call the desscription callback directly.
+       // If there are no arguments, call the description callback directly.
        if (empty($item['description_arguments'])) {
          $item['description'] = $description_callback($item['description']);
        }
diff --git a/core/modules/system/tests/menu.test b/core/modules/system/tests/menu.test
index 5e36807..cd036fe 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/tests/menu.test
+++ b/core/modules/system/tests/menu.test
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ class MenuRouterTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
     // Verify that the menu router item title is output as page title.
     $this->drupalGet('menu_callback_description');
     $this->assertText(t('Menu item description text'));
-    $this->assertText(t('Menu item description arguments'));
+    $this->assertText('Menu item description arguments');
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/core/modules/system/tests/modules/menu_test/menu_test.module b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/menu_test/menu_test.module
index c2b294f..356a0f7 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/tests/modules/menu_test/menu_test.module
+++ b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/menu_test/menu_test.module
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ function menu_test_menu() {
     'title' => 'Menu Item with a description set with a callback',
     'page callback' => 'menu_test_callback',
     'description callback' => 'check_plain',
-    'description arguments' => array('Menu item description arguments'),
+    'description arguments' => array('<strong>Menu item description arguments</strong>'),
     'access arguments' => array('access content'),
   );
   // Use FALSE as 'title callback' to bypass t().