Index: Lib/distutils/tests/test_dist.py
===================================================================
--- Lib/distutils/tests/test_dist.py	(revision 60389)
+++ Lib/distutils/tests/test_dist.py	(working copy)
@@ -176,6 +176,20 @@
                            "version": "1.0",
                            "obsoletes": ["my.pkg (splat)"]})
 
+    def test_long_description(self):
+        import textwrap
+        long_desc = textwrap.dedent("""\
+        example::
+              We start here
+            and continue here
+          and end here.""")
+        attrs = {"name": "package",
+                 "version": "1.0",
+                 "long_description": long_desc}
+        dist = distutils.dist.Distribution(attrs)
+        meta = self.format_metadata(dist).replace('\n'+' '*8, '\n')
+        self.assert_(long_desc in meta)
+
     def format_metadata(self, dist):
         sio = StringIO.StringIO()
         dist.metadata.write_pkg_file(sio)
Index: Lib/distutils/util.py
===================================================================
--- Lib/distutils/util.py	(revision 60389)
+++ Lib/distutils/util.py	(working copy)
@@ -527,6 +527,5 @@
     RFC-822 header, by ensuring there are 8 spaces space after each newline.
     """
     lines = string.split(header, '\n')
-    lines = map(string.strip, lines)
     header = string.join(lines, '\n' + 8*' ')
     return header