diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/itemexport/ItemExport.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/itemexport/ItemExport.java
index 60a835d1dc..a04c44586f 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/itemexport/ItemExport.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/itemexport/ItemExport.java
@@ -584,6 +584,16 @@ public class ItemExport
 
                     String myName = b.getName();
                     String oldName = myName;
+
+                    String description = b.getDescription();
+                    if ((description != null) && (!description.equals("")))
+                    {
+                        description = "\tdescription:" + description;
+                    } else
+                    {
+                        description = "";
+                    }
+
                     int myPrefix = 1; // only used with name conflict
 
                     InputStream is = b.retrieve();
@@ -616,12 +626,12 @@ public class ItemExport
                             if (b.isRegisteredBitstream())
                             {
                                 out.println("-r -s " + b.getStoreNumber()
-                                        + " -f " + myName + "\tbundle:"
-                                        + bundleName);
+                                        + " -f " + myName +
+                                        "\tbundle:" + bundleName + description);
                             }
                             else
                             {
-                                out.println(myName + "\tbundle:" + bundleName);
+                                out.println(myName + "\tbundle:" + bundleName + description);
                             }
 
                             isDone = true;
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/itemimport/ItemImport.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/itemimport/ItemImport.java
index e150a95938..ffdc801f94 100755
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/itemimport/ItemImport.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/itemimport/ItemImport.java
@@ -945,8 +945,7 @@ public class ItemImport
                 }
                 catch (IOException e1)
                 {
-                    System.err
-                            .println("Non-critical problem releasing resources.");
+                    System.err.println("Non-critical problem releasing resources.");
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -995,9 +994,8 @@ public class ItemImport
             	    String sRegistrationLine = line.trim();
             	    int iAssetstore = -1;
             	    String sFilePath = null;
-            	    String sBundle = null;
-                    StringTokenizer tokenizer = 
-                        	new StringTokenizer(sRegistrationLine);
+                    String sBundle = null;
+                    StringTokenizer tokenizer = new StringTokenizer(sRegistrationLine);
                     while (tokenizer.hasMoreTokens())
                     {
                         String sToken = tokenizer.nextToken(); 
@@ -1020,13 +1018,12 @@ public class ItemImport
                         else if (sToken.equals("-f") && tokenizer.hasMoreTokens())
                         {
                             sFilePath = tokenizer.nextToken();
-
                         }
                         else if (sToken.startsWith("bundle:"))
                         {
                             sBundle = sToken.substring(7);
                         }
-                        else 
+                        else
                         {
                             // unrecognized token - should be no problem
                         }
@@ -1040,8 +1037,9 @@ public class ItemImport
                     }
                     registerBitstream(c, i, iAssetstore, sFilePath, sBundle);
                     System.out.println("\tRegistering Bitstream: " + sFilePath
-                            + "\tAssetstore: " + iAssetstore 
-                            + "\tBundle: " + sBundle);
+                            + "\tAssetstore: " + iAssetstore
+                            + "\tBundle: " + sBundle
+                            + "\tDescription: " + sBundle);
                     continue;				// process next line in contents file
             	}
 
@@ -1107,10 +1105,9 @@ public class ItemImport
                     if (bundleExists)
                     {
                         String bundleName = line.substring(bMarkerIndex
-                                + bundleMarker.length(), bEndIndex);
+                                + bundleMarker.length(), bEndIndex).trim();
 
-                        processContentFileEntry(c, i, path, bitstreamName,
-                                bundleName);
+                        processContentFileEntry(c, i, path, bitstreamName, bundleName);
                         System.out.println("\tBitstream: " + bitstreamName
                                 + "\tBundle: " + bundleName);
                     }
@@ -1188,7 +1185,7 @@ public class ItemImport
                 newBundleName = "ORIGINAL";
             }
         }
-
+        
         if (!isTest)
         {
             // find the bundle
diff --git a/dspace/CHANGES b/dspace/CHANGES
index 0963b1c87b..dc73df2cd9 100644
--- a/dspace/CHANGES
+++ b/dspace/CHANGES
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
  - [DS-60] netid.toLowerCase() in different classes and methods - ID: 2458187
  - Fix for Jira [DS-98] Key jsp.mydspace.request.export.community not set in Messages.properties
  - [2696133] New export option (migrate) and fix for Jira [DS-59]
+ - Fix for Jira [DS-127] Item exporter does not export bitsteam descriptions
  
 (Stuart Lewis / Chris Yates / Flavio Botelho / Alex Barbieri / Reuben Pasquini / Paulo Matos)
  - [2057378] Hierarchical LDAP support