* lisp/help-fns.el (describe-variable):

Check {file,dir}-local-variables-alist, and buffer-file-name,
in the correct buffer.

This seems to have Just Worked in 24.3 - when and why did it change?

2 files changed, 16 insertions, 5 deletions

diff --git a/lisp/ChangeLog b/lisp/ChangeLog
index 0369e5ed075..6890915509f 100644
--- a/lisp/ChangeLog
+++ b/lisp/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2014-02-08  Glenn Morris  <rgm@gnu.org>
+
+        * help-fns.el (describe-variable):
+        Check {file,dir}-local-variables-alist, and buffer-file-name,
+        in the correct buffer.
+
 2014-02-08  Ingo Lohmar  <i.lohmar@gmail.com>
 
         * help-fns.el (describe-variable): Fix the case where
diff --git a/lisp/help-fns.el b/lisp/help-fns.el
index 028f6ac0c30..44dcbb955ac 100644
--- a/lisp/help-fns.el
+++ b/lisp/help-fns.el
@@ -911,13 +911,18 @@ if it is given a local binding.\n")))
                              (t ".")))
                 (terpri))
 
-              (when (member (cons variable val) file-local-variables-alist)
+              (when (member (cons variable val)
+                            (with-current-buffer buffer
+                              file-local-variables-alist))
                 (setq extra-line t)
-                (if (member (cons variable val) dir-local-variables-alist)
-                    (let ((file (and (buffer-file-name)
-                                      (not (file-remote-p (buffer-file-name)))
+                (if (member (cons variable val)
+                             (with-current-buffer buffer
+                               dir-local-variables-alist))
+                    (let ((file (and (buffer-file-name buffer)
+                                      (not (file-remote-p
+                                            (buffer-file-name buffer)))
                                       (dir-locals-find-file
-                                       (buffer-file-name))))
+                                       (buffer-file-name buffer))))
                           (dir-file t))
                       (princ "  This variable's value is directory-local")
                       (if (null file)