diff --git a/CHANGELOG.txt b/CHANGELOG.txt
index 4036ac5a9da9049ad8572541a7e192f2e67334f3..dee16d34fdbc4e42ad05de36f77b06f202a274a2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.txt
+++ b/CHANGELOG.txt
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 Feeds 6.x 1.0 xxxxx xx, 2010-xx-xx
 ----------------------------------
 
+- #726012 alex_b: Fix RSS descriptions not being reset in 
+  common_syndication_parser.inc.
 - alex_b: Fix a typo in the return value of process() in FeedsTermProcessor.
 - alex_b: Stop PubSubHubbub from subscribing if it is not enabled.
 - #711664 neclimdul: guarantee compatibility with CTools 1.4  by declaring that
diff --git a/libraries/common_syndication_parser.inc b/libraries/common_syndication_parser.inc
index 503235abf8b38b56dd0a74854f4660e677c34f89..a1d8254f5a032cfede288769d78b28a4e9cf90e7 100644
--- a/libraries/common_syndication_parser.inc
+++ b/libraries/common_syndication_parser.inc
@@ -346,6 +346,7 @@ function _parser_common_syndication_RSS20_parse($feed_XML) {
   $parsed_source['items'] = array();
 
   foreach ($feed_XML->xpath('//item') as $news) {
+    $title = $body = $original_author = $original_url = $guid = '';
     $category = $news->xpath('category');
     // Get children for current namespace.
     if (version_compare(phpversion(), '5.1.2', '>')) {
@@ -358,9 +359,6 @@ function _parser_common_syndication_RSS20_parse($feed_XML) {
     if (isset($news['title'])) {
       $title = "{$news['title']}";
     }
-    else {
-      $title = '';
-    }
 
     if (isset($news['description'])) {
       $body = "{$news['description']}";
@@ -387,24 +385,15 @@ function _parser_common_syndication_RSS20_parse($feed_XML) {
     elseif (isset($dc["creator"])) {
       $original_author = (string)$dc["creator"];
     }
-    else {
-      $original_author = NULL;
-    }
 
     if (!empty($news['link'])) {
       $original_url = "{$news['link']}";
-    }
-    else {
-      $original_url = NULL;
+      $guid = $original_url;
     }
 
     if (isset($news['guid'])) {
       $guid = "{$news['guid']}";
     }
-    else {
-      // Attempt to fall back on original URL if GUID is not present.
-      $guid = $original_url;
-    }
 
     $additional_taxonomies = array();
     $additional_taxonomies['RSS Categories'] = array();