Index: general-template.php
===================================================================
--- general-template.php	(revision 36322)
+++ general-template.php	(working copy)
@@ -1184,6 +1184,44 @@
 }
 
 /**
+ * Display or retrieve description for a post type archive.
+ *
+ * This is optimized for archive.php and archive-{$post_type}.php template files
+ * for displaying the description of the post type.
+ *
+ * @since 4.4.0
+ *
+ * @param string $prefix  Optional. What to display before the description.
+ * @param bool   $display Optional, default is true. Whether to display or retrieve description.
+ * @return string|void description when retrieving, null when displaying or failure.
+ */
+function post_type_archive_description( $prefix = '', $display = true ) {
+	if ( ! is_post_type_archive() )
+		return;
+
+	$post_type = get_query_var( 'post_type' );
+	if ( is_array( $post_type ) )
+		$post_type = reset( $post_type );
+
+	$post_type_obj = get_post_type_object( $post_type );
+
+	/**
+	 * Filter the post type archive description.
+	 *
+	 * @since 3.1.0
+	 *
+	 * @param string $post_type_name Post type 'name' label.
+	 * @param string $post_type      Post type.
+	 */
+	$description = apply_filters( 'post_type_archive_description', $post_type_obj->description, $post_type );
+
+	if ( $display )
+		echo $prefix . $description;
+	else
+		return $prefix . $description;
+}
+
+/**
  * Display or retrieve page title for category archive.
  *
  * Useful for category template files for displaying the category page title.
@@ -1420,6 +1458,14 @@
  * @return string Archive description.
  */
 function get_the_archive_description() {
+
+	$description = '';
+
+	if ( is_post_type_archive() ) {
+		$description = post_type_archive_description( '', false );
+	} else {
+		$description = term_description();
+	}
 	/**
 	 * Filter the archive description.
 	 *
@@ -1426,10 +1472,11 @@
 	 * @since 4.1.0
 	 *
 	 * @see term_description()
+	 * @see post_type_archive_description();
 	 *
 	 * @param string $description Archive description to be displayed.
 	 */
-	return apply_filters( 'get_the_archive_description', term_description() );
+	return apply_filters( 'get_the_archive_description', $description );
 }
 
 /**