diff --git a/capa/engine.py b/capa/engine.py
index 19207afc..b28a15a2 100644
--- a/capa/engine.py
+++ b/capa/engine.py
@@ -235,8 +235,8 @@ class Subscope(Statement):
     the engine should preprocess rules to extract subscope statements into their own rules.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, scope, child):
-        super(Subscope, self).__init__()
+    def __init__(self, scope, child, description=None):
+        super(Subscope, self).__init__(description=description)
         self.scope = scope
         self.child = child
 
diff --git a/capa/rules.py b/capa/rules.py
index 18bfa061..b57e7b51 100644
--- a/capa/rules.py
+++ b/capa/rules.py
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ def build_statements(d, scope: str):
         if len(d[key]) != 1:
             raise InvalidRule("subscope must have exactly one child statement")
 
-        return ceng.Subscope(FUNCTION_SCOPE, build_statements(d[key][0], FUNCTION_SCOPE))
+        return ceng.Subscope(FUNCTION_SCOPE, build_statements(d[key][0], FUNCTION_SCOPE), description=description)
 
     elif key == "basic block":
         if scope != FUNCTION_SCOPE:
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ def build_statements(d, scope: str):
         if len(d[key]) != 1:
             raise InvalidRule("subscope must have exactly one child statement")
 
-        return ceng.Subscope(BASIC_BLOCK_SCOPE, build_statements(d[key][0], BASIC_BLOCK_SCOPE))
+        return ceng.Subscope(BASIC_BLOCK_SCOPE, build_statements(d[key][0], BASIC_BLOCK_SCOPE), description=description)
 
     elif key.startswith("count(") and key.endswith(")"):
         # e.g.: