diff --git a/edgedb/abstract.py b/edgedb/abstract.py
index 860275c7..dbac4503 100644
--- a/edgedb/abstract.py
+++ b/edgedb/abstract.py
@@ -110,6 +110,22 @@ class DescribeContext:
     output_format: protocol.OutputFormat
     expect_one: bool
 
+    def lower(
+        self, *, allow_capabilities: enums.Capability
+    ) -> protocol.ExecuteContext:
+        return protocol.ExecuteContext(
+            query=self.query,
+            args=None,
+            kwargs=None,
+            reg=protocol.CodecsRegistry(),
+            qc=protocol.LRUMapping(maxsize=1),
+            output_format=self.output_format,
+            expect_one=self.expect_one,
+            inline_typenames=self.inject_type_names,
+            allow_capabilities=allow_capabilities,
+            state=self.state.as_dict() if self.state else None,
+        )
+
 
 @dataclasses.dataclass
 class DescribeResult:
diff --git a/edgedb/base_client.py b/edgedb/base_client.py
index 0744211c..382da052 100644
--- a/edgedb/base_client.py
+++ b/edgedb/base_client.py
@@ -255,23 +255,15 @@ async def _execute(self, execute_context: abstract.ExecuteContext) -> None:
     async def describe(
         self, describe_context: abstract.DescribeContext
     ) -> abstract.DescribeResult:
-        cardinality, in_dc, out_dc, capabilities = await self._protocol._parse(
-            describe_context.query,
-            reg=protocol.CodecsRegistry(),
-            inline_typenames=describe_context.inject_type_names,
-            output_format=describe_context.output_format,
-            expect_one=describe_context.expect_one,
-            allow_capabilities=enums.Capability.EXECUTE,
-            state=(
-                describe_context.state.as_dict()
-                if describe_context.state else None
-            ),
+        ctx = describe_context.lower(
+            allow_capabilities=enums.Capability.EXECUTE
         )
+        await self._protocol._parse(ctx)
         return abstract.DescribeResult(
-            input_type=in_dc.make_type(describe_context),
-            output_type=out_dc.make_type(describe_context),
-            output_cardinality=enums.Cardinality(cardinality[0]),
-            capabilities=capabilities,
+            input_type=ctx.in_dc.make_type(describe_context),
+            output_type=ctx.out_dc.make_type(describe_context),
+            output_cardinality=enums.Cardinality(ctx.cardinality[0]),
+            capabilities=ctx.capabilities,
         )
 
     def terminate(self):
diff --git a/edgedb/protocol/protocol.pxd b/edgedb/protocol/protocol.pxd
index 402c988c..7140ae4e 100644
--- a/edgedb/protocol/protocol.pxd
+++ b/edgedb/protocol/protocol.pxd
@@ -85,9 +85,9 @@ cdef class ExecuteContext:
         object state
 
         # Contextual variables
-        bytes cardinality
-        BaseCodec in_dc
-        BaseCodec out_dc
+        readonly bytes cardinality
+        readonly BaseCodec in_dc
+        readonly BaseCodec out_dc
         readonly uint64_t capabilities
 
     cdef inline bint has_na_cardinality(self)