diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index d50694b50..de1ed92b7 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ Bugs fixed
 * #3865: use of self.env.warn in sphinx extension fails
 * #3824: production lists apply smart quotes transform since Sphinx 1.6.1
 * latex: fix ``\sphinxbfcode`` swallows initial space of argument
+* #3878: Quotes in auto-documented class attributes should be straight quotes
+  in PDF output
 
 Testing
 --------
diff --git a/sphinx/writers/latex.py b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
index 92383a642..abb27f945 100644
--- a/sphinx/writers/latex.py
+++ b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
@@ -1231,7 +1231,7 @@ class LaTeXTranslator(nodes.NodeVisitor):
 
     def visit_desc_annotation(self, node):
         # type: (nodes.Node) -> None
-        self.body.append(r'\sphinxstrong{')
+        self.body.append(r'\sphinxbfcode{')
 
     def depart_desc_annotation(self, node):
         # type: (nodes.Node) -> None