diff --git a/src/gam.py b/src/gam.py
index 81870c4d..0431627b 100755
--- a/src/gam.py
+++ b/src/gam.py
@@ -14742,6 +14742,6 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
   if sys.version_info[0] < 3 or sys.version_info[1] < 5:
     controlflow.system_error_exit(5, 'GAM requires Python 3.5 or newer. You are running %s.%s.%s. Please upgrade your Python version or use one of the binary GAM downloads.' % sys.version_info[:3])
   elif sys.version_info[1] >= 7:
-    sys.stdout.reconfigure(encoding=UTF8, errors='namereplace')
-    sys.stdin.reconfigure(encoding=UTF8, errors='namereplace')
+    sys.stdout.reconfigure(encoding=UTF8, errors='backslashreplace')
+    sys.stdin.reconfigure(encoding=UTF8, errors='backslashreplace')
   sys.exit(ProcessGAMCommand(sys.argv))