diff --git a/clicker/clicker.py b/clicker/clicker.py
index 9a4838b..91bd7dd 100644
--- a/clicker/clicker.py
+++ b/clicker/clicker.py
@@ -31,6 +31,22 @@ import urllib.request
 import actions
 import focus
 
+
+def force_utf8_output() -> None:
+    """Make stdout/stderr accept the status glyphs this tool prints.
+
+    Windows picks the console code page for stdout, and under PM2 (where stdout
+    is a pipe, not a console) that is cp1252. It can encode em dashes but not
+    the run markers, so the first one raised UnicodeEncodeError mid-run and the
+    runner reported it as a step failure. errors="replace" is a backstop for any
+    stream that cannot be reconfigured at all.
+    """
+    for stream in (sys.stdout, sys.stderr):
+        try:
+            stream.reconfigure(encoding="utf-8", errors="replace")
+        except (AttributeError, ValueError):
+            pass
+
 DEFAULT_API = "http://localhost:3000"
 POLL_INTERVAL = 0.25
 
@@ -176,6 +192,7 @@ def describe(found: dict, factor: float) -> str:
 
 
 def main() -> int:
+    force_utf8_output()
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__, formatter_class=argparse.RawDescriptionHelpFormatter)
     parser.add_argument("action", choices=["locate", "click", "type"],
                        help="locate = measure only; click = measure then click; "
diff --git a/clicker/diagnose.py b/clicker/diagnose.py
index 221a887..b2aaf73 100644
--- a/clicker/diagnose.py
+++ b/clicker/diagnose.py
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ Nothing is clicked. The cursor is moved and put back where it started.
 import sys
 import time
 
+from clicker import force_utf8_output
+
 
 def line(label: str, value: str) -> None:
     print(f"  {label:<22} {value}")
@@ -125,6 +127,7 @@ def check_foreground() -> None:
 
 
 def main() -> int:
+    force_utf8_output()
     print("AutoFirmer clicker diagnostics")
     check_platform()
     check_dpi()
diff --git a/clicker/runner.py b/clicker/runner.py
index 0932389..cab2288 100644
--- a/clicker/runner.py
+++ b/clicker/runner.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import time
 
 import actions
 import focus
-from clicker import Dashboard, DashboardError, NotFoundError
+from clicker import Dashboard, DashboardError, NotFoundError, force_utf8_output
 
 POLL_SECONDS = 1.0
 HEARTBEAT_SECONDS = 2.0
@@ -362,6 +362,7 @@ def finish(dash, run_id, error):
 
 
 def main() -> int:
+    force_utf8_output()
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__,
                                      formatter_class=argparse.RawDescriptionHelpFormatter)
     parser.add_argument("--api", default="http://localhost:3000", help="dashboard URL")