diff --git a/C/iopreds.c b/C/iopreds.c
index eab0b40b6..622138d2d 100644
--- a/C/iopreds.c
+++ b/C/iopreds.c
@@ -1199,27 +1199,29 @@ p_float_format(void)
   return TRUE;
 }
 
+extern IOENC Yap_DefaultEncoding(void);
+extern void  Yap_SetDefaultEncoding(IOENC);
+extern int   PL_get_stream_handle(Int, IOSTREAM **);
+
 static Int
 p_get_default_encoding(void)
 {
-  Term out = TermNil; // VSC MkIntegerTerm(DefaultEncoding());
+  Term out = MkIntegerTerm(Yap_DefaultEncoding());
   return Yap_unify(ARG1, out);
 }
 
 static Int
 p_encoding (void)
 {				/* '$encoding'(Stream,N)                      */
-  int sno = 0;
-  // int sno = CheckStream (ARG1, Input_Stream_f|Output_Stream_f, "encoding/2");
+  IOSTREAM *st;
   Term t = Deref(ARG2);
-  if (sno < 0)
+  if (!PL_get_stream_handle(Yap_InitSlot(Deref(ARG1)), &st)) {
     return FALSE;
-  if (IsVarTerm(t)) {
-    UNLOCK(Stream[sno].streamlock);
-    return Yap_unify(ARG2, MkIntegerTerm(Stream[sno].encoding));
   }
-  Stream[sno].encoding = IntegerOfTerm(Deref(ARG2));
-  UNLOCK(Stream[sno].streamlock);
+  if (IsVarTerm(t)) {
+    return Yap_unify(ARG2, MkIntegerTerm(st->encoding));
+  }
+  st->encoding = IntegerOfTerm(Deref(ARG2));
   return TRUE;
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/PLStream/pl-yap.c b/packages/PLStream/pl-yap.c
index e6224db27..71635cd0f 100755
--- a/packages/PLStream/pl-yap.c
+++ b/packages/PLStream/pl-yap.c
@@ -157,6 +157,17 @@ Yap_Eval(YAP_Term t)
   return Yap_InnerEval(t);
 }
 
+IOENC
+Yap_DefaultEncoding(void)
+{
+  return LD->encoding;
+}
+
+void
+Yap_SetDefaultEncoding(IOENC new_encoding)
+{
+  LD->encoding = new_encoding;
+}
 
 int
 valueExpression(term_t t, Number r ARG_LD)
diff --git a/packages/PLStream/pl-yap.h b/packages/PLStream/pl-yap.h
index 86ea5b3c3..3a9d812e2 100644
--- a/packages/PLStream/pl-yap.h
+++ b/packages/PLStream/pl-yap.h
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ extern YAP_Int     Yap_GetCurrentPredArity(void);
 extern int Yap_read_term(term_t t, IOSTREAM *st, term_t vs);
 extern int Yap_LookupSWIStream(void *swi_s);
 extern term_t Yap_fetch_module_for_format(term_t args, YAP_Term *modp);
+extern IOENC Yap_DefaultEncoding(void);
+extern void Yap_SetDefaultEncoding(IOENC);
 
 extern atom_t codeToAtom(int chrcode);