diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index cc3d716..9afc2fc 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 [project]
 authors = [{ name = "Aman Rusia", email = "gapypi@arcfu.com" }]
 name = "wcgw"
-version = "2.8.8"
+version = "2.8.9"
 description = "Shell and coding agent on claude and chatgpt"
 readme = "README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.11, <3.13"
diff --git a/src/wcgw/client/tools.py b/src/wcgw/client/tools.py
index f3c03ef..0241fc2 100644
--- a/src/wcgw/client/tools.py
+++ b/src/wcgw/client/tools.py
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ def start_shell(is_restricted_mode: bool, initial_dir: str) -> pexpect.spawn:  #
             encoding="utf-8",
             timeout=TIMEOUT,
             cwd=initial_dir,
+            codec_errors="backslashreplace",
         )
         shell.sendline(
             f"export PROMPT_COMMAND= PS1={PROMPT_CONST}"
@@ -161,6 +162,7 @@ def start_shell(is_restricted_mode: bool, initial_dir: str) -> pexpect.spawn:  #
             echo=False,
             encoding="utf-8",
             timeout=TIMEOUT,
+            codec_errors="backslashreplace",
         )
         shell.sendline(f"export PS1={PROMPT_CONST}")
         shell.expect(PROMPT_CONST, timeout=TIMEOUT)
@@ -256,7 +258,9 @@ def ensure_env_and_bg_jobs(self) -> Optional[int]:
             before = "\n".join(before_lines).strip()
             counts += 1
             if counts > 100:
-                raise ValueError("Error in understanding shell output. This shouldn't happen, likely shell is in a bad state, please reset it")
+                raise ValueError(
+                    "Error in understanding shell output. This shouldn't happen, likely shell is in a bad state, please reset it"
+                )
 
         try:
             return int(before)
@@ -273,7 +277,7 @@ def _init_shell(self) -> None:
             self._bash_command_mode.bash_mode == "restricted_mode",
             self._cwd,
         )
-    
+
         self._pending_output = ""
 
         # Get exit info to ensure shell is ready
@@ -414,7 +418,9 @@ def update_repl_prompt(self, command: str) -> bool:
                 index = self.shell.expect([self._prompt, pexpect.TIMEOUT], timeout=0.2)
                 counts += 1
                 if counts > 100:
-                    raise ValueError("Error in understanding shell output. This shouldn't happen, likely shell is in a bad state, please reset it")
+                    raise ValueError(
+                        "Error in understanding shell output. This shouldn't happen, likely shell is in a bad state, please reset it"
+                    )
             console.print(f"Prompt updated to: {self._prompt}")
             return True
         return False