diff --git a/src/compiler/GF/Command/CommonCommands.hs b/src/compiler/GF/Command/CommonCommands.hs
index 4099d042f..e835d78d7 100644
--- a/src/compiler/GF/Command/CommonCommands.hs
+++ b/src/compiler/GF/Command/CommonCommands.hs
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import GF.Command.CommandInfo
 import qualified Data.Map as Map
 import GF.Infra.SIO
 import GF.Infra.UseIO(writeUTF8File)
+import GF.Infra.Option(renameEncoding)
+import GF.System.Console(changeConsoleEncoding)
 import GF.System.Process
 import GF.Command.Abstract --(isOpt,valStrOpts,prOpt)
 import GF.Text.Pretty
@@ -135,7 +137,14 @@ commonCommands = Map.fromList [
      examples = [
       mkEx "se cp1251 -- set encoding to cp1521",
       mkEx "se utf8   -- set encoding to utf8 (default)"
-      ]
+      ],
+     needsTypeCheck = False,
+     exec = \ _ opts ts ->
+       case words (toString ts) of
+         [c] -> do let cod = renameEncoding c
+                   restricted $ changeConsoleEncoding cod
+                   return void
+         _ -> return (pipeMessage "se command not parsed")
     }),
   ("sp", emptyCommandInfo {
      longname = "system_pipe",
diff --git a/src/compiler/GF/Interactive.hs b/src/compiler/GF/Interactive.hs
index 216c5f1e2..6e8cc6330 100644
--- a/src/compiler/GF/Interactive.hs
+++ b/src/compiler/GF/Interactive.hs
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ import qualified GF.System.Signal as IO(runInterruptibly)
 #ifdef SERVER_MODE
 import GF.Server(server)
 #endif
-import GF.System.Console(changeConsoleEncoding)
 
 import GF.Command.Messages(welcome)
 
@@ -130,7 +129,6 @@ execute1 opts gfenv0 s0 =
     "dt":ws  -> define_tree ws
     "ph":_   -> print_history
     "r" :_   -> reload_last
-    "se":ws  -> set_encoding ws
  -- ordinary commands, working on CommandEnv
     _        -> do interpretCommandLine env s0
                    continue gfenv
@@ -210,12 +208,6 @@ execute1 opts gfenv0 s0 =
           putStrLn $ "no import in history"  
           continue gfenv
 
-    set_encoding [c] =
-      do let cod = renameEncoding c
-         restricted $ changeConsoleEncoding cod
-         continue gfenv
-    set_encoding _ = putStrLn "se command not parsed" >> continue gfenv
-
 
 printException e = maybe (print e) (putStrLn . ioErrorText) (fromException e)
 
diff --git a/src/compiler/GF/Interactive2.hs b/src/compiler/GF/Interactive2.hs
index abb4f7ddf..d914c0f8b 100644
--- a/src/compiler/GF/Interactive2.hs
+++ b/src/compiler/GF/Interactive2.hs
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ import qualified GF.System.Signal as IO(runInterruptibly)
 import GF.Server(server)
 #endif
 -}
-import GF.System.Console(changeConsoleEncoding)
 
 import GF.Command.Messages(welcome)
 
@@ -131,7 +130,6 @@ execute1 opts gfenv0 s0 =
     "dt":ws  -> define_tree ws
     "ph":_   -> print_history
     "r" :_   -> reload_last
-    "se":ws  -> set_encoding ws
  -- ordinary commands, working on CommandEnv
     _        -> do interpretCommandLine env s0
                    continue gfenv
@@ -214,12 +212,6 @@ execute1 opts gfenv0 s0 =
           putStrLn $ "no import in history"  
           continue gfenv
 
-    set_encoding [c] =
-      do let cod = renameEncoding c
-         restricted $ changeConsoleEncoding cod
-         continue gfenv
-    set_encoding _ = putStrLn "se command not parsed" >> continue gfenv
-
 
 printException e = maybe (print e) (putStrLn . ioErrorText) (fromException e)