diff --git a/cmd/utils.go b/cmd/utils.go
index c02ba3ca..16eb9e97 100644
--- a/cmd/utils.go
+++ b/cmd/utils.go
@@ -180,38 +180,22 @@ func configureEncoder() (yqlib.Encoder, error) {
 func createEncoder(format *yqlib.PrinterOutputFormat) (yqlib.Encoder, error) {
 	yqlib.ConfiguredXMLPreferences.Indent = indent
 	yqlib.ConfiguredYamlPreferences.Indent = indent
-	yqlib.ConfiguredJsonPreferences.Indent = indent
+	yqlib.ConfiguredJSONPreferences.Indent = indent
 
 	yqlib.ConfiguredYamlPreferences.UnwrapScalar = unwrapScalar
 	yqlib.ConfiguredPropertiesPreferences.UnwrapScalar = unwrapScalar
-	yqlib.ConfiguredJsonPreferences.UnwrapScalar = unwrapScalar
+	yqlib.ConfiguredJSONPreferences.UnwrapScalar = unwrapScalar
 
 	yqlib.ConfiguredYamlPreferences.ColorsEnabled = colorsEnabled
-	yqlib.ConfiguredJsonPreferences.ColorsEnabled = colorsEnabled
+	yqlib.ConfiguredJSONPreferences.ColorsEnabled = colorsEnabled
 
 	yqlib.ConfiguredYamlPreferences.PrintDocSeparators = !noDocSeparators
 
-	switch format {
-	case yqlib.JSONOutputFormat:
-		return yqlib.NewJSONEncoder(yqlib.ConfiguredJsonPreferences), nil
-	case yqlib.PropsOutputFormat:
-		return yqlib.NewPropertiesEncoder(yqlib.ConfiguredPropertiesPreferences), nil
-	case yqlib.CSVOutputFormat:
-		return yqlib.NewCsvEncoder(yqlib.ConfiguredCsvPreferences), nil
-	case yqlib.TSVOutputFormat:
-		return yqlib.NewCsvEncoder(yqlib.ConfiguredTsvPreferences), nil
-	case yqlib.YamlOutputFormat:
-		return yqlib.NewYamlEncoder(yqlib.ConfiguredYamlPreferences), nil
-	case yqlib.XMLOutputFormat:
-		return yqlib.NewXMLEncoder(yqlib.ConfiguredXMLPreferences), nil
-	case yqlib.TomlOutputFormat:
-		return yqlib.NewTomlEncoder(), nil
-	case yqlib.ShellVariablesOutputFormat:
-		return yqlib.NewShellVariablesEncoder(), nil
-	case yqlib.LuaOutputFormat:
-		return yqlib.NewLuaEncoder(yqlib.ConfiguredLuaPreferences), nil
+	encoder := format.EncoderFactory()
+	if encoder == nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid encoder: %v", format)
 	}
-	return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid encoder: %v", format)
+	return encoder, nil
 }
 
 // this is a hack to enable backwards compatibility with githubactions (which pipe /dev/null into everything)
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/encoder_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/encoder_test.go
index 018fd7fe..10db8c43 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/encoder_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/encoder_test.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ func yamlToJSON(t *testing.T, sampleYaml string, indent int) string {
 	var output bytes.Buffer
 	writer := bufio.NewWriter(&output)
 
-	prefs := ConfiguredJsonPreferences.Copy()
+	prefs := ConfiguredJSONPreferences.Copy()
 	prefs.Indent = indent
 	prefs.UnwrapScalar = false
 	var jsonEncoder = NewJSONEncoder(prefs)
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/formatting_expressions_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/formatting_expressions_test.go
index 3fa3927d..414e061b 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/formatting_expressions_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/formatting_expressions_test.go
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ func documentExpressionScenario(_ *testing.T, w *bufio.Writer, i interface{}) {
 	encoder := NewYamlEncoder(ConfiguredYamlPreferences)
 
 	if s.scenarioType == "shebang-json" {
-		encoder = NewJSONEncoder(ConfiguredJsonPreferences)
+		encoder = NewJSONEncoder(ConfiguredJSONPreferences)
 	}
 
 	writeOrPanic(w, fmt.Sprintf("```yaml\n%v```\n\n", mustProcessFormatScenario(s, NewYamlDecoder(ConfiguredYamlPreferences), encoder)))
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/json.go b/pkg/yqlib/json.go
index b108fd6d..fe176f45 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/json.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/json.go
@@ -22,4 +22,4 @@ func (p *JsonPreferences) Copy() JsonPreferences {
 	}
 }
 
-var ConfiguredJsonPreferences = NewDefaultJsonPreferences()
+var ConfiguredJSONPreferences = NewDefaultJsonPreferences()
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/json_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/json_test.go
index 9579be3e..b8777c97 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/json_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/json_test.go
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ func documentRoundtripNdJsonScenario(w *bufio.Writer, s formatScenario, indent i
 	}
 
 	writeOrPanic(w, "will output\n")
-	prefs := ConfiguredJsonPreferences.Copy()
+	prefs := ConfiguredJSONPreferences.Copy()
 	prefs.Indent = indent
 	prefs.UnwrapScalar = false
 
@@ -386,7 +386,7 @@ func decodeJSON(t *testing.T, jsonString string) *CandidateNode {
 }
 
 func testJSONScenario(t *testing.T, s formatScenario) {
-	prefs := ConfiguredJsonPreferences.Copy()
+	prefs := ConfiguredJSONPreferences.Copy()
 	prefs.Indent = s.indent
 	prefs.UnwrapScalar = false
 	switch s.scenarioType {
@@ -488,7 +488,7 @@ func documentJSONEncodeScenario(w *bufio.Writer, s formatScenario) {
 		writeOrPanic(w, fmt.Sprintf("```bash\nyq -o=json -I=%v '%v' sample.yml\n```\n", s.indent, expression))
 	}
 	writeOrPanic(w, "will output\n")
-	prefs := ConfiguredJsonPreferences.Copy()
+	prefs := ConfiguredJSONPreferences.Copy()
 	prefs.Indent = s.indent
 	prefs.UnwrapScalar = false
 
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_encoder_decoder.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_encoder_decoder.go
index 7e048d10..a5e4b4eb 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_encoder_decoder.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_encoder_decoder.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ func configureEncoder(format *PrinterOutputFormat, indent int) Encoder {
 
 	switch format {
 	case JSONOutputFormat:
-		prefs := ConfiguredJsonPreferences.Copy()
+		prefs := ConfiguredJSONPreferences.Copy()
 		prefs.Indent = indent
 		prefs.ColorsEnabled = false
 		prefs.UnwrapScalar = false
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operators_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/operators_test.go
index 17131bde..dd8e3e73 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operators_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operators_test.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ type expressionScenario struct {
 func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 	logging.SetLevel(logging.ERROR, "")
 	ConfiguredYamlPreferences.ColorsEnabled = false
-	ConfiguredJsonPreferences.ColorsEnabled = false
+	ConfiguredJSONPreferences.ColorsEnabled = false
 	Now = func() time.Time {
 		return time.Date(2021, time.May, 19, 1, 2, 3, 4, time.UTC)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/printer.go b/pkg/yqlib/printer.go
index 86b68b11..afa0ef58 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/printer.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/printer.go
@@ -18,26 +18,29 @@ type Printer interface {
 	SetNulSepOutput(nulSepOutput bool)
 }
 
+type EncoderFactoryFunction func() Encoder
+
 type PrinterOutputFormat struct {
-	FormalName string
-	Names      []string
+	FormalName     string
+	Names          []string
+	EncoderFactory EncoderFactoryFunction
 }
 
-var YamlOutputFormat = &PrinterOutputFormat{"yaml", []string{"y", "yml"}}
-var JSONOutputFormat = &PrinterOutputFormat{"json", []string{"j"}}
-var PropsOutputFormat = &PrinterOutputFormat{"props", []string{"p", "properties"}}
-var CSVOutputFormat = &PrinterOutputFormat{"csv", []string{"c"}}
-var TSVOutputFormat = &PrinterOutputFormat{"tsv", []string{"t"}}
-var XMLOutputFormat = &PrinterOutputFormat{"xml", []string{"x"}}
+var YamlOutputFormat = &PrinterOutputFormat{"yaml", []string{"y", "yml"}, func() Encoder { return NewYamlEncoder(ConfiguredYamlPreferences) }}
+var JSONOutputFormat = &PrinterOutputFormat{"json", []string{"j"}, func() Encoder { return NewJSONEncoder(ConfiguredJSONPreferences) }}
+var PropsOutputFormat = &PrinterOutputFormat{"props", []string{"p", "properties"}, func() Encoder { return NewPropertiesEncoder(ConfiguredPropertiesPreferences) }}
+var CSVOutputFormat = &PrinterOutputFormat{"csv", []string{"c"}, func() Encoder { return NewCsvEncoder(ConfiguredCsvPreferences) }}
+var TSVOutputFormat = &PrinterOutputFormat{"tsv", []string{"t"}, func() Encoder { return NewCsvEncoder(ConfiguredTsvPreferences) }}
+var XMLOutputFormat = &PrinterOutputFormat{"xml", []string{"x"}, func() Encoder { return NewXMLEncoder(ConfiguredXMLPreferences) }}
 
 var Base64OutputFormat = &PrinterOutputFormat{}
 var UriOutputFormat = &PrinterOutputFormat{}
 var ShOutputFormat = &PrinterOutputFormat{}
 
-var TomlOutputFormat = &PrinterOutputFormat{"toml", []string{}}
-var ShellVariablesOutputFormat = &PrinterOutputFormat{"shell", []string{"s", "sh"}}
+var TomlOutputFormat = &PrinterOutputFormat{"toml", []string{}, func() Encoder { return NewTomlEncoder() }}
+var ShellVariablesOutputFormat = &PrinterOutputFormat{"shell", []string{"s", "sh"}, func() Encoder { return NewShellVariablesEncoder() }}
 
-var LuaOutputFormat = &PrinterOutputFormat{"lua", []string{"l"}}
+var LuaOutputFormat = &PrinterOutputFormat{"lua", []string{"l"}, func() Encoder { return NewLuaEncoder(ConfiguredLuaPreferences) }}
 
 var Formats = []*PrinterOutputFormat{
 	YamlOutputFormat,
@@ -66,6 +69,10 @@ func (f *PrinterOutputFormat) MatchesName(name string) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+func (f *PrinterOutputFormat) GetConfiguredEncoder() Encoder {
+	return f.EncoderFactory()
+}
+
 func OutputFormatFromString(format string) (*PrinterOutputFormat, error) {
 	for _, printerFormat := range Formats {
 		if printerFormat.MatchesName(format) {
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/printer_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/printer_test.go
index 899e1627..19ddd5df 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/printer_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/printer_test.go
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ func TestPrinterMultipleDocsJson(t *testing.T) {
 	var writer = bufio.NewWriter(&output)
 	// note printDocSeparators is true, it should still not print document separators
 	// when outputting JSON.
-	prefs := ConfiguredJsonPreferences.Copy()
+	prefs := ConfiguredJSONPreferences.Copy()
 	prefs.Indent = 0
 	encoder := NewJSONEncoder(prefs)
 	if encoder == nil {
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ func TestPrinterNulSeparatorWithJson(t *testing.T) {
 	var writer = bufio.NewWriter(&output)
 	// note printDocSeparators is true, it should still not print document separators
 	// when outputting JSON.
-	prefs := ConfiguredJsonPreferences.Copy()
+	prefs := ConfiguredJSONPreferences.Copy()
 	prefs.Indent = 0
 	encoder := NewJSONEncoder(prefs)
 	if encoder == nil {