diff --git a/cmd/evaluate_all_command.go b/cmd/evaluate_all_command.go
index 63b68871..fff64fa5 100644
--- a/cmd/evaluate_all_command.go
+++ b/cmd/evaluate_all_command.go
@@ -84,7 +84,10 @@ func evaluateAll(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (cmdError error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	encoder := configureEncoder(format)
+	encoder, err := configureEncoder()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	printer := yqlib.NewPrinter(encoder, printerWriter)
 
diff --git a/cmd/evalute_sequence_command.go b/cmd/evalute_sequence_command.go
index 53108165..dab803c3 100644
--- a/cmd/evalute_sequence_command.go
+++ b/cmd/evalute_sequence_command.go
@@ -93,7 +93,10 @@ func evaluateSequence(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (cmdError error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	encoder := configureEncoder(format)
+	encoder, err := configureEncoder()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	printer := yqlib.NewPrinter(encoder, printerWriter)
 
diff --git a/cmd/utils.go b/cmd/utils.go
index 8dad7c30..3b5e79f7 100644
--- a/cmd/utils.go
+++ b/cmd/utils.go
@@ -61,7 +61,12 @@ func configureDecoder(evaluateTogether bool) (yqlib.Decoder, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	switch yqlibInputFormat {
+	yqlibDecoder, err := createDecoder(yqlibInputFormat, evaluateTogether)
+	return yqlibDecoder, err
+}
+
+func createDecoder(format yqlib.InputFormat, evaluateTogether bool) (yqlib.Decoder, error) {
+	switch format {
 	case yqlib.XMLInputFormat:
 		return yqlib.NewXMLDecoder(yqlib.ConfiguredXMLPreferences), nil
 	case yqlib.PropertiesInputFormat:
@@ -72,10 +77,12 @@ func configureDecoder(evaluateTogether bool) (yqlib.Decoder, error) {
 		return yqlib.NewCSVObjectDecoder(','), nil
 	case yqlib.TSVObjectInputFormat:
 		return yqlib.NewCSVObjectDecoder('\t'), nil
+	case yqlib.YamlInputFormat:
+		prefs := yqlib.ConfiguredYamlPreferences
+		prefs.EvaluateTogether = evaluateTogether
+		return yqlib.NewYamlDecoder(prefs), nil
 	}
-	prefs := yqlib.ConfiguredYamlPreferences
-	prefs.EvaluateTogether = evaluateTogether
-	return yqlib.NewYamlDecoder(prefs), nil
+	return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid decoder: %v", format)
 }
 
 func configurePrinterWriter(format yqlib.PrinterOutputFormat, out io.Writer) (yqlib.PrinterWriter, error) {
@@ -95,22 +102,31 @@ func configurePrinterWriter(format yqlib.PrinterOutputFormat, out io.Writer) (yq
 	return printerWriter, nil
 }
 
-func configureEncoder(format yqlib.PrinterOutputFormat) yqlib.Encoder {
+func configureEncoder() (yqlib.Encoder, error) {
+	yqlibOutputFormat, err := yqlib.OutputFormatFromString(outputFormat)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	yqlibEncoder, err := createEncoder(yqlibOutputFormat)
+	return yqlibEncoder, err
+}
+
+func createEncoder(format yqlib.PrinterOutputFormat) (yqlib.Encoder, error) {
 	switch format {
 	case yqlib.JSONOutputFormat:
-		return yqlib.NewJSONEncoder(indent, colorsEnabled, unwrapScalar)
+		return yqlib.NewJSONEncoder(indent, colorsEnabled, unwrapScalar), nil
 	case yqlib.PropsOutputFormat:
-		return yqlib.NewPropertiesEncoder(unwrapScalar)
+		return yqlib.NewPropertiesEncoder(unwrapScalar), nil
 	case yqlib.CSVOutputFormat:
-		return yqlib.NewCsvEncoder(',')
+		return yqlib.NewCsvEncoder(','), nil
 	case yqlib.TSVOutputFormat:
-		return yqlib.NewCsvEncoder('\t')
+		return yqlib.NewCsvEncoder('\t'), nil
 	case yqlib.YamlOutputFormat:
-		return yqlib.NewYamlEncoder(indent, colorsEnabled, yqlib.ConfiguredYamlPreferences)
+		return yqlib.NewYamlEncoder(indent, colorsEnabled, yqlib.ConfiguredYamlPreferences), nil
 	case yqlib.XMLOutputFormat:
-		return yqlib.NewXMLEncoder(indent, yqlib.ConfiguredXMLPreferences)
+		return yqlib.NewXMLEncoder(indent, yqlib.ConfiguredXMLPreferences), nil
 	}
-	panic("invalid encoder")
+	return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid encoder: %v", format)
 }
 
 // this is a hack to enable backwards compatibility with githubactions (which pipe /dev/null into everything)
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_encoder_decoder.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_encoder_decoder.go
index 255b0664..718ab59b 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_encoder_decoder.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_encoder_decoder.go
@@ -98,13 +98,11 @@ type decoderPreferences struct {
 	format InputFormat
 }
 
-/* takes a string and decodes it back into an object */
-func decodeOperator(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *ExpressionNode) (Context, error) {
-
-	preferences := expressionNode.Operation.Preferences.(decoderPreferences)
-
+func createDecoder(format InputFormat) Decoder {
 	var decoder Decoder
-	switch preferences.format {
+	switch format {
+	case JsonInputFormat:
+		decoder = NewJSONDecoder()
 	case YamlInputFormat:
 		decoder = NewYamlDecoder(ConfiguredYamlPreferences)
 	case XMLInputFormat:
@@ -120,6 +118,15 @@ func decodeOperator(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *Expre
 	case UriInputFormat:
 		decoder = NewUriDecoder()
 	}
+	return decoder
+}
+
+/* takes a string and decodes it back into an object */
+func decodeOperator(d *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *ExpressionNode) (Context, error) {
+
+	preferences := expressionNode.Operation.Preferences.(decoderPreferences)
+
+	decoder := createDecoder(preferences.format)
 
 	var results = list.New()
 	for el := context.MatchingNodes.Front(); el != nil; el = el.Next() {
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/printer_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/printer_test.go
index cc7b3dbe..b913daca 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/printer_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/printer_test.go
@@ -314,7 +314,8 @@ func TestPrinterMultipleDocsJson(t *testing.T) {
 	var writer = bufio.NewWriter(&output)
 	// note printDocSeparators is true, it should still not print document separators
 	// when outputing JSON.
-	printer := NewPrinter(NewJSONEncoder(0, false, false), NewSinglePrinterWriter(writer))
+	encoder := NewJSONEncoder(0, false, false)
+	printer := NewPrinter(encoder, NewSinglePrinterWriter(writer))
 
 	inputs, err := readDocuments(strings.NewReader(multiDocSample), "sample.yml", 0, NewYamlDecoder(ConfiguredYamlPreferences))
 	if err != nil {