diff --git a/lib/stdio/encoding.js b/lib/stdio/encoding.js
index 8f0d16324e..3a24a2ff6e 100644
--- a/lib/stdio/encoding.js
+++ b/lib/stdio/encoding.js
@@ -5,21 +5,22 @@ import {isUint8Array} from './utils.js';
 // Apply the `encoding` option using an implicit generator.
 // This encodes the final output of `stdout`/`stderr`.
 export const handleStreamsEncoding = (stdioStreams, {encoding}, isSync) => {
-	if (stdioStreams[0].direction === 'input' || IGNORED_ENCODINGS.has(encoding) || isSync) {
-		return stdioStreams.map(stdioStream => ({...stdioStream, encoding}));
-	}
-
-	const transform = encodingEndGenerator.bind(undefined, encoding);
-	const objectMode = stdioStreams.findLast(({type}) => type === 'generator')?.value.readableObjectMode === true;
-	return [
-		...stdioStreams,
-		{
-			...stdioStreams[0],
-			type: 'generator',
-			value: {transform, binary: true, readableObjectMode: objectMode, writableObjectMode: objectMode},
-			encoding: 'buffer',
-		},
-	];
+	const newStdioStreams = stdioStreams.map(stdioStream => ({...stdioStream, encoding}));
+	return newStdioStreams[0].direction === 'input' || IGNORED_ENCODINGS.has(encoding) || isSync
+		? newStdioStreams
+		: [
+			...newStdioStreams,
+			{
+				...newStdioStreams[0],
+				type: 'generator',
+				value: {
+					transform: encodingEndGenerator.bind(undefined, encoding),
+					binary: true,
+					objectMode: 'previous',
+				},
+				encoding: 'buffer',
+			},
+		];
 };
 
 // eslint-disable-next-line unicorn/text-encoding-identifier-case
diff --git a/lib/stdio/generator.js b/lib/stdio/generator.js
index 462eac8997..bf6ce58e4d 100644
--- a/lib/stdio/generator.js
+++ b/lib/stdio/generator.js
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ The same applies to the first output's generator's `writableObjectMode`.
 */
 const getOutputObjectModes = (objectMode, index, newGenerators) => {
 	const writableObjectMode = index !== 0 && newGenerators[index - 1].value.readableObjectMode;
-	const readableObjectMode = objectMode;
+	const readableObjectMode = objectMode === 'previous' ? writableObjectMode : objectMode;
 	return {writableObjectMode, readableObjectMode};
 };
 
diff --git a/lib/stdio/handle.js b/lib/stdio/handle.js
index 7162e88eae..be2f8f28dd 100644
--- a/lib/stdio/handle.js
+++ b/lib/stdio/handle.js
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ export const handleInput = (addProperties, options, isSync) => {
 	const stdioStreamsGroups = [[...stdinStreams, ...handleInputOptions(options)], ...otherStreamsGroups]
 		.map(stdioStreams => validateStreams(stdioStreams))
 		.map(stdioStreams => addStreamDirection(stdioStreams))
-		.map(stdioStreams => normalizeGenerators(stdioStreams))
 		.map(stdioStreams => handleStreamsEncoding(stdioStreams, options, isSync))
+		.map(stdioStreams => normalizeGenerators(stdioStreams))
 		.map(stdioStreams => addStreamsProperties(stdioStreams, addProperties));
 	options.stdio = transformStdio(stdioStreamsGroups);
 	return stdioStreamsGroups;