diff --git a/src/calibre/__init__.py b/src/calibre/__init__.py
index b8528b743e..9b78feb4bc 100644
--- a/src/calibre/__init__.py
+++ b/src/calibre/__init__.py
@@ -138,79 +138,7 @@ def sanitize_file_name(name, substitute='_'):
 
 
 sanitize_file_name2 = sanitize_file_name_unicode = sanitize_file_name
-
-
-def prints(*args, **kwargs):
-    '''
-    Print unicode arguments safely by encoding them to preferred_encoding
-    Has the same signature as the print function from Python 3, except for the
-    additional keyword argument safe_encode, which if set to True will cause the
-    function to use repr when encoding fails.
-
-    Returns the number of bytes written.
-    '''
-    file = kwargs.get('file', sys.stdout)
-    file = getattr(file, 'buffer', file)
-    enc = 'utf-8' if hasenv('CALIBRE_WORKER') else preferred_encoding
-    sep  = kwargs.get('sep', ' ')
-    if not isinstance(sep, bytes):
-        sep = sep.encode(enc)
-    end  = kwargs.get('end', '\n')
-    if not isinstance(end, bytes):
-        end = end.encode(enc)
-    safe_encode = kwargs.get('safe_encode', False)
-    count = 0
-    for i, arg in enumerate(args):
-        if isinstance(arg, unicode_type):
-            if iswindows:
-                from calibre.utils.terminal import Detect
-                cs = Detect(file)
-                if cs.is_console:
-                    cs.write_unicode_text(arg)
-                    count += len(arg)
-                    if i != len(args)-1:
-                        file.write(sep)
-                        count += len(sep)
-                    continue
-            try:
-                arg = arg.encode(enc)
-            except UnicodeEncodeError:
-                try:
-                    arg = arg.encode('utf-8')
-                except:
-                    if not safe_encode:
-                        raise
-                    arg = repr(arg)
-        if not isinstance(arg, bytes):
-            try:
-                arg = native_string_type(arg)
-            except ValueError:
-                arg = unicode_type(arg)
-            if isinstance(arg, unicode_type):
-                try:
-                    arg = arg.encode(enc)
-                except UnicodeEncodeError:
-                    try:
-                        arg = arg.encode('utf-8')
-                    except:
-                        if not safe_encode:
-                            raise
-                        arg = repr(arg)
-
-        try:
-            file.write(arg)
-            count += len(arg)
-        except:
-            from polyglot import reprlib
-            arg = reprlib.repr(arg)
-            file.write(arg)
-            count += len(arg)
-        if i != len(args)-1:
-            file.write(sep)
-            count += len(sep)
-    file.write(end)
-    count += len(end)
-    return count
+prints = print
 
 
 class CommandLineError(Exception):
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/cli.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/cli.py
index 15b9612602..80b131d625 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/cli.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/cli.py
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ def main(args=sys.argv):
     metadata = unicode_type(mi)
     if trying_to_set:
         metadata = '\t'+'\n\t'.join(metadata.split('\n'))
-    prints(metadata, safe_encode=True)
+    prints(metadata)
 
     if trying_to_set:
         with open(path, 'r+b') as stream:
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ def main(args=sys.argv):
         prints('\n' + _('Changed metadata') + '::')
         metadata = unicode_type(mi)
         metadata = '\t'+'\n\t'.join(metadata.split('\n'))
-        prints(metadata, safe_encode=True)
+        prints(metadata)
         if lrf is not None:
             prints('\tBookID:', lrf.book_id)
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/device.py b/src/calibre/gui2/device.py
index 1bca2347d5..f087aeae0c 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/device.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/device.py
@@ -59,8 +59,7 @@ class DeviceJob(BaseJob):  # {{{
 
     def start_work(self):
         if DEBUG:
-            prints('Job:', self.id, self.description, 'started',
-                safe_encode=True)
+            prints('Job:', self.id, self.description, 'started')
         self.start_time = time.time()
         self.job_manager.changed_queue.put(self)
 
@@ -69,7 +68,7 @@ class DeviceJob(BaseJob):  # {{{
         self.percent = 1
         if DEBUG:
             prints('DeviceJob:', self.id, self.description,
-                    'done, calling callback', safe_encode=True)
+                    'done, calling callback')
 
         try:
             self.callback_on_done(self)
@@ -77,7 +76,7 @@ class DeviceJob(BaseJob):  # {{{
             pass
         if DEBUG:
             prints('DeviceJob:', self.id, self.description,
-                    'callback returned', safe_encode=True)
+                    'callback returned')
         self.job_manager.changed_queue.put(self)
 
     def report_progress(self, percent, msg=''):
diff --git a/src/calibre/srv/utils.py b/src/calibre/srv/utils.py
index 50bd480535..eb51943ffd 100644
--- a/src/calibre/srv/utils.py
+++ b/src/calibre/srv/utils.py
@@ -328,7 +328,6 @@ class RotatingStream(object):
         self.stream.flush()
 
     def prints(self, level, *args, **kwargs):
-        kwargs['safe_encode'] = True
         kwargs['file'] = self.stream
         self.current_pos += prints(*args, **kwargs)
         # line bufferring only works with text mode streams
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/ipc/job.py b/src/calibre/utils/ipc/job.py
index a36de1a276..59465b7bb7 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/ipc/job.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/ipc/job.py
@@ -60,10 +60,8 @@ class BaseJob(object):
                 self._status_text = _('Error') if self.failed else _('Finished')
             if DEBUG:
                 try:
-                    prints('Job:', self.id, self.description, 'finished',
-                        safe_encode=True)
-                    prints('\t'.join(self.details.splitlines(True)),
-                        safe_encode=True)
+                    prints('Job:', self.id, self.description, 'finished')
+                    prints('\t'.join(self.details.splitlines(True)))
                 except:
                     pass
             if not self._done_called:
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/logging.py b/src/calibre/utils/logging.py
index e6449caf3f..7affa7b3d6 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/logging.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/logging.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ class Stream(object):
         if stream is None:
             stream = io.BytesIO()
         self.stream = getattr(stream, 'buffer', stream)
-        self._prints = partial(prints, safe_encode=True, file=stream)
+        self._prints = partial(prints, file=stream)
 
     def flush(self):
         self.stream.flush()