diff --git a/bantam.pl b/bantam.pl
index 736b1d6..8dfa585 100755
--- a/bantam.pl
+++ b/bantam.pl
@@ -4,6 +4,21 @@
 
 use strict; use warnings;
 use HTTP::Tiny; use JSON::PP; use File::Spec;
+
+# core IO::Socket::IP 0.44 emits a spurious "Use of uninitialized value $err"
+# warning on every timed connect (getsockopt(SO_ERROR) returns undef when the
+# connection succeeds). Filter that exact noise out on our side; pass through
+# everything else.
+$SIG{__WARN__} = sub {
+  my $m = shift;
+  return if $m =~ /^Use of uninitialized value \$err in numeric eq \(==\) at .*IO\/Socket\/IP\.pm line \d+/;
+  warn $m;
+};
+
+# Make STDOUT/STDERR UTF-8 aware so decoded Unicode (model output, tool
+# results) prints cleanly instead of triggering "Wide character in print".
+binmode(STDOUT, ':encoding(UTF-8)');
+binmode(STDERR, ':encoding(UTF-8)');
 use File::Path qw(make_path); use POSIX qw(strftime); use Term::ReadLine;
 
 use constant MAX_DEPTH => 5;