diff --git a/src/bin/psql/psqlscanslash.l b/src/bin/psql/psqlscanslash.l
index 86832a86532..afa1d3be96c 100644
--- a/src/bin/psql/psqlscanslash.l
+++ b/src/bin/psql/psqlscanslash.l
@@ -705,7 +705,7 @@ evaluate_backtick(PsqlScanState state)
 
 	initPQExpBuffer(&cmd_output);
 
-	fd = popen(cmd, PG_BINARY_R);
+	fd = popen(cmd, "r");
 	if (!fd)
 	{
 		state->callbacks->write_error("%s: %s\n", cmd, strerror(errno));
@@ -746,7 +746,7 @@ evaluate_backtick(PsqlScanState state)
 	/* If no error, transfer result to output_buf */
 	if (!error)
 	{
-		/* strip any trailing newline */
+		/* strip any trailing newline (but only one) */
 		if (cmd_output.len > 0 &&
 			cmd_output.data[cmd_output.len - 1] == '\n')
 			cmd_output.len--;