diff --git a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cpd/CPDConfiguration.java b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cpd/CPDConfiguration.java
index 8af6ac38b2..9b25d16402 100644
--- a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cpd/CPDConfiguration.java
+++ b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cpd/CPDConfiguration.java
@@ -3,10 +3,12 @@
  */
 package net.sourceforge.pmd.cpd;
 
+import java.beans.IntrospectionException;
 import java.beans.PropertyDescriptor;
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.FilenameFilter;
 import java.io.Reader;
+import java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException;
 import java.lang.reflect.Method;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.HashMap;
@@ -173,12 +175,7 @@ public class CPDConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
         }
         try {
             Renderer renderer = clazz.getDeclaredConstructor().newInstance();
-
-            PropertyDescriptor encodingProperty = new PropertyDescriptor("encoding", clazz);
-            Method method = encodingProperty.getWriteMethod();
-            if (method != null) {
-                method.invoke(renderer, encoding);
-            }
+            setRendererEncoding(renderer, encoding);
             return renderer;
         } catch (Exception e) {
             System.err.println("Couldn't instantiate renderer, defaulting to SimpleRenderer: " + e);
@@ -186,6 +183,19 @@ public class CPDConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
         }
     }
 
+    private static void setRendererEncoding(Renderer renderer, String encoding)
+            throws IllegalAccessException, InvocationTargetException {
+        try {
+            PropertyDescriptor encodingProperty = new PropertyDescriptor("encoding", renderer.getClass());
+            Method method = encodingProperty.getWriteMethod();
+            if (method != null) {
+                method.invoke(renderer, encoding);
+            }
+        } catch (IntrospectionException e) {
+            // ignored - maybe this renderer doesn't have a encoding property
+        }
+    }
+
     public static String[] getRenderers() {
         String[] result = RENDERERS.keySet().toArray(new String[RENDERERS.size()]);
         Arrays.sort(result);
diff --git a/pmd-core/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cpd/CPDConfigurationTest.java b/pmd-core/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cpd/CPDConfigurationTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..98fb23b789
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pmd-core/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cpd/CPDConfigurationTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+/**
+ * BSD-style license; for more info see http://pmd.sourceforge.net/license.html
+ */
+package net.sourceforge.pmd.cpd;
+
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Map;
+
+import org.junit.Assert;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+public class CPDConfigurationTest {
+
+    @Test
+    public void testRenderers() {
+        Map<String, Class<? extends Renderer>> renderersToTest = new HashMap<String, Class<? extends Renderer>>();
+        renderersToTest.put("csv", CSVRenderer.class);
+        renderersToTest.put("xml", XMLRenderer.class);
+        renderersToTest.put("csv_with_linecount_per_file", CSVWithLinecountPerFileRenderer.class);
+        renderersToTest.put("vs", VSRenderer.class);
+        renderersToTest.put("text", SimpleRenderer.class);
+
+        for (Map.Entry<String, Class<? extends Renderer>> entry : renderersToTest.entrySet()) {
+            Renderer r = CPDConfiguration.getRendererFromString(entry.getKey(), "UTF-8");
+            Assert.assertNotNull(r);
+            Assert.assertSame(entry.getValue(), r.getClass());
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/pmd-java/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cpd/CPDCommandLineInterfaceTest.java b/pmd-java/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cpd/CPDCommandLineInterfaceTest.java
index 0dff26e0d6..b0025deb2b 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cpd/CPDCommandLineInterfaceTest.java
+++ b/pmd-java/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/cpd/CPDCommandLineInterfaceTest.java
@@ -114,6 +114,16 @@ public class CPDCommandLineInterfaceTest {
         Assert.assertTrue(out.contains("<duplication lines=\"3\" tokens=\"10\">"));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testCSVFormat() throws Exception {
+        runCPD("--minimum-tokens", "100",
+               "--files", "src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/cpd/badandgood/",
+               "--language", "c",
+               "--format", "csv");
+        String out = bufferStdout.toString("UTF-8");
+        Assert.assertFalse(out.contains("Couldn't instantiate renderer"));
+    }
+
     private void runCPD(String... args) {
         System.setProperty(CPDCommandLineInterface.NO_EXIT_AFTER_RUN, "true");
         CPD.main(args);
diff --git a/src/site/markdown/overview/changelog.md b/src/site/markdown/overview/changelog.md
index 7132a84fc4..711a18ac54 100644
--- a/src/site/markdown/overview/changelog.md
+++ b/src/site/markdown/overview/changelog.md
@@ -22,5 +22,6 @@
 *   [#1375](https://sourceforge.net/p/pmd/bugs/1375/): CloseResource not detected properly
 *   [#1376](https://sourceforge.net/p/pmd/bugs/1376/): CompareObjectsWithEquals fails for type annotated method parameter
 *   [#1379](https://sourceforge.net/p/pmd/bugs/1379/): PMD CLI: Cannot specify multiple properties
+*   [#1381](https://sourceforge.net/p/pmd/bugs/1381/): CPD Cannot use CSV/VS Renderers because they don't support encoding property
 
 **API Changes:**