diff --git a/mercurial/windows.py b/mercurial/windows.py
--- a/mercurial/windows.py
+++ b/mercurial/windows.py
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ class winstdout(object):
             limit = 16000
             l = len(s)
             start = 0
+            self.softspace = 0;
             while start < l:
                 end = start + limit
                 self.fp.write(s[start:end])
diff --git a/tests/test-demandimport.py b/tests/test-demandimport.py
--- a/tests/test-demandimport.py
+++ b/tests/test-demandimport.py
@@ -36,5 +36,5 @@ print "fred.sub =", f(fred.sub)
 print "fred =", f(fred)
 
 print "re =", f(re)
-print "re.stdout =", f(re.stdout)
+print "re.stderr =", f(re.stderr)
 print "re =", f(re)
diff --git a/tests/test-demandimport.py.out b/tests/test-demandimport.py.out
--- a/tests/test-demandimport.py.out
+++ b/tests/test-demandimport.py.out
@@ -11,5 +11,5 @@ fred = <unloaded module 're'>
 fred.sub = <function sub at 0x?>
 fred = <proxied module 're'>
 re = <unloaded module 'sys'>
-re.stdout = <open file '<stdout>', mode 'w' at 0x?>
+re.stderr = <open file '<stderr>', mode 'w' at 0x?>
 re = <proxied module 'sys'>