diff --git a/_pytest/capture.py b/_pytest/capture.py
index f27ab1a74..164d5538b 100644
--- a/_pytest/capture.py
+++ b/_pytest/capture.py
@@ -238,12 +238,8 @@ class EncodedFile(object):
         self.write(data)
 
     def __getattr__(self, name):
-        return getattr(self.buffer, name)
-
-    def __setstate__(self, dd):
-        """default implementation for __setstate__ because unpickling causes infinite
-           recursion if only __getattr__ is overloaded and __setstate__ is missing"""
-        self.__dict__ = dd
+        if hasattr(self, "buffer"):
+            return getattr(self.buffer, name)
 
 
 class MultiCapture(object):