diff --git a/lib/debug/server_dap.rb b/lib/debug/server_dap.rb
index f30d28ae6..eb578615f 100644
--- a/lib/debug/server_dap.rb
+++ b/lib/debug/server_dap.rb
@@ -687,7 +687,13 @@ def register_vars vars, tid
   class ThreadClient
     def value_inspect obj
       # TODO: max length should be configuarable?
-      DEBUGGER__.safe_inspect obj, short: true, max_length: 4 * 1024
+      str = DEBUGGER__.safe_inspect obj, short: true, max_length: 4 * 1024
+
+      if str.encoding == Encoding::UTF_8
+        str.scrub
+      else
+        str.encode(Encoding::UTF_8, invalid: :replace, undef: :replace)
+      end
     end
 
     def process_dap args
diff --git a/test/protocol/binary_data_dap_test.rb b/test/protocol/binary_data_dap_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c874f1120
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/protocol/binary_data_dap_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+require_relative '../support/protocol_test_case'
+
+module DEBUGGER__
+  class BinaryDataDAPTest < ProtocolTestCase
+    def test_binary_data_gets_encoded
+      program = <<~RUBY
+        1| class PassthroughInspect
+        2|   def initialize(data)
+        3|     @data = data
+        4|   end
+        5|
+        6|   def inspect
+        7|     @data
+        8|   end
+        9| end
+        10|
+        11| with_binary_data = PassthroughInspect.new([8, 200, 1].pack('CCC'))
+        12| with_binary_data
+      RUBY
+      run_protocol_scenario(program, cdp: false) do
+        req_add_breakpoint 12
+        req_continue
+        assert_locals_result(
+          [
+            { name: '%self', value: 'main', type: 'Object' },
+            { name: 'with_binary_data', value: [8, 200, 1].pack('CCC').encode(Encoding::UTF_8, invalid: :replace, undef: :replace), type: 'PassthroughInspect' }
+          ]
+        )
+        req_terminate_debuggee
+      end
+    end
+
+    def test_frozen_strings_are_supported
+      # When `inspect` fails, `DEBUGGER__.safe_inspect` returns a frozen error message
+      # Just returning a frozen string wouldn't work, as `DEBUGGER__.safe_inspect` constructs
+      # the return value with a buffer.
+      program = <<~RUBY
+        1| class Uninspectable
+        2|   def inspect; raise 'error'; end
+        3| end
+        4| broken_inspect = Uninspectable.new
+        5| broken_inspect
+      RUBY
+      run_protocol_scenario(program, cdp: false) do
+        req_add_breakpoint 5
+        req_continue
+        assert_locals_result(
+          [
+            { name: '%self', value: 'main', type: 'Object' },
+            { name: 'broken_inspect', value: /#inspect raises/, type: 'Uninspectable' }
+          ]
+        )
+        req_terminate_debuggee
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end