diff --git a/texinfo.tex b/texinfo.tex
index 768fbb8e..afe017e0 100644
--- a/texinfo.tex
+++ b/texinfo.tex
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 % Load plain if necessary, i.e., if running under initex.
 \expandafter\ifx\csname fmtname\endcsname\relax\input plain\fi
 %
-\def\texinfoversion{1998-12-19}%
+\def\texinfoversion{1998-12-20}%
 %
 % Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 88, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98
 % Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@@ -2401,9 +2401,11 @@ width0pt\relax} \fi
 % (Must be a way to avoid doing expansion at all, and thus not have to
 % laboriously list every single command here.)
 \def\@{@}% will be @@ when we switch to @ as escape char.
-% need these in case \tex is in effect and \{ is a \delimiter again.
-\let\{ = \lbracecmd
-\let\} = \rbracecmd
+% Need these in case \tex is in effect and \{ is a \delimiter again.
+% But can't use \lbracecmd and \rbracecmd because texindex assumes
+% braces and backslashes are used only as delimiters.
+\let\{ = \mylbrace
+\let\} = \myrbrace
 \def\_{{\realbackslash _}}%
 \def\w{\realbackslash w }%
 \def\bf{\realbackslash bf }%