diff --git a/enable/savage/svg/pathdata.py b/enable/savage/svg/pathdata.py
index 6355e9322..c93bf78b8 100644
--- a/enable/savage/svg/pathdata.py
+++ b/enable/savage/svg/pathdata.py
@@ -40,8 +40,13 @@ class CaselessPreservingLiteral(CaselessLiteral):
 
     def __init__(self, matchString):
         super().__init__(matchString.upper())
-        self.name = "'%s'" % matchString
-        self.errmsg = "Expected " + self.name
+
+        quoted_name = f"'{matchString}'"
+        if hasattr(self, "set_name"):
+            # Only available in pyparsing >= 3
+            self.set_name(quoted_name)
+        else:
+            self.setName(quoted_name)
 
     def parseImpl(self, instring, loc, doActions=True):
         test = instring[loc:loc + self.matchLen]
diff --git a/enable/savage/svg/tests/test_pathdata.py b/enable/savage/svg/tests/test_pathdata.py
index 0ce0f910f..3ded3122c 100644
--- a/enable/savage/svg/tests/test_pathdata.py
+++ b/enable/savage/svg/tests/test_pathdata.py
@@ -14,10 +14,18 @@
 from enable.savage.svg.pathdata import (
     Sequence, closePath, coordinatePair, curve, ellipticalArc, horizontalLine,
     lineTo, moveTo, number, quadraticBezierCurveto,
-    smoothQuadraticBezierCurveto, svg, verticalLine
+    smoothQuadraticBezierCurveto, svg, verticalLine, CaselessLiteral,
 )
 
 
+class TestCaselessLiteral(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_instantiation(self):
+        # regression test for https://github.com/enthought/enable/issues/887
+        # observed with pyparsing v >= 3
+        # we just test that instantiating the class doesnt raise exceptions
+        CaselessLiteral("test")
+
+
 class TestNumber(unittest.TestCase):
     parser = number
     valid = ["1.e10", "1e2", "1e+4", "1e-10", "1.", "1.0", "0.1", ".2"]