diff --git a/evennia/server/portal/telnet.py b/evennia/server/portal/telnet.py
index fc16ca6ac6..57049d9b78 100644
--- a/evennia/server/portal/telnet.py
+++ b/evennia/server/portal/telnet.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ _IDLE_COMMAND = str.encode(settings.IDLE_COMMAND + "\n")
 
 # identify HTTP indata
 _HTTP_REGEX = re.compile(
-    r"(GET|HEAD|POST|PUT|DELETE|TRACE|OPTIONS|CONNECT|PATCH) (.*? HTTP/[0-9]\.[0-9])", re.I
+    rb"(GET|HEAD|POST|PUT|DELETE|TRACE|OPTIONS|CONNECT|PATCH) (.*? HTTP/[0-9]\.[0-9])", re.I
 )
 
 _HTTP_WARNING = bytes(
@@ -330,8 +330,10 @@ class TelnetProtocol(Telnet, StatefulTelnetProtocol, _BASE_SESSION_CLASS):
             data = [_IDLE_COMMAND]
         else:
             data = _RE_LINEBREAK.split(data)
-
-            if len(data) > 2 and _HTTP_REGEX.match(data[0]):
+            # Normalize to bytes for regex match if needed.
+            if len(data) > 2 and _HTTP_REGEX.match(
+                data[0].encode("utf-8", errors="replace") if isinstance(data[0], str) else data[0]
+            ):
                 # guard against HTTP request on the Telnet port; we
                 # block and kill the connection.
                 self.transport.write(_HTTP_WARNING)
diff --git a/evennia/server/portal/tests.py b/evennia/server/portal/tests.py
index b26cf0644b..2487272c71 100644
--- a/evennia/server/portal/tests.py
+++ b/evennia/server/portal/tests.py
@@ -236,6 +236,22 @@ class TestTelnet(TwistedTestCase):
         self.transport = proto_helpers.StringTransport()
         self.addCleanup(factory.sessionhandler.disconnect_all)
 
+    @mock.patch("evennia.server.portal.portalsessionhandler.reactor", new=MagicMock())
+    def test_command_stacking_no_type_error(self):
+        self.transport.client = ["localhost"]
+        self.transport.setTcpKeepAlive = Mock()
+        d = self.proto.makeConnection(self.transport)
+        # Mudlet sends multiple commands in one packet when command stacking
+        data = b"wave\r\nsay hi\r\n"
+        try:
+            self.proto.dataReceived(data)
+        except TypeError:
+            self.fail("dataReceived raised TypeError on stacked commands")
+        # clean up to prevent Unclean reactor
+        self.proto.nop_keep_alive.stop()
+        self.proto._handshake_delay.cancel()
+        return d
+
     @mock.patch("evennia.server.portal.portalsessionhandler.reactor", new=MagicMock())
     def test_mudlet_ttype(self):
         self.transport.client = ["localhost"]