diff --git a/evennia/server/portal/telnet.py b/evennia/server/portal/telnet.py
index e9734f14a6..d4d1cda259 100644
--- a/evennia/server/portal/telnet.py
+++ b/evennia/server/portal/telnet.py
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ class TelnetProtocol(Telnet, StatefulTelnetProtocol, Session):
             else:
                 # we need to make sure to kill the color at the end in order
                 # to match the webclient output.
-                linetosend = ansi.parse_ansi(_RE_N.sub("", text) + ("|n" if text[-1] != "|" else "||n"),
+                linetosend = ansi.parse_ansi(_RE_N.sub("", text) + ("||n" if text.endswith("|") else "|n"),
                                              strip_ansi=nocolor, xterm256=xterm256, mxp=mxp)
                 if mxp:
                     linetosend = mxp_parse(linetosend)