diff --git a/src/server/serversession.py b/src/server/serversession.py
index eab3b706ad..5e4132cdea 100644
--- a/src/server/serversession.py
+++ b/src/server/serversession.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ from django.conf import settings
 #from src.scripts.models import ScriptDB
 from src.comms.models import ChannelDB
 from src.utils import logger, utils
-from src.utils.utils import make_iter, to_unicode, to_str, escape_control_sequences
+from src.utils.utils import make_iter
 from src.commands.cmdhandler import cmdhandler
 from src.commands.cmdsethandler import CmdSetHandler
 from src.server.session import Session
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ class ServerSession(Session):
         """
         if text:
             # this is treated as a command input
-            text = to_unicode(escape_control_sequences(text), encoding=self.encoding)
+            #text = to_unicode(escape_control_sequences(text), encoding=self.encoding)
             # handle the 'idle' command
             if text.strip() == IDLE_COMMAND:
                 self.update_session_counters(idle=True)
@@ -231,11 +231,12 @@ class ServerSession(Session):
         """
         Send Evennia -> User
         """
-        if text is None:
-            text = ""
-        else:
-            text = to_unicode(text)
-            text = to_str(text, self.encoding)
+        text = text if text else ""
+        #if text is None:
+        #    text = ""
+        #else:
+        #    text = to_unicode(text)
+        #    text = to_str(text, self.encoding)
 
         self.sessionhandler.data_out(self, text=text, **kwargs)
 
diff --git a/src/server/sessionhandler.py b/src/server/sessionhandler.py
index 196125546a..d4498054f1 100644
--- a/src/server/sessionhandler.py
+++ b/src/server/sessionhandler.py
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ There are two similar but separate stores of sessions:
 import time
 from django.conf import settings
 from src.commands.cmdhandler import CMD_LOGINSTART
-from src.utils.utils import variable_from_module, is_iter
+from src.utils.utils import variable_from_module, is_iter, \
+                            to_str, to_unicode, strip_control_sequences
 try:
     import cPickle as pickle
 except ImportError:
@@ -469,6 +470,7 @@ class ServerSessionHandler(SessionHandler):
         """
         Sending data Server -> Portal
         """
+        text = text and to_str(to_unicode(text), encoding=session.encoding)
         self.server.amp_protocol.call_remote_MsgServer2Portal(sessid=session.sessid,
                                                               msg=text,
                                                               data=kwargs)
@@ -479,6 +481,7 @@ class ServerSessionHandler(SessionHandler):
         """
         session = self.sessions.get(sessid, None)
         if session:
+            text = text and to_unicode(strip_control_sequences(text), encoding=session.encoding)
             session.data_in(text=text, **kwargs)
 
 SESSIONS = ServerSessionHandler()
diff --git a/src/utils/utils.py b/src/utils/utils.py
index 8be0eb73dd..c6025c1620 100644
--- a/src/utils/utils.py
+++ b/src/utils/utils.py
@@ -1105,7 +1105,7 @@ class lazy_property(object):
 
 _STRIP_ANSI = None
 _RE_CONTROL_CHAR = re.compile('[%s]' % re.escape(''.join([unichr(c) for c in range(0,32)])))# + range(127,160)])))
-def escape_control_sequences(string):
+def strip_control_sequences(string):
     """
     remove non-print text sequences from string.
     """