diff --git a/evennia/utils/utils.py b/evennia/utils/utils.py
index 360213ba3a..5c6264fc5a 100644
--- a/evennia/utils/utils.py
+++ b/evennia/utils/utils.py
@@ -473,7 +473,7 @@ def iter_to_str(iterable, sep=",", endsep=", and", addquote=False):
 list_to_string = iter_to_str
 iter_to_string = iter_to_str
 
-re_empty = re.compile("\n\s*\n")
+re_empty = re.compile("\n\\s*\n")
 
 
 def compress_whitespace(text, max_linebreaks=1, max_spacing=2):
@@ -494,7 +494,7 @@ def compress_whitespace(text, max_linebreaks=1, max_spacing=2):
     # this allows the blank-line compression to eliminate them if needed
     text = re_empty.sub("\n\n", text)
     # replace groups of extra spaces with the maximum number of spaces
-    text = re.sub(f"(?<=\S) {{{max_spacing},}}", " " * max_spacing, text)
+    text = re.sub(fr"(?<=\S) {{{max_spacing},}}", " " * max_spacing, text)
     # replace groups of extra newlines with the maximum number of newlines
     text = re.sub(f"\n{{{max_linebreaks},}}", "\n" * max_linebreaks, text)
     return text