diff --git a/evennia/utils/evform.py b/evennia/utils/evform.py
index fec4f0100e..64962df26c 100644
--- a/evennia/utils/evform.py
+++ b/evennia/utils/evform.py
@@ -148,9 +148,17 @@ from evennia.utils.ansi import ANSIString
 # as an identifier). These should be listed in regex form.
 
 INVALID_FORMCHARS = r"\s\/\|\\\*\_\-\#\<\>\~\^\:\;\.\,"
+# if there is an ansi-escape (||) we have to replace this with ||| to make sure
+# to properly escape down the line
+_ANSI_ESCAPE = re.compile(r"\|\|")
+
 
 def _to_ansi(obj, regexable=False):
     "convert to ANSIString"
+    if isinstance(obj, basestring):
+        # since ansi will be parsed twice (here and in the normal ansi send), we have to
+        # escape the |-structure twice.
+        obj = _ANSI_ESCAPE.sub(r"||||", obj)
     if isinstance(obj, dict):
         return dict((key, _to_ansi(value, regexable=regexable)) for key, value in obj.items())
     elif hasattr(obj, "__iter__"):
@@ -443,5 +451,5 @@ def _test():
                      "B": tableB})
 
     # unicode is required since the example contains non-ascii characters
-    print(unicode(form))
+    #print(unicode(form))
     return form
diff --git a/evennia/utils/tests.py b/evennia/utils/tests.py
index 1cd5074eec..b618ee728a 100644
--- a/evennia/utils/tests.py
+++ b/evennia/utils/tests.py
@@ -343,3 +343,14 @@ class TestNestedInlineFuncs(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(nested_inlinefuncs.parse_inlinefunc(
             'this should be $pad("""escaped,""" and """instead,""" cropped $crop(with a long,5) text., 80)'),
             "this should be                    escaped, and instead, cropped with  text.                    ")
+
+from evennia.utils import evform
+
+class TestEvForm(TestCase):
+    def test_form(self):
+        self.assertEqual(unicode(evform._test()),
+            u'.------------------------------------------------.\n|                                                |\n|  Name: \x1b[1m\x1b[32mTom\x1b[1m\x1b[32m \x1b[1m\x1b[32mthe\x1b[1m\x1b[32m \x1b[0m       Player: \x1b[1m\x1b[33mGriatch\x1b[0m        \x1b[1m\x1b[32m\x1b[1m\x1b[32m\x1b[1m\x1b[32m\x1b[1m\x1b[32m\x1b[0m  |\n|        \x1b[1m\x1b[32mBouncer\x1b[0m\x1b[0m                                 |\n|                                                |\n >----------------------------------------------<\n|                                                |\n| Desc:  A sturdy \x1b[0m      STR: 12 \x1b[0m    DEX: 10 \x1b[0m     |\n|        fellow\x1b[0m         INT: 5  \x1b[0m    STA: 18 \x1b[0m     |\n|                       LUC: 10     MAG: 3       |\n|                                                |\n >----------------------------------------------<\n|          |                                     |\n| HP|MV |M\x1b[0m | Skill       |Value     |Exp        \x1b[0m |\n| ~~+~~~+~ | ~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~ |\n| **|***\x1b[0m|*\x1b[0m | Shooting    |12        |550/1200   \x1b[0m\x1b[0m |\n|   |**\x1b[0m |*\x1b[0m | Herbalism   |14        |990/1400   \x1b[0m\x1b[0m |\n|   |   |*\x1b[0m | Smithing    |9         |205/900    \x1b[0m |\n|          |                                     |\n ------------------------------------------------\n')
+    def test_ansi_escape(self):
+        # note that in a msg() call, the result would be the  correct |-----,
+        # in a print, ansi only gets called once, so ||----- is the result
+        self.assertEqual(unicode(evform.EvForm(form={"FORM":"\n||-----"})), "||-----")