diff --git a/evennia/server/oob_cmds.py b/evennia/server/oob_cmds.py
index 103082f532..2600d977dd 100644
--- a/evennia/server/oob_cmds.py
+++ b/evennia/server/oob_cmds.py
@@ -375,12 +375,14 @@ def oob_list(oobhandler, session, mode, *args, **kwargs):
 CMD_MAP = {"oob_error": oob_error, # will get error messages
            "return_field_report": oob_return_field_report,
            "return_attribute_report": oob_return_attribute_report,
+           # MSDP
            "REPEAT": oob_repeat,
            "UNREPEAT": oob_unrepeat,
            "SEND": oob_send,
            "ECHO": oob_echo,
            "REPORT": oob_report,
            "UNREPORT": oob_unreport,
-           "LIST": oob_list
+           "LIST": oob_list,
+           # GMCP
            }
 
diff --git a/evennia/server/portal/telnet_oob.py b/evennia/server/portal/telnet_oob.py
index 9bfc0adf18..04fcccda02 100644
--- a/evennia/server/portal/telnet_oob.py
+++ b/evennia/server/portal/telnet_oob.py
@@ -221,12 +221,15 @@ class TelnetOOB(object):
 
         print "decode_gmcp:", data
         if data:
-            splits = data.split(" ", 1)
+            splits = data.split(None, 1)
             cmdname = splits[0]
             if len(splits) < 2:
                 self.protocol.data_in(oob=(cmdname, (), {}))
             elif splits[1]:
-                struct = json.loads(json.dumps(splits[1]))
+                try:
+                    struct = json.loads(splits[1])
+                except ValueError:
+                    struct = splits[1]
                 args, kwargs = (), {}
                 if hasattr(struct, "__iter__"):
                     if isinstance(struct, dict):